McNamara's Not-Quite Confession... and for good reason . My first glimpse of Errol Morris' work (The Thin Blue Line) was for an undergraduate history seminar examining the role (and subsequent fallacy) of human memory in historical discourse.  While "The Thin Blue Line" examined a singular Texas murder, Morris' "Fog of War" has a larger footprint since it probes an extremely sharp and cognizant 80+ year old McNamara and his position in United States war policy over a thirty year span.  World War II and Vietnam obviously provide a lot of ground to cover in a documentary, but the "larger footprint" of Morris' film rests with the controversial nature of McNamara in the public's mind versus the historical record.  In short, McNamara bears some responsibility (and perhaps lingering guilt) for his recommendations in the WWII bombing and the Vietnam policy.  The Vietnam War was not his action alone, however; he was part of a national security apparatus submitting recommendations to the only man who could act:  The President of the United States.  Accordingly, McNamara bears partial responsibility but he is well aware of a popular desire for his complete contrition.  Yet, he now bears the sole burden for these group actions because he was the face of the Vietnam policy for two presidents and he is one of the few presidential advisors still alive from the Kennedy/Johnson Era (as well as the WWII bombing decisions).  McNamara is certainly aware of his position as well as the fact that certain portions of the American public want a criminal confession from the man.        With that "public pitfall" in mind, McNamara's explanations and answers to Morris' questions can appear scheming and duplicitous, but those answers simply place decisions and policy in their proper historical framework.  At one point in the film, Morris' essentially asks McNamara who was responsible for Vietnam decisions and McNamara quickly replies, "The President".  The audience (or at least, I) wanted McNamara to answer, "It was my decision" and - as such - may view the President Response as a cop-out.  However, McNamara is absolutely correct; the decision for action rested with the Commander-in-Chief and his name was never Robert Strange McNamara.  From the audience's perspective, it is nothing short of compelling to watch a man justify unpopular actions while dodging an undue burden of responsibility and respecting (i.e., not damning) the two presidents he served and loved.      Personally, I relished the personal insights Morris captured (or that McNamara permitted himself to show?).  These poignant glimpses ranged from McNamara's tearful story of surveying Arlington National Cemetery for Kennedy's eventual burial plot to the fleeting family health references confronting the McNamara Family during the Secretary of Defense years.  My favorite insight into McNamara's soul comes during the retelling of the young Quaker who set himself on fire below McNamara's office mere moments after handing his baby daughter to a pleading bystander.  While the story is well known, McNamara pays respect to the widow's subsequent explanation and appears to have kept tabs on the daughter.  I am still not sure what to make of that insight and dozens of others, but those personal glimpses are the underlying force of the film.      In terms of filmmaking, some reviews have blasted Morris' technique of being off camera and unmiked, his use of the Glass soundtrack, or his reliance on public domain stock footage of planes, bombing, or protests.  In many respects, they are right:  either you love Morris' methods or they will grate on you.  The editing cuts can be choppy, but it is unclear how much of that is for dramatic effect or if the original interviews went back and forth over the same material.  If you enjoy a bombastic Michael Moore-type figure guiding the audience through a series of contrived events peppered with sarcastic and puerile rhetoric, then "The Fog of War" may not be the documentary for you and worth a local rental.  On the other hand, if you enjoyed Morris' earlier "The Thin Blue Line" or Barbara Kopple's "Harlan County, USA" and "American Dream", then you will want to buy this DVD for the theatrical release, deleted scenes, and McNamara's own rules.
Output: POS