Theater of War
Alive Mind Media | Release Date: December 24, 2008 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
68
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews
Positive:
8
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
The New York TimesManohla Dargis
Because this is also a document of an actress actually at work, much of the movie's pleasure comes from watching another brilliant performance take shape as Ms. Streep tries out different line readings, gestures and poses in her search for Mother Courage. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
What is the value of art in times of strife? Should people be sitting in the theater or rioting in the streets? Walter's film reminds us that once there was a man whose work made no distinction between the two. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleWalter Addiego
Intriguing and educational. For partisans of Bertolt Brecht, it's mandatory. Read full review
70
VarietyRonnie Scheib
What emerges from Walter's docu is not a sense of failure, but a recognition that the play's the thing, enriched by every flawed performance, perfection almost irrelevant to its cry of anguish. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)David Edelstein
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. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderAndrea Gronvall
Engrossing and timely, this crackles with ideas about art, politics, religion, and the terrible costs of war. Read full review
67
The A.V. ClubNoel Murray
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, and doesn't do more than dabble with the themes of truth and representation in documentary filmmaking. Read full review
63
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
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. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
Passionate and ambitious, John Walter's chronicle of a Public Theater production is too scattered for broad appeal. But those who connect with his themes will find themselves quickly drawn in. Read full review
50
Village VoiceJames C. Taylor
Walter's doc can't decide whether it wants to be about Brecht, Streep, or Mother Courage herself. Read full review
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