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The mists of time: control, chaos and irreversibility in The Fog of War
This article considers how Errol Morris' The Fog of War (2003) mediates the retrospective self-criticisms and self-justifications of former US Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. It traces how the film finds cracks and fissures in McNamara's performance, creating space for an indirect commentary on his conduct, then and now, via sound/image juxtapositions and the gradual emergence of a trajectory of decline and failure. I argue that, in its self-reflexive but ultimately frustrating treatment of the Vietnam War and of history, Fog of War proves unable to move beyond the cul-de-sac of (limited) regret on the part of McNamara, and a reminder to its viewers of their own powerlessness, against the apparatus of war, and against time.
History
Publication status
- Published
Journal
Studies in Documentary FilmISSN
1750-3280Publisher
IntellectExternal DOI
Issue
1Volume
6Page range
29-42Department affiliated with
- Media and Film Publications
Full text available
- No
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2013-09-26Usage metrics
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