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Theater of War

2008 1h 35m Documentary List
72% Tomatometer 18 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
This documentary offers a behind-the-scenes look at a daring American staging of Bertolt Brecht's masterpiece of political theater, "Mother Courage." Meryl Streep and her costars tackle Brecht's challenging pacifist work in a bold new translation by acclaimed playwright Tony Kushner. The film also discusses Brecht's creative life, his exodus from Nazi Germany in the wake of World War II and the relevance of "Mother Courage" in the context of contemporary world politics.

Critics Reviews

View All (18) Critics Reviews
David Fear Time Out Rated: 3/5 Nov 17, 2011 Full Review Andrea Gronvall Chicago Reader Engrossing and timely, this crackles with ideas about art, politics, religion, and the terrible costs of war. Apr 3, 2009 Full Review Walter V. Addiego San Francisco Chronicle For theater lovers in general, this documentary -- a look at a high-powered production of a modern classic and a chance to watch Meryl Streep build a character -- is intriguing and educational. For partisans of Bertolt Brecht, it's mandatory. Rated: 3/4 Apr 3, 2009 Full Review Carolina Benalczar Another Gaze The trauma of the past is expressed in the woundedness of the present and through this expression finds a type of sanctuary. Mar 16, 2018 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews The delights were in seeing arguably America's greatest actress, Streep, going through the clunky process of rehearsing while telling us how she interpreted her role. Rated: B Feb 26, 2010 Full Review Avi Offer NYC Movie Guru Mildly engaging with brief moments of insight, but it's mostly a missed opportunity to dig deeper into the play's sociopolitical relevance to the world of today Rated: 5.75/10 Jan 31, 2009 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (19) audience reviews
Audience Member Ties together war, world history past and present, rehearsal process, Brecht's own biography, Marxism, and, of course, the play, "Mother Courage and Her Children," weaving together a tapestry of interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, home movies from Brecht, newsreel footage, and photos and recordings of both the original production and the Central Park revival. Ultimately, the whole of "Theater of War" isn't any more than the sum of its many fascinating parts, but it's interested, engaging, frequently exciting stuff, and for anyone who loves Brecht (like I do) or who saw the performance (which I did), it's essential viewing. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Like a master class on how to stage a play in NYC; Kushner talks playwriting, plus a peek at rehearsal process with Kevin Kline and Meryl Streep. Not to be missed by theatre lovers. "Process is clunky." -Meryl Streep Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Is somewhat in the vein of Pacino's Looking for Richard documentary, discussing motivations for the play and its author, but Theater lacks that film's energy and enthusiasm. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Theater of War tries to be a number of things, and doesn't succeed in any of them, with the exception of being able to see Meryl Streep as Mother Courage. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member It's informative -- both about the life and ideas of Bertolt Brecht and the staging of a high-profile New York theater production. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member An introduction to Brecht, the roots of contemporary theater, and Marxism. Fascinating, but not terribly well put together or even that engaging, unless any of the above fascinate you on their own. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Theater of War

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Movie Info

Synopsis This documentary offers a behind-the-scenes look at a daring American staging of Bertolt Brecht's masterpiece of political theater, "Mother Courage." Meryl Streep and her costars tackle Brecht's challenging pacifist work in a bold new translation by acclaimed playwright Tony Kushner. The film also discusses Brecht's creative life, his exodus from Nazi Germany in the wake of World War II and the relevance of "Mother Courage" in the context of contemporary world politics.
Director
John W. Walter
Producer
Nina Santisi
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
Oct 19, 2010
Runtime
1h 35m