Why We Fight (2005)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Eugene Jarecki

Writer:

Eugene Jarecki (written by)

Genre:

Documentary | History | War

Tagline:

It is nowhere written that the American empire goes on forever.

Plot:

Is American foreign policy dominated by the idea of military supremacy? Has the military become too important in American life? Jarecki's shrewd and intelligent polemic would seem to give an affirmative answer to each of these questions.

Plot Keywords:

Dwight D. Eisenhower | Military Industrial Complex | American Foreign Policy | U.S. President | Bill Clinton

Awards:

4 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Ken Adelman	...	Himself
John Ashcroft	...	Himself (archive footage)
Osama Bin Laden	...	Himself (archive footage)
George Bush	...	Himself (archive footage)
George W. Bush	...	Himself (archive footage)
Robert Byrd	...	Himself (archive footage)
Frank Capra	...	Himself (archive footage)
Dick Cheney	...	Himself (archive footage)
Joseph Cirincione	...	Himself
Bill Clinton	...	Himself (archive footage)
Anh Duong	...	Herself
Gwynne Dyer	...	Himself
Dwight D. Eisenhower	...	Himself (archive footage)
John S.D. Eisenhower	...	Himself
Susan Eisenhower	...	Herself
Donna Ellington	...	Herself
Dennis Hastert	...	Himself (archive footage)
Saddam Hussein	...	Himself (archive footage)
Chalmers Johnson	...	Himself
Lyndon Johnson	...	Himself (archive footage)
John F. Kennedy	...	Himself (archive footage)
Ayatollah Khomeini	...	Himself (archive footage)
William Kristol	...	Himself
Karen Kwiatkowski	...	Herself
Charles Lewis	...	Himself
John McCain	...	Himself
Richard Nixon	...	Himself (archive footage)
Bill O'Reilly	...	Himself (archive footage)
Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi	...	Himself (archive footage)
Richard Perle	...	Himself
Colin Powell	...	Himself (archive footage)
Dan Rather	...	Himself
Ronald Reagan	...	Himself (archive footage)
Condoleezza Rice	...	Herself (archive footage)
James G. Roche	...	Himself
Donald Rumsfeld	...	Himself (archive footage)
Tim Russert	...	Himself (archive footage)
Wally Saeger	...	Himself
Wilton Sekzer	...	Himself
Naj Sheesan	...	Himself
William Solomon	...	Himself
Franklin Spinney	...	Himself
Joseph Stalin	...	Himself (archive footage)
Richard Treadway	...	Himself (as Col. Rich Treadway)
Harry S. Truman	...	Himself (archive footage)
Michael Valentine	...	Himself
Gore Vidal	...	Himself
Paul Wolfowitz	...	Himself (archive footage)

Also Known As:

Le Nerf de la guerre (France) (TV title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for disturbing war images and brief language.

Runtime:

Norway:55 min | USA:98 min | Argentina:99 min

Country:

USA | France | UK | Canada | Denmark

Language:

English | Arabic

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Argentina:13 | Australia:M

Company:

Arte

Quotes:

Karen Kwiatkowski: I have two sons and I will allow none of my children to serve in the United States Military. If you join the military now you are not defending the United States of America, you are helping certain policy makers pursue an imperial agenda.

Movie Connections:

References Prelude to War (1943)

Soundtrack:

Not Dark Yet

A compelling overview of American militarism

The best film on the subject we've seen. Comprehensive, sweeping, factual; it covers many points of view but it is always the facts that rivet us and help us understand. "Why We Fight" clearly explains the reasons, starting with World War II right up to Iraq. The film features many luminaries, including the two US pilots who launched the first bomb strike on Baghdad, Senator John McCain, retired CIA experts, pentagon experts and ordinary citizens. The cinematography is first rate. The archival footage is rare and choice. The clips from Dwight D. Eisenhower are relevant and compelling. Highly recommended. Make sure you see this movie either in theaters or on DVD when it becomes available. It may still be playing on HBO. Worth going out of your way for this documentary.