Review of Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997) by Nathan H — 19 Apr 2010

"Waco: The Rules of Engagement" does what any great documentary should do: it shows us what we already know (the sensationalized news reporting of the Waco disaster), then shows us the complete story leading up to the FBI siege, and all that went wrong during and after.

Honestly, there are very few documentaries I've seen which feel as comprehensive in their investigation ("No End in Sight" comes to mind), as objective and even-handed (even as this film makes a argument), and...well, strange to say...there are very few documentaries which have so completely changed my view of an historical event as "Waco: The Rules of Engagement." By the end, when we're watching politicians and law enforcement administrators grand-stand about the event to a mis-educated public, you feel a little sick because you now know the true circumstances (as much as you CAN know, anyway).

This film doesn't excuse Koresh his crimes or condone his beliefs, but then again, the film isn't about Koresh, necessarily. The film is about the FBI siege, the politics surrounding the decision-making, and (ultimately) the legality of the legal actions taken against the Branch Davidian compound. And it's a powerful argument, in the end.