The Power of Nightmares (2004)

What a staggering motion picture.

This is the motion picture Fahrenheit 9/11 would have been, had Michael Moore not been on such a insular, narrow-minded witchhunt.

This documentary attempts (and succeeds) in drawing parallels between Islamic fundamentalism and western neo-conservatism, and how they both serve each others needs in maintaining a level of fear to maintain a level of power in the government.

Although I don't think the initial connection he makes (that Leo Strauss essentially "came up" with neo-conservatism) is quite followed through, every connection after that not connected to Strauss himself is spot-on and staggering.There are documentaries about politics that are just choir-preaching polemics, regurgitating things you already know and didn't need to hear again (Why We Fight, The U.S. vs. John Lennon, Fahrenheit 9/11), but every so often, something comes along that opens your eyes, that changes the very fundamental way you think. My all-time favorite documentary, Errol Morris's spellbinding The Fog of War did this, and The Power of Nightmares does this tenfold.

I don't say this much, but you NEED to see this movie. Regardless of your political affiliation, this is one film that should be a requirement who even wants to think about talking politics in this modern world.

And the only higher praise than that that I can give...is a direct link to the film itself (from the public archives, and encouraged by the filmmakers):

See it.