Why We Fight: Critic Reviews

We're left with a vision of America grown accustomed, if not addictively numb, to the deadening spirit of war.

... even those of radical political persuasion might find it hard to accept Mr. Jarecki's argument that American militarism is, underneath the talk about freedom and democracy, a simple question of dollars.

It's thoughtful, and you have to take it seriously and with respect.

Memo to left-wing anti-Bushies: Stories like this work. Don't lecture. Tell stories! Much better!

Stands as a class-act stylistic rebuttal to Fahrenheit 9/11 -- it asks questions rather than bludgeons us with ridicule, and it has the grace to hint that we can think for ourselves.

Jarecki's film forcefully argues that the much abused word freedom cannot paper over the conflicts between capitalism and democracy.

Whether we've reached the critical mass of "misplaced power" is the gist of the current national debate, and Why We Fight is a useful tool in that argument.

The film is a clear-headed anomaly of reason that one hopes won't get lost in the bicker-and-scream shuffle of TV punditry.

Eugene Jarecki's Why We Fight takes on enough subjects to make five great documentaries, but as a result is so scattered that it doesn't quite make for one good one.

It's unconvincing and ineffective; the many patches of ideological montage, growing like kudzu throughout the film, weaken the impact of its best moments.

After Ike makes his point in the opening minutes, the film itself essentially just elaborates it.

Jarecki seems to have had his answers before asking the questions. He's a master at filtering, at choosing the best quotes to bolster his argument and at connecting dots that, perhaps, shouldn't be.

Fluidly edited by Nancy Kennedy, Why We Fight interweaves these personal stories not only with history but with one another, yielding some choice ironies.

It's impossible to imagine anyone, right-leaning or left, coming away from this hugely important documentary unshaken by its representation of the United States and its military establishment.

Whichever truth you hold to be self-evident, Why We Fight will encourage you to reassess your beliefs and reconsider the meaning of national security.

The fact is, Jon Stewart on The Daily Show uncovers this same hypocrisy every night, and does it in two minutes with irony and humor, while Why We Fight attempts it with outrage and scolding.

A thoroughgoing and affecting film on the nature and causes of the American military-industrial complex.

... this rehash of familiar pacifist arguments offers neither heat nor light.

Compulsory viewing in an age when the war of words is every bit as entrenched (and fierce) as the one with weapons.

The strength of this documentary lies in its balance, or at least the careful appearance of balance. Both sides of the issue receive their due ...

A film that stands out for its passion, ambition and clarion-call sincerity, even amid the contemporary onslaught of political documentaries.

Thoughtful and extremely well-made.

Why We Fight wants to shake us up, and boy, does it ever.

Jarecki's well-argued, if demoralizing, documentary is a thoughtful discussion of current U.S. foreign policy and lessons not learned.