Word: waco
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...film falters when it attempts to justify the more disreputable behavior among the Branch Davidians. Waco contains almost too much sympathy for the Branch Davidians. When dealing with the sexual abuse of children that may have occurred at the compound, the documentary adopts a specious argument based on parental consent, then places blame on the ATF for using this abuse--an area for which the agency has no jurisdiction--as a basis for involvement. The film, like the ATF itself, shifts blame through technicalities...
...Waco works hard to humanize the Branch Davidians, but spends most of its energies condemning the behavior of the ATF. Conspiracies abound as the film jumps from one facet of the conflict to another. This non-linear progression highlights the worst errors...
...film, the use of the media plays a significant role in the agency's behaviors. The film shows the raid to be more of a publicity stunt than a necessary action. The film is unflinching in its characterization of the ATF as a rogue agency that used the Waco standoff to create an appearance of legitimacy through semantics. What would normally be considered "inventory" became "stockpiles." A "sect" became a "cult." Since the documentary is itself a form of the media, it shows a great deal of interest in the manipulation and withholding of this information. "God help...
With the exception of the treatment of media affairs, the documentary best indicts the ATF through indirect questions for which it has no concrete answers. Waco picks apart disparate bits of information and uses them to bring about logical conclusions. For example, why didn't the Davidians, despite their mass of weapons and knowledge of the raid, immediately bomb the ATF's forces? If the Davidians were the aggressors, why were most of the bullet holes inverted, suggesting the contrary...
However, the major flaw of Waco: The Rules of Engagement is its failure to extend its blame past the ATF. The film concentrates on the ATF to the almost complete exclusion of any other influences. There are few glimpses or references to Attorney General Janet Reno, and even fewer to President Clinton. What role, positive or negative, did these figures have in the conflict? The film fails to provide an adequate answer...