Why We Fight

Synopsis

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, WHY WE FIGHT takes an unflinching look at the anatomy of American war-making. With unparalleled Pentagon access, the film launches a non partisan inquiry into the forces - political, economic, and ideological - that drive the United States of America to fight.

Inspired by President Dwight Eisenhower's 1961 Farewell Address in which he warned Americans about the dangers of the "military-industrial complex", filmmaker Eugene Jarecki (THE TRIALS OF HENRY KISSINGER) weaves unforgettable stories of everyday citizens touched by war, with commentary by a 'who's who' of military and Washington insiders.

Featuring Senator John McCain, Gore Vidal, Richard Perle and many others, WHY WE FIGHT explores a half century of U.S. foreign policy from World War II to the Iraq War, revealing how, as Eisenhower warned, political and corporate interests have become alarmingly entangled in the business of war. On a deeper level, what emerges in this award-winning film is a portrait of a nation in transition - drifting dangerously far from her founding principles towards a more imperial and uncertain future.

Please click a thumbnail to view the full-sized image:

More Info

Reviews

"Why We Fight wants to shake us up, and boy, does it ever... the impact is shattering"

ROLLING STONE

"extremely timely and urgently relevant"

TIME OUT

"Beautifully shot, extensively researched... hard to resist... the antithesis of Michael Moore"

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

"excellent... powerful... this isn't a one-sided film"

THE FINANCIAL TIMES

"extraordinary... unlike Michael Moore's Bush-baiting this is a considered essay about the business of war, about how the political buzzwords 'freedom' and 'liberation' have become terrifying euphemisms"

THE TIMES

"Characteristically excellent... the archive footage is tremendous, the interview subjects well-chosen... and the vox pops with members of the public faintly alarming... Superb"

THE GUARDIAN