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Wilton Sekzer, Chalmers Johnson, William Solomon, Charles Lewis, Richard Perle ... see more see more... , William Kristol , Karen Kwiatkowski , Joseph Ciricione , Susan Eisenhower , John S.D. Eisenhower , Anh Duong , Gwynne Dyer , John McCain , Gore Vidal , Franklin Spinney , Graydon Carter , James G. Roche

In 1961, as Dwight D. Eisenhower gave his final address to the nation before leaving the office of President of the United States, he warned that America "must guard against the acquisition of unwarra... read more read more...nted influence...by the military-industrial complex." Nearly 45 years later, as the United States finds itself waging a war in Iraq for reasons that seem increasingly unclear with the passage of time, Eisenhower's statement becomes all the more pertinent, and the question becomes more apt: has the machinery the United States established to wage war helped prevent conflict, or has it done more to inspire it? Documentary filmmaker Eugene Jarecki offers an in-depth look at how the United States has readied itself for battle, and why and how the nation goes to war in the film Why We Fight. Named for Frank Capra's famed series of Defense Department films (which explained the motives behind America's entry into World War II), Why We Fight features interviews with foot soldiers, Army recruits, Pentagon personnel, decorated veterans, members of Congress, national security advisors, top military strategists, and many more as they talks about the core philosophies of American military strategy and how they have changed since the end of the Second World War. Why We Fight received the Grand Jury Prize at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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79% liked it

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80% liked it

108 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 38 min.

Directed by: Eugene Jarecki

Release Date: January 20, 2006

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DVD Release Date: June 27, 2006

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Flixster Reviews (1,729)

  • danperry17
    June 27, 2011
    danperry17
    A documentary-by-numbers, in a sense, and about the Iraq War mostly, but I found this to be as much about Eisenhower than anything else, which was great, because I didn't know as much about him and his meaning when he famously coined the term Military-Industrial Complex.

    I liked... read more this documentary because it was as damning as a Michael Moore film and much less sentimental, and the message was stronger because of it. There are situations that just make you throw your hands in the air, and the Iraq War is certainly one of them. Worthy of its accolades, no question.
  • YLOWBSTARDreturns
    May 20, 2008
    YLOWBSTARDreturns
    Good documentary with some great moments of emotional power, but it doesn't say all that much new about the current state of the USA that hasn't already been discussed in superior films.
  • gator681
    April 19, 2007
    gator681
    [font=Century Gothic]"Why We Fight" is an informative but flawed documentary, that despite providing a comprehensive history lesson through talking heads, participants and archival footage, does not make a very good case. It starts off with Dwight Eisenhower's 1961 farewell addre... read moress where he explains the menace of the Military Industrial Complex.(It is curious that the film praises Eisenhower's presidency in many ways but two of the most infamous Cold War foreign interventions - Iran and Guatemala - happened on his watch.) The central thesis of the movie is how that has corrupted American foreign policy but I would argue that the weapons makers are simply a group of bottom feeders and war profiteers who have no direct affect on foreign policy. Instead, the government's self-righteous attitude leads the United States into perpetual conflict, first with the Soviet Union and now moving onto Iran and North Korea. In fact, the invasion of Iraq was nothing more than a cynical exploitation of post 9/11 blood lust, waged by an administration looking for an easy win to heighten its popularity, with little congressional opposition due to a lack of backbone, not corruption. And it is ironic that one of the reasons for the invasion was to stop terrorism, when instead it seems to be the cause of the opposite. [/font]
  • kit85
    August 10, 2009
    kit85
    Why We Fight is described in the links section of Billhicks.com as "probably in Bill's iPod on Arcturus". I doubt that it is. Whereas Bill's comedy was loud, angry, and deliberately controversial, this documentary about the military-industrial complex is pedestrian and gentle. ... read more The target audience is clearly those that know little about the role of the military-industrial complex in the U.S. government. To its credit, it well-made and addresses its target audience without patronising. Unfortunately, it offers little to the well-informed viewer.
  • threefolddado
    February 26, 2009
    threefolddado
    I gained great respect for John McCain after seeing this film. Powerful, and another film most Americans should see, especially since some of the most scathing indictments of war come not from the liberal Left, but from the conservative right.
  • trisarahtops22
    October 21, 2007
    trisarahtops22
    This is a doc that needs to be seen, it will make alittle more sense afterwards.
  • joshuapetrisor
    February 11, 2011
    joshuapetrisor
    Very interesting movie, good use of facts to support theory, even though the theory is completely off. Watch this with a grain of salt.
  • ristrawn
    December 2, 2010
    ristrawn
    Fantastic, interesting & real documentary about the military industrial complex & the rise of the American Empire inspired by Dwight Eisenhower's legendary farewell speech: "As long as war is profitable, you will have more wars". Pray for our troops, peace & wisdom...
  • TonyPolito
    November 19, 2010
    TonyPolito
    A concise, comprehensible and mostly factual encapsulation of the nepotistic relationship between the defense industry, government and the think-tank and intelligence communities.

