This impressive documentary might have worked best as a history lesson in-a-nutshell about the volatile Nixon years, the Vietnam war, and the geo-political milieu of the 1970's, with Henry Kissinger as the Machiavellian focal point. However, with his recent appointment by George W. Bush to head an in-depth investigation into the events of September 11, the film takes on a new urgency and timeliness. It is now required viewing for a country that seems more ready than ever before to examine the personal accountability of its leaders.
Arguably, the most influential man in US and possibly in the world, at one time Kissinger was both Secretary of State and chairman of the National Security Council, two top powerhouse spots. Though far from a one-man show, certainly Nixon and others on his staff were central to the manipulations and strategies that directed world power dynamics, Kissinger had unprecedented authority. Filmmakers Eugene Jarecki and Alex Gibney chastise Kissinger for his crimes, as laid out in the book of the same title by Christopher Hitchens, who appears in the film stating his case. In addition to archival footage that tells the story, the part that Kissinger played is recounted in interviews with key players who are still around. If there is one thing everyone but Henry seems to agree on, it's that he lied. From former co-workers on the National Security Council, to newsmen and journalists, and with the lone exception of Alexander Haig (my personal most likely candidate for the identity of Deep Throat), all acknowledge that he clearly deceived congress to proceed with the secret bombing of Cambodia.
Driven by his considerable ego and high intelligence, he put himself above the process of the government to do what he deemed best. He refused to be interviewed for the film, but in recent stock footage makes an appearance simply inferring that one does what one thinks best. Born in Germany in 1923, Kissinger came to the United States with his family at age 15 to escape the growing nazi presence. Shaped by what he saw during the war years and after, a major concept of his life has been that power is the thing you can count on most. Working for the Dems before jumping to the Nixon Republicans, he has always positioned himself on the winning side.
Dubbed Manhattan's Milosevic by the Village Voice, Kissinger is presented in Christopher Hitchens's book as an unindicted war criminal and Hitchens as more or less the lone crusader to bring him to trial. With much documentation from declassified government archives, the case against Kissinger is potent. The film posits, among other crimes, that the killing fields of Cambodia under the Kyhmer Rouge were a direct result of Kissinger 's interference. Conversely, his failure, along with Gerald Ford's, to appropriately intervene in East Timor resulted in hundreds of thousands dead. He dismisses the country on film as a little 4th rate power not worthy of his attention. The central subtext of the film is not so much that Kissinger single-handedly was responsible, but that he continues to enjoy a revered place in the collective memory and will take a place as a peacemaker in history. He has not been called to account for his illegal actions.
Kissinger has one of those myopic personalities whose intellectual superiority evidently allows him to rationalize his actions. He had lost some family in the Holocaust and had an overpowering wish to control Communist expansion by any means necessary, going outside the law if need be. Controversial and colorful, the darling of talk shows and celebrity parties, he used his considerable charm as a cover. Although out of character for the man who reveled in being the most sought after dinner guest among the rich and famous for three decades, Kissinger may have planned to maintain a lower profile until the furor over the book and film died down. That cover may be blown now that he accepted the task of the 9-11 investigation. His smugness seems undiminished as he strives to avoid legal suits brought against him recently for responsibility for the 1970 assassination of Chilean general René Schneider, and being indirectly responsible for the death of journalist Charles Horman.
All documentaries have a point of view, and the filmmakers here clearly support many of the assertions of the book. That said, it is not rocket science to see who has gained the most from the economic and political policies directly resulting from decisions made when Kissinger held sway. The ultimate fox in the hen house story, a must see for anyone who wants an authentic hindsight vision of how a person can justify any action when he believes he is smarter than everyone else and is in the power position. The larger and more important reason to see this film (bring your kids and friends) is to learn from the past. With the recent formation of the homeland security department, here is an opportunity to see the forest through the trees and perhaps prevent much global bloodshed. It is not for nothing that Kissinger has been advising corporate clients on global matters at Kissinger Associates in recent years. Nor is it difficult to see who has benefited and who will continue to benefit when world leaders are unaccountable for the harm they inflict. Last but not least, its value as a fascinating, visual record of some of the complex events of the 1970's cannot be discounted.
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