Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Definitely not a feel-good flick...but why do we need to feel good?

ML and I walked up to Film Streams last night to meet the DH and his buddy Ron for the new documentary “No End in Sight.”  According to the Film Streams folks, it was “a jaw-dropping, insider’s account of how U.S. policy errors led to the insurgency and chaos that engulf Iraq today. Director Charles Ferguson’s illuminating NO END IN SIGHT provides a candid retelling of the events following the fall of Baghdad in 2003 by high-ranking U.S. officials, Iraqi civilians, American soldiers, and prominent analysts. One of the year's best-reviewed films.”  It was a very well-made and poignant film, but man, what a downer!  Not that I feel that the movie should have been more up-beat by any means, least of all for entertainment value; the point of the film was not to entertain but to educate and inform, and it served this purpose quite well.  Unfortunately, most Americans do not go to the movies to be informed or educated; they go to escape.  This was not escapist fare; this was an in-your-face something-is-very-wrong think piece.  I have a hunch this film will not be seen by a wide audience, at least not in the theaters.  Maybe if it gets picked up on cable…  And then again, I could be wrong.  I hope so.  Maybe the time has come when more Americans are willing to pull their heads out the sand and pay attention to what is really going on in the rest of the world…