    Beginning with Eisenhower's 1961 Presidential Farewell Address warning of the dangers inherent in ... read morethe growth of the Military-Industrial Complex, the film dissects the nature, aims and methods of the Complex since WWII. The film argues that the Complex increasingly war-mongers at whim, exploiting the notions of freedom, democracy and patriotism simply to advance the power and wealth of its elite and its corporations.

    Mostly, the argument rests on fact. A glowing map of 40 countries where America has intervened since 1955, Donald Rumsfield gladhanding Saddam Hussein for an arms deal, the installation of the Shah of Iran, and LBJ peddling his tainted version of the Gulf of Tonkin incident are but a few of the film's evidential touchstones.

    The slow, steady metamorphosis of the American public's tolerance of war-as-policy is, at one point, ironically presented in the form of a munitions scientist who reveals to be a child refugee from the horrors of Vietnam.

    The film lingers on Iraq. Along the way, John McCain fires off a few salvos on behalf of the prosecution. The director especially skewers Rumsfeld, Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz and Dick Perle with strong evidence of their self-interested actions and their efforts at disinformation. Bush is mostly spared from the director's political barbeque.

    Unfortunately, a good bit of below-the-belt heart-tugging is also employed to win over the viewer. And the film does wander - several minutes ogling a new Army consignee is but one example.

    RECOMMENDATION: A stark reminder of America's foreign and military policy as practiced since the 1960s. Merits viewing.
  • CHILIcheeseDONUTSwithTUNAonTOP
    September 4, 2009
    CHILIcheeseDONUTSwithTUNAonTOP
    A documentary that focuses on Eisenhower's prophetic words about the military-industrial complex. The documentary explains how intertwined the defense industry is in policy making. This is not an issue that will go away anytime soon as as so many of our Representatives would not ... read morerisk losing votes by by voting down a defense bill that has equipment which may be in small part manufactured in their home district. I don't think the documentary went far enough in explaining that it is now the military-industrial-intelligence-media complex nor the pressure exerted by organizations such as AIPAC to keep the military machine expanding. There is no powerful voice opposing this and it needs to stop!

View All Why We Fight Reviews

Critic Reviews

Andrew O'Hehir
October 7, 2006
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com

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

Richard Nilsen
March 30, 2006
Richard Nilsen, Arizona Republic

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. Full Review

Michael Booth
March 15, 2006
Michael Booth, Denver Post

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. Full Review

Steven Rea
February 24, 2006
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

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. Full Review

Terry Lawson
February 24, 2006
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press

More leftist propaganda masquerading as documentary. Full Review

Colin Covert
February 23, 2006
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

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. Full Review

J. R. Jones
February 18, 2006
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

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

Rick Groen
February 17, 2006
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

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 ... Full Review

Allison Benedikt
February 17, 2006
Allison Benedikt, Chicago Tribune

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. Full Review

Roger Ebert
February 16, 2006
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

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

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