The Fog of War is deceptively simple. A documentarian sits down with former Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara and interviews him about his experiences in WWII, his time in the Ford Motor Company and finally, of course, his time as Secretary of Defense during Vietnam for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. It is also a guidebook to live life, and also a warning about committing a nation to war. The movie is set up in ten rules on living life and on the nature and conduct of modern warfare. Intersperced are segments of interviews that roughly takes us through McNamara's life and career in sequence.
Now, the movie seems to be coming from a slightly accusatory air, or at least that's what I thought when I first watched it. But Errol Morris, the documentarian who takes us through this interview, is surprisingly even-handed except for one or two times when he ham-handedly tries to get McNamara to admit responsibility for Vietnam and it's escalation, as many Americans do. Now, McNamara is no fool, and does not let himself be drawn into an argument about Vietnam. In fact, he mostly avoids many details to not stir up any more controversy. But, he is very introspective throughout, and does accept some responsibility for Vietnam in his role as Secretary of Defense. But he correctly puts the onus on Johnson, and to a lesser extent, Kennedy. Hippies will hate it, as their bugaboo is not contrite enough.
But what is really important is that McNamara gives future presidents and generations a clear warning. War is not glorious or great, but it is sometimes necessary. One must be clear as to the reasons for going to war, understanding your enemy, and in the end, be proportional. We are in an age with nuclear weapons, and there will be no winners in that case. McNamara understands the world for what it is, and argues that war should be avoided at all costs as it may be the last. Hopefully those in power will heed that warning.
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