Power of Nightmares: The Rise of the Politics of Fear (2004)

86% of critics liked it
(7 reviews)
96% of users liked it
(1,132 ratings)

Political proverb states that a population in fear is a population that is easily controlled. In this documentary exploring the climate of fear that existed in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, filmmaker Adam Curtis explores the possibility that Western… More Political proverb states that a population in fear is a population that is easily controlled. In this documentary exploring the climate of fear that existed in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, filmmaker Adam Curtis explores the possibility that Western neoconservatives used anxiety as a tool to manipulate the masses into behaving in a predictable and controllable manner. By claiming that contemporary Western Democracy relies more on propagating the myth of an all-powerful al-Qaeda just waiting for the right time to strike rather than focusing on domestic issues and the bettering of the people, as previous generations of politicians had done, Curtis suggests that Washington is intentionally manipulating the population into a defensive stance that gives those in charge more power than necessary. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 58 min.
Directed By: Adam Curtis
Genres: Documentary, Television, Musical & Performing Arts, Special Interest

In Theaters: Oct 20, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Aug 5, 2008

Critic Reviews

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
Adam Curtis has become the most exciting documentary filmmaker of our time. He's at once a psychologist, a historian, a journalist, a wizard of images, and a fearlessly incisive cultural detective who delves beneath the hidden myths of the modern world.
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
Though his bias is obvious, Curtis does his homework, getting the most damning evidence from interviews with the neocons themselves.
A.O. Scott, New York Times
A sprawling, intellectually ambitious documentary about the political phenomenon usually referred to in journalistic shorthand as the war on terror.
John Anderson, Newsday
Curtis' The Power of Nightmares finds that the basis of 21st century political power is fear. And for nearly three hours he makes it very hard to argue it's not.
J. Hoberman, Village Voice
As partisan filmmaking it is often brilliant and sometimes hilarious.
Ken Fox, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Curtis weaves a satisfying, explain-it-all narrative which, like any good conspiracy theory, provides considerable comfort for those who fear the world really is as unknowable as the neo-cons have warned.
Chris Barsanti, Filmcritic.com
Problematic as it is, this is that rare kind of political film that makes a good faith effort at getting its viewers to look at the world in a different way.

Read all 7 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Stella D

a 3 pt documentary film on the link between radical islamists and the neoconservative movement. fascinating stuff and mostly very plausible. all the films of adam curtis can be found here--> http://thoughtmaybe.com/video/the-power-of-nightmares
Stephen M

This is an excellent three-part BBC documentary which traces the origins of radical Islamism and American Neo-Conservatism to a mutual hatred of post-WWII US liberalism. To the Neo-Conservatives, liberalism was to blame for an epidemic of selfish individualism that threatened to tear… More
This is an excellent three-part BBC documentary which traces the origins of radical Islamism and American Neo-Conservatism to a mutual hatred of post-WWII US liberalism. To the Neo-Conservatives, liberalism was to blame for an epidemic of selfish individualism that threatened to tear American society apart, while the Islamists were equally alarmed about the corruptive influence of this perceived 'moral decay' on the Muslim world. The Neo-Conservatives' solution: to create a unifying, mythical Nightmare that would bind society together. Initially they did this by exaggerating the threat posed to the United States by the moribund Soviet Union. The radical Islamists solution: a campaign of violence that would shock the Muslim masses back to the Qur'an. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 provided the Neo-Conservatives with just what they had been looking for since the collapse of the Soviet Union left them with an 'Evil Incarnate' vacuum to fill: a 'global terror network' of jihadists called Al-Qaeda. Although the final episode perhaps smacks a little too much of conspiracy theory, on the whole the <I>The Power of Nightmares</I> is beautifully put together and very persuasive. If I can nitpick, the use of music is effective to begin with but I was sick to death of those couple of bits of Eno, Ennio and John Carpenter after three whole hours! Adam Curtis has struggled to get his film seen in the US but at present it is available on the Internet Archive. Essential viewing for anybody trying to make sense of the times we live in; see it while you can.
Ken S

Everyone should see this
Kyle M

Everyone should see it.