Why We Fight

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Audience Member A great introduction to the levers of American power and the Corporate War Machine. The connections they draw together, the foundation in Eisenhower's address, and in particular their conversation on Blow Back all work seamlessly and effectively together. The only area of the film that keeps it from being 5 stars is the political immediacy of its Iraq War coverage, this is not to say anything negative about what they did, only that it dates a portion of what would otherwise have been a universal message. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Audience Member Why we fight? Soldiers fight because they are told to fight. An enemy or a perceived enemy. To promote freedom, protect freedom? or to promote the American empire - with preemptive power and removal of government heads who are not pro-American. Both sentiments exist today. The last 10 minutes clarify today's position. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member Why We Fight, directed by Eugene Jarecki and released in 2006, is a documentary surrounding President Dwight D. Eisenhowerï¿ 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2(TM)s speech during his last day in office. His speech warned against the military-industrial complex, the idea that the combination of federal military actions and arms-dealing contractors could eventually threaten our democracy. This film attempts to convince the viewer to take a closer look at the military actions carried out by our government, and truly consider the reasons why we are in nearly constant war with nations we canï¿ 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2(TM)t even place on a map. While the film is entertaining, it is unlikely to turn opponents to their side. Most viewers interested in the film most likely begin watching with their own views coinciding with that of the film, leaving little room for genuine change in views. The film effectively uses lighting, music, and interviews with military and government personnel to make their point. The interviews with qualified individuals in politics and the military lend a distinct credibility to the film. There are fallacies within the film which, at first glance, you might not pick up on, but thinking critically of the filmï¿ 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2(TM)s persuasive devices allows the viewer to truly think critically about the film and its message. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member The documentary Why We Fight, directed by Eugene Jarecki, attempts to shed light on the reality of war and our motivations behind escalating to such levels. The film employs techniques such as lighting, camera framing, music, and real footage to convey a particular perspective on the audience, who is often unaware of such persuasive strategies. While these methods are used masterfully, others are not. The film quickly jumps from expert to expert, sometimes having each cut of a person talking be only 15-20 seconds long before they cut to the next person. This is hard to follow and confusing for the audience, and makes it very difficult to match a face with a name tag that was shown previously. This discredits the validity of the statements in the film and reduces the credibility of the supposed experts, since the audience cant keep track of each individual and their profession. Overall, its a very sloppy technique that brings the overall effect of the documentary down immensely. Another weakness is the prominent focus on Eisenhowers proclaimed military-industrial complex. This makes the complex seem like the most relevant point, reducing the importance of the other characterâ(TM)s claims and storylines. Now, the reasons to fight as narrated by Wilton Sekzer and William Soloman seem drastically insignificant, even though their reason for fighting is just as relevant. The directors seem to pick and choose what information they are going to highlight in the film by framing certain characters, which is very misleading and paints a false picture for the audience. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Audience Member The documentary Why We Fight, directed by Eugene Jarecki, explains how Eisenhowerâ(TM)s Military Industrial Complex has been used to justify endless fighting. The film shows that in this process of trying to get ahead, many Americans have forgotten what we are truly fighting for. The documentary attempts to show that the United States government often works to fulfill its own interest, while convincing the American people that they are protecting us and securing our freedom. The documentary shows multiple interviews of people who are either directly involved in war or who have lived through its devastating consequences. In addition, the documentary presents many video clips and images to emphasize the destructive impact of war. This is a very powerful teaching technique because it is more interesting and appealing to the audience, as compared to a typical classroom lecture. The documentary urges the viewer to consider the fact that everything you hear isnâ(TM)t always true. The film teaches people not to blindly trust the government and to be cautious of the possible abuse of power. One problem with the film is that it is highly biased because it only shows the negative results of war, when sometimes war may not avoidable or may be the best option. I would highly recommend this documentary to high school or college students, because it challenges people to consider both sides of a topic and helps to develop individual beliefs and values. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Audience Member ï¿ 1/2Why We Fightï¿ 1/2Â? is a documentary concerning our support for war as a society and the decisions made by our government in times of war. The film is based on the idea of our powerful Military-Industrial Complex. The film utilizes many different interviewees to speak on behalf of our defense system, including John McCain and John D.S. Eisenhower. Those who are interested in following a long, informative film regarding anti-war ideas will benefit from this film. The arguments demonstrated allow the audience to look past our traditional values and ideas. It expresses that we do not simply fight for freedom, democracy, and peace and that those who believe this need to reconsider this idea. This film seems to favor the left side of the political spectrum more than anything. As a teenager still developing my political values, I caught myself almost becoming convinced by many of the arguments in the film despite their lack of evidence. I wouldï¿ 1/2(TM)ve appreciated the film more if it considered the opinions of both sides of the spectrum. The film was also quite hectic, jumping from interviewee to interviewee much too quickly. I felt bombarded with too much information at once, making the film much harder to follow. Jarecki couldï¿ 1/2(TM)ve used fewer interviewees, images, and speeches to get his point across. Overall, the film was not very enjoyable to watch and had my mind spinning. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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