Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

William Gazecki

Writers:

William Gazecki (writer)
Dan Gifford (writer)

Release Date:

19 September 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | History

Plot:

This controversial documentary about the stand-off between an unorthodox Christian group - the Branch Davidians...

Plot Keywords:

Branch Davidian | FBI | ATF | Waco Texas | Congressional Hearing

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 4 wins

Cast

Dan Gifford	...	Narrator (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Clive Doyle	...	Himself (Branch Davidian) (also archive footage)
Jack Harwell	...	Himself (sheriff)
Dick J. Reavis	...	Himself (author) (also archive footage)
James D. Tabor	...	Himself (Biblical scholar)
David Thibodeau	...	Himself (Branch Davidian)

Runtime:

136 min | USA:165 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Waco, Texas, USA

Company:

Fifth Estate Productions

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Men in Black II (2002)

Mind-blowing and shocking

There have been many documentaries that I have seen in which it appeared that the law was on the wrong side of the fence - The Thin Blue Line and Paradise Lost come to mind first and foremost. But this is the first film that had me seething with anger after I saw it. It seems blatantly clear to me from the evidence presented in this film that what happened at Waco was at the very least an unprofessional and sloppy mess on the part of the FBI and AFI, and at the very worst an act of murder. Like most people, when the siege at Waco was occurring I assumed that David Koresh was a completely evil madman who was leading a violent cult. After seeing this, I think that Koresh was more likely a slightly unbalanced and confused guy who inadvertently caught the attention of the U.S. government through his eccentric actions. Sure, there were lots of weapons at the Branch Davidian compound. But none of it was illegal. It was absolutely heartbreaking to see the video footage of the people inside the compound, all of them seeming to be very nice and harmless. And it was angering to see the callous testimony of the men in charge of the government forces on the Waco site, the clueless testimony of Janet Reno, and the partisan defense of the attack on Waco, a defense led by a few of the committee Democrats. Standing out most in my mind was NY representative and current U.S. senator from NY Charles Schumer. I voted for the man when I lived in NY state - I'm a Democrat, pretty left-leaning too. After seeing his actions on this committee, I wish I could go back in time and vote for D'Amato instead! For anyone remotely interested in the government, this is a very crucial film, a must see. I even think this should be shown in classes - it's that important.