By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: John W. Walter
Country: united_states
Year: 2009
Running time: 95
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1134673/
Michael says: “Who would have thought that a documentary on the life of Bertold Brecht, politics, and the rehearsals and staging of ‘Mother Courage and Her Children’ in Central Park starring Meryl Streep would make such compelling theater? Well we would have, obviously, or we wouldn’t have gone to see this outstanding film at the festival. THEATER OF WAR is one of those documentaries that entertain and educate at the same time.
“I knew very little of Betrold Brecht before seeing THEATER OF WAR, and now I know just enough to make me want to learn a little more; or at the very least to read and see some of his plays. Brecht led a fascinating life at a very tumultous time. The first staging of ‘Mother Courage’ a look at how war destroys everything, even the innocents on the periphery, took place in 1949 Berlin with Brecht’s wife in the lead role. Powerful clips from this performance are interwoven into the film even as Walter follows the rehearsals of the Public Theater’s production on Central Park. Interviews with Meryl Streep, director George Woolf, Public Theater director Oscar Eustis, and playwright/translator Tony Kushner explore their need to bring the play to the stage in this time where modern-day politics are echoing that horrific time decades ago.
“Director John W. Walter scored with his previous film HOW TO DRAW A BUNNY, and he continues to improve with this complex film. With powerful and provocative themes, and a chance to see Streep in the process of creating her character, THEATER OF WAR is truly a documentary worth reveling in. 4 1/2 cats”