Documentaries: October
I've watched several documentaries over the past couple of months and wanted to jot down my impressions. Here's the list:
- Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror
- Challenger: The Final Flight
- Hitler's Circle of Evil
Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror
Source: IMDb
This film covers the period from the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 to the withdrawal of US troops in 2021. It includes interviews with the survivors of the attack, journalists, politicians, agents of FBI and CIA, NSA employees, US soldiers, Afghan citizens, and even a member of the Taliban. The broad set of speakers offers a thorough and critical review of causes and consequences of the 9/11 attack.
The movie raises some difficult questions. In a sense, the US aided people who attacked it in 2001 in repelling the Soviet invasion. Was this the right decision? Another interesting question is whether the punishment did fit the crime. By no means do I mean that this terrible attack should've been ignored. However, it took the US military a whole ten years to leave after they had killed Osama bin Laden in 2011. Now, the Taliban has returned to power, and it appears that Iraq wasn't related to al-Qaeda. Answers to these questions will shape our actions under similar conditions in the future.
The issue of privacy and surveillance by various entities is a big concern today. The documentary touches this subject too, explaining how programs like PRISM became possible following the attack.
Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror is an important film to watch.
Challenger: The Final Flight
Source: IMDb
This movie is about the Challenger space shuttle that disintegrated after liftoff in 1986. It elucidates the significance of this particular flight, introduces the crew, explores the root cause of the disaster and the ensuing investigation. The film features experts, relatives, engineers from NASA, and the company that manufactured the failed rocket booster, providing a comprehensive review of the tragedy.
For me, one of the most interesting parts was about how space shuttles were perceived during that era. This fragment from Jerry Seinfeld's 1985 performance highlights that it had become a routine just 4 years after the first launch. It's hard to impress people after putting a man on the Moon. However, this mission stood out as a high school teacher Christa McAuliffe was part of the crew. There's a dedicated chapter in the documentary about the Teacher in Space Project and the selection process she had gone through.
Challenger: The Final Flight is a well-told story about the final flight of the shuttle. If the topic interests you, I recommend watching it.
Hitler's Circle of Evil
Source: IMDb
At first glance, when you see the title and the poster, you might expect tabloid material. I certainly did, given how the figure of Hitler often attracts sensationalism on the internet. Imagine my surprise when I discovered it has an IMDb rating of 8!
The documentary opens by telling how Hitler had joined the Nazi Party and became their leader. But he's not the main character. This movie is about his closest henchmen, namely:
And others. I was surprised that Joachim von Ribbentrop doesn't appear to be part of the inner circle, at least as the film portrays it. After all, he was the minister of foreign affairs from 1938, just before and during WWII.
Hitler's Circle of Evil is a conventional historical documentary. It blends interviews with historians, footages from that period of time and reenactments. After so many years, these people may look like mythical figures, united behind their Führer and working tirelessly towards the common goal. Turns out, they never trusted each other. Each man wanted to fulfill his own ambitions. Sometimes they formed alliances to undermine other members of the inner circle and increase their own power.
In essence, it's politics driven by insane ideology. The movie is good at describing characters, their motivations, dynamics between them and how these were evolving from 1920 to 1945.