Theater of War (2008)

67% of critics liked it
(18 reviews)
78% of users liked it
(297 ratings)

Bertolt Brecht's Mother Courage and Her Children is widely regarded as one of the most important plays of the 20th century and a powerful, punishing statement of protest against the grim folly of war. Brecht's drama is often staged in Europe, but it has rarely been given major productions in the… More Bertolt Brecht's Mother Courage and Her Children is widely regarded as one of the most important plays of the 20th century and a powerful, punishing statement of protest against the grim folly of war. Brecht's drama is often staged in Europe, but it has rarely been given major productions in the United States; however, in 2006, with the ongoing war in Iraq occupying the minds of many in the United States, playwright Tony Kushner prepared a new English translation of Mother Courage and director George C. Wolfe persuaded Meryl Streep to return to the stage to play the lead in a production that ran for free in New York's Central Park for four weeks. Filmmaker John Walter examines this landmark production in the documentary Theater of War. In addition to featuring excerpts from the play, Theater of War offers a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process behind the staging of Mother Courage, and includes interviews with most of the creative team. Walter also offers insights into Brecht's tumultuous life and career, the history of his masterpiece, and what many regard as the play's definitive staging, starring Brecht's wife, actress Helene Weigel. Theater of War received its premiere at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 36 min.
Directed By: John W. Walter
Genres: Documentary, Special Interest

In Theaters: Apr 1, 2008 Wide
On DVD: Oct 19, 2010
Studio: Whtie Buffalo Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader
Engrossing and timely, this crackles with ideas about art, politics, religion, and the terrible costs of war.
Walter V. Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle
For theater lovers in general, this documentary -- a look at a high-powered production of a modern classic and a chance to watch Meryl Streep build a character -- is intriguing and educational. For partisans of Bertolt Brecht, it's mandatory.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
All of this makes an interesting, if not gripping, film about the play, the playwright and the lead-up work to a stage production. It also leaves me wanting a great deal more.
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
Theater of War, Walter's invigorating film, asserts the value of Brecht -- and the power of art -- for our troubled times.
David Edelstein, New York Magazine
As a onetime dramaturg and Brechtian, I enjoyed the chin-wags and the glimpses of Streep in rehearsal -- especially her quivering admission that she can't bear the thought of anyone seeing her process.
V.A. Musetto, New York Post
Theater of War, while informative, feels more like a trailer for Mother Courage than a film of its own.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The delights were in seeing arguably America's greatest actress, Streep, going through the clunky process of rehearsing while telling us how she interpreted her role.
Avi Offer, NYC Movie Guru
Mildly engaging with brief moments of insight, but it's mostly a missed opportunity to dig deeper into the play's sociopolitical relevance to the world of today
Noel Murray, AV Club
Though Theater Of War is informative -- both about Brecht and about the effort it takes to mount a big New York production -- Walter overreaches in trying to connect Brecht's anti-war sentiment with contemporary protest movements.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
A thought-provoking documentary about the life and work of Bertolt Brecht and the 2006 Public Theatre's presentation of Mother Courage and Her Children
Edward Douglas, ComingSoon.net
Meryl Streep is absolutely the least interesting thing about this inventive doc that takes an unprecedented look at the staging of a high-profile theater production.
Eric Henderson, Slant Magazine
Neither Meryl Streep's as-yet-unpolished performance nor the entire construction of this particular production of Bertolt Brecht's celebrated play are done much favor by this doc's unedifying attempt to shoot the moon.
Maria Garcia, Film Journal International
If you can't define "Brechtian," this documentary, ostensibly about the Public Theater's production of Mother Courage and Her Children, may elude you, yet the all-too-brief glimpses of Meryl Streep finding meaning in the play may make it all worthw
David Fear, Time Out New York
John W. Walter's stabs at tying the play's primal scream to a bigger picture, however, are too often reduced to sound bites (war is, y'know, bad), and his filmmaking can be downright clumsy.

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