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Power and Terror: Noam Chomsky in Our Time

Released Nov 22, 2002 1h 11m Documentary List
72% Tomatometer 25 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Filmmaker John Junkerman focuses his lens on Noam Chomsky, the American linguist, thinker, activist and outspoken critic of U.S. foreign policy. Culled together from a series of lectures on a wide range of topics and interviews given when Chomsky was 73, the documentary explores the scholar's often controversial opinions concerning the United States' use -- and, according to his informed opinion, abuse -- of power across the globe and as a response to the 9/11 attacks.
Power and Terror: Noam Chomsky in Our Time

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Critics Consensus

Chomsky is a compelling, thoughtful speaker.

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Critics Reviews

View All (25) Critics Reviews
Michael O'Sullivan Washington Post Junkerman's dull film, and its important if inflammatory message, will bore all but Chomsky's fellow travelers to death. Aug 8, 2003 Full Review Jane Sumner Dallas Morning News If the documentary is a jumbled mess, the man ... is mesmerizing, lucid, thought-provoking and brave. Rated: C+ Apr 10, 2003 Full Review Erik Lundegaard Seattle Times Visually, it's about as exciting as C-Span. Doesn't matter. Chomsky, at 74, is as radical as ever. Rated: 2.5/4 Mar 21, 2003 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 4/5 Sep 26, 2005 Full Review Brian Gibson Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Alberta) This sometimes fawning documentary is selling a simple image of Chomsky to his faithful, not expanding on or further discussing the man's ideas. Dec 1, 2003 Full Review Kurt Dahlke Apollo Guide There are better and more entertaining ways to grapple with Noam Chomsky's theories. Rated: 70/100 Oct 29, 2003 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (23) audience reviews
Audience Member Noam Chomsky: the most overrated, over quoted quasi-philosophers of our time. He literally has created nothing but vacuous either by talking as a critic. Thomas Sowell same age has dozens of books on economics, hundreds of published peer review articles, came from absolutely nothing to reach the highest levels of academic success both personally and professionally and you will never hear a peep about him because his secret of success was self made and ambition driven, unlike Chomsky and his colleagues who are jealous of other peoples success and are big whiners. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 10/26/21 Full Review Audience Member This doc is so poorly done! I like Chomsky...but wow this was hard to watch. The message he has is worth listening too. Good one to put on while doing something else and just listen to it instead of actually watching this messy doc. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member I like how simplified he tends to make things. I also admire the fact that he knows a LOT of information and has his facts lined up before he tends to formulate a response. Very much worth seeing. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member I'm lucky to watch this movie.It's worth to watch it. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Audience Member i found this pretty boring. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Follows Chomsky on a lecture tour following 9/11 as he addresses what is meant by "terror" and how governments use it for their aims, but only official enemies' terror is condemned. Most importantly, he counters the "doom and gloom" that his highlighting of unreported events can evoke by pointing out how western society has become much more freer in the decades since Chomsky first became politically involved, injecting much needed optimism into his analysis of government power. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Power and Terror: Noam Chomsky in Our Time

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Movie Info

Synopsis Filmmaker John Junkerman focuses his lens on Noam Chomsky, the American linguist, thinker, activist and outspoken critic of U.S. foreign policy. Culled together from a series of lectures on a wide range of topics and interviews given when Chomsky was 73, the documentary explores the scholar's often controversial opinions concerning the United States' use -- and, according to his informed opinion, abuse -- of power across the globe and as a response to the 9/11 attacks.
Director
John Junkerman
Producer
Tetsujiro Yamagami
Distributor
First Run
Production Co
Siglo
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 22, 2002, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 3, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$288.4K
Runtime
1h 11m