The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara (2003)

Fantastic portrait of McNamara, the Secretary of Defense during the early stages of Vietnam. Among other things, it could serve as an object lesson in creating a documentary about a subject you don't agree with or even necessarily like -- it becomes clear early on that director Errol Morris's politics don't see eye to eye with McNamara's, yet he doesn't hector him; rather, he lets his images and cutting tell the story. And McNamara is just a prime subject anyway. Able to express regret about his actions while never quite letting the blame fall on his shoulders, he's a slippery, fascinating man (Bill Clinton ain't got nuthin' on this guy). Ultimately, this is neither a celebration nor a condemnation of McNamara -- it's simply a look at a man who had to make some very tough decisions and may or may not have chosen wisely. Not only a lesson in how difficult it is to actually wield power but also in how easy it is to misuse that power (whether intentionally or inadvertenly), this is stimulating, frightening and unmissable. (Also, it's unexpectantly relevant -- watch for the scene in which McNamara explains that Vietnam failed in part because our allies didn't back us.)

Grade: A