A good piece which gives a very personal take on Morris's documentary film. Standout points include the small segue into a specific role McNamara played in South Vietnamese military affairs, and Lam's reflection and interpretation of both McNamara's apology, argument, and Morris's take. Although this could serve as a review of the documentary itself, it seems like it would be better suited in amongst other material on Vietnam, perhaps in the context of reevaluating Vietnam, especially vis a vis the invasion of Iraq. Would go well with other material from Daniel Ellsberg's memoir "Secrets" as a counterpart, perhaps read by a voice actor. Also, it's worth noting "Fog of War" is based on interviews with McNamara, but much is also covered in McNamara's earlier book "In Retrospect".
From an audio standpoint, Lam's voice may be hard for some listeners to parse, but shouldn't pose too much of a problem as his pacing is done very well. Another reviewer mentioned that Lam's status as the son of a South Vietnamese general added some authority; Lam himself does not mention this in the piece, so this would need to be addressed in introduction or closing commentary if that angle is to be a component of the piece.
Very well engineered and very personal. Well done all around.
This review engaged my attention and helped me decide to see the movie. The choice of excerpts and quotes was excellent. The fact that Andrew is Vietnamese gives the interview a personal edge as well as lending authority to his opinions. An excellent choice for broadcast.
Comments for Fog of War review
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Other pieces by Holly Kernan
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2 comments
Daniel Moniz
Posted on April 19, 2004 at 04:24 AM | Permalink
Review of Fog of War review
From an audio standpoint, Lam's voice may be hard for some listeners to parse, but shouldn't pose too much of a problem as his pacing is done very well. Another reviewer mentioned that Lam's status as the son of a South Vietnamese general added some authority; Lam himself does not mention this in the piece, so this would need to be addressed in introduction or closing commentary if that angle is to be a component of the piece.
Very well engineered and very personal. Well done all around.
Susan Barrett Price
Posted on February 05, 2004 at 05:14 AM | Permalink
Review of Fog of War review
This review engaged my attention and helped me decide to see the movie. The choice of excerpts and quotes was excellent. The fact that Andrew is Vietnamese gives the interview a personal edge as well as lending authority to his opinions. An excellent choice for broadcast.