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# Errol Morris's 'The Fog of War' Revisits Vietnam and the Lessons for Iraq
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/review/
- Published: 2004-02-13T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T03:47:38.000Z
- Author: Dan Dunn
- Tags: Entertainment, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*‘Fog of War’ lifts us from the political haze of 1960s*

The similarities — as laid out by controversial former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara in Errol Morris’ compelling documentary, “The Fog Of War” — between the circumstances that lead us into war in Vietnam and the run-up to our current conflict in Iraq are eerie. The fact that Morris conducted his interviews before Sept. 11 and the subsequent invasion of Baghdad is downright chilling. Seems we are destined to repeat the mistakes of the past. Morris (“The Thin Blue Line,” “Fast, Cheap & Out Of Control”) may be our greatest living documentarian, and his virtuosity is on full display here. Though we rarely hear his voice on screen, it’s clear Morris is a master interrogator and he manages to extract a great deal of captivating information from his subject, an ultimate insider who served under Kennedy and Johnson and is considered by many to be the primary architect of the Vietnam War (though he makes a cogent argument to the contrary here). McNa-mara’s insights are delivered in lesson form — 11 of them ranging from “Empathize with your enemy” to “You can’t change human nature.” The former, McNamara says, came in handy during the Cuban missile crisis, when the U.S. and the Soviets came within a hair of full-scale nuclear war. He later recounts, almost matter-of-factly, two other instances in which the president’s finger was almost literally on the button.

Morris uses archival footage and his trademark expressionist symbolizations to support McNamara’s words, with a score by Philip Glass that is devastatingly effective. He was 85 years old when the film was shot, and McNamara proves to be as sharp as ever, revealing one fascinating tidbit after another in vivid detail. Those wanting an apology won’t get one here. As he did in his 1995 tome, “In Retrospect,” McNamara recounts his role in creating the blueprint for Vietnam, and confronts the monumental mistakes that were paid for in human lives. But he paints himself as a loyal public servant who followed his Commander-in-Chief into battle despite his better judgment. (Rated PG-13 for images and thematic issues of war and destruction. Running time: 95 minutes)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/021304-14_01.jpg)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 13, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/021304.pdf?ref=smdp.com)