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Adam Curtis, Aiman Al-Zawaheri, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Hillary Rodham Clinton ... see more see more... , John Ashcroft , John Kerry , Monica Lewinsky , Osama Bin Laden , Richard Nixon , Robert Bork , Ronald Reagan , Saddam Hussein , Tony Blair

Political proverb states that a population in fear is a population that is easily controlled. In this documentary exploring the climate of fear that existed in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terro... read more read more...rist attacks on the United States, filmmaker Adam Curtis explores the possibility that Western neoconservatives used anxiety as a tool to manipulate the masses into behaving in a predictable and controllable manner. By claiming that contemporary Western Democracy relies more on propagating the myth of an all-powerful al-Qaeda just waiting for the right time to strike rather than focusing on domestic issues and the bettering of the people, as previous generations of politicians had done, Curtis suggests that Washington is intentionally manipulating the population into a defensive stance that gives those in charge more power than necessary. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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96% liked it

1,132 ratings

Critics

86% liked it

7 critics

Unrated, 2 hr. 58 min.

Directed by: Adam Curtis

Release Date: October 20, 2004

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DVD Release Date: August 5, 2008

Stats: 143 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (143)

  • rubystevens
    July 5, 2011
    rubystevens
    a 3 pt documentary film on the link between radical islamists and the neoconservative movement. fascinating stuff and mostly very plausible. all the films of adam curtis can be found here--> http://thoughtmaybe.com/video/the-power-of-nightmares
  • harrycaul
    July 28, 2009
    harrycaul
    This is an excellent three-part BBC documentary which traces the origins of radical Islamism and American Neo-Conservatism to a mutual hatred of post-WWII US liberalism. To the Neo-Conservatives, liberalism was to blame for an epidemic of selfish individualism that threatened to ... read moretear American society apart, while the Islamists were equally alarmed about the corruptive influence of this perceived 'moral decay' on the Muslim world. The Neo-Conservatives' solution: to create a unifying, mythical Nightmare that would bind society together. Initially they did this by exaggerating the threat posed to the United States by the moribund Soviet Union. The radical Islamists solution: a campaign of violence that would shock the Muslim masses back to the Qur'an. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 provided the Neo-Conservatives with just what they had been looking for since the collapse of the Soviet Union left them with an 'Evil Incarnate' vacuum to fill: a 'global terror network' of jihadists called Al-Qaeda.

    Although the final episode perhaps smacks a little too much of conspiracy theory, on the whole the The Power of Nightmares is beautifully put together and very persuasive. If I can nitpick, the use of music is effective to begin with but I was sick to death of those couple of bits of Eno, Ennio and John Carpenter after three whole hours! Adam Curtis has struggled to get his film seen in the US but at present it is available on the Internet Archive. Essential viewing for anybody trying to make sense of the times we live in; see it while you can.
  • kenstachnik
    April 7, 2008
    kenstachnik
    Everyone should see this
  • fb874055034
    February 28, 2012
    fb874055034
    Everyone should see it.
  • imranali7777
    July 6, 2007
    imranali7777
    One of the BEST documentaries I have ever seen. Reveals much about terrorism and shatters many ideas and myths on the subject. Chock full of information.

View All Power of Nightmares: The Rise of the Politics of Fear Reviews

Critic Reviews

Owen Gleiberman
December 15, 2005
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

Adam Curtis has become the most exciting documentary filmmaker of our time. He's at once a psychologist, a historian, a journalist, a wizard of images, and a fearlessly incisive cultural detective who... Full Review

Elizabeth Weitzman
December 9, 2005
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News

Though his bias is obvious, Curtis does his homework, getting the most damning evidence from interviews with the neocons themselves. Full Review

A.O. Scott
December 8, 2005
A.O. Scott, New York Times

A sprawling, intellectually ambitious documentary about the political phenomenon usually referred to in journalistic shorthand as the war on terror. Full Review

John Anderson
December 8, 2005
John Anderson, Newsday

Curtis' The Power of Nightmares finds that the basis of 21st century political power is fear. And for nearly three hours he makes it very hard to argue it's not. Full Review

J. Hoberman
December 6, 2005
J. Hoberman, Village Voice

As partisan filmmaking it is often brilliant and sometimes hilarious. Full Review

Ken Fox
December 9, 2005
Ken Fox, TV Guide's Movie Guide

Curtis weaves a satisfying, explain-it-all narrative which, like any good conspiracy theory, provides considerable comfort for those who fear the world really is as unknowable as the neo-cons have war... Full Review

Chris Barsanti
December 6, 2005
Chris Barsanti, Filmcritic.com

Problematic as it is, this is that rare kind of political film that makes a good faith effort at getting its viewers to look at the world in a different way. Full Review

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