Friday 09. of January 2009

By: goat

The Power of Nightmares is an incredible documentary, in fact a series of three hour-long programs follow the history roots of and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism. Thing are not quiet exactly as they seem.

In a comprehensive, well-researched production for BBC, Adam Curtis gently blows the smoke away from the genie bottle to reveal that the War on Terror in a completely different light.

In a thought provoking, well argued presentation, he completely re-casts the roles, position and strength of Al Qaeda and other Islamic militant groups. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, a new “bogey man” was needed to unify the general public to work towards common goal. While Curtis leaves not doubt of the existence and origin of Militant Islamic groups or their role in certain actions, he counterpoints the exaggerated fear mongering and it's political benefits.

Part history, part investigative journalism, part social commentary, and part political expose. It joins the dots over a sixty year period that are so often blurred by the mainstream media at the time, creating a clarity rarely broadcast.

Adam Curtis, through a unique style, presents the irony of the reality while underscoring the reaction of the security services, mainstream media and most of all the back door politics that have become the norm.

As with any documentary, there are possible flaws in his argument, and it seems this was produced before the Terror attacks in London, however it is a powerful insight to what he calls, the Politics of Fear