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The Arizona Republic
April 17, 1998
MOVIE REVIEW ( Graphics )
"Waco: The Rules of Engagement"
Thoughtful Documentary is About Waco, Not Wackos
By Bob Fenster
I assumed I'd be watching two hours of conspiracy nuts lambasting the government with theories better suited to The X-Files than anything claiming to be a fair and accurate portrayal of the 1993 tragedy at Waco.
But Waco: The Rules of Engagement is exactly the opposite: a meticulous documentary that takes sides against the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the FBI but still offers views from the government agents involved.
The movie starts by exploring the history and religious beliefs of the Branch Davidians. It then provides a detailed recounting of the of events leading to the war between the ATF and the FBI on one side and the doomed members of a Texas religious group on the other.
The movie was nominated for an Oscar as Best Documentary in 1997. Although it didn't win, Waco: is a riveting film that will absorb your intelligence and shock your beliefs in our systems of law enforcement and justice.
The movie investigates several key points in the tragedy:
Were the Branch Davidians a bizarre cult led by an insane zealot? Or were they a minority religion being persecuted for their unusual beliefs?
Were four ATF agents murdered trying to serve a search warrant for possession of illegal firearms in a Branch Davidian compound? Or were they shot by people defending their home against an unjustified attack by a government military force?
Could the 51-day siege in Waco have been resolved peacefully? Or did government agents provoke a battle so they could win the war?
Did the Branch Davidians commit mass suicide by starting the fire that killed 76 men, women and children? Or were they executed by the FBI?
Whatever your beliefs on these issues, the movie will shake you up.
Director William Gazecki has put together a detailed investigative report. He uses film footage of the event and testimony from a wide range of experts including military and law enforcement authorities, who accuse agents of the federal government with a cover-up of illegal and immoral activities.
Much of Gazecki's accusations are based on infrared film of the attack on the Branch Davidian compound, as analyzed by a former supervisor of the Army's Night Vision Lab.
None of his charges is new. These accusations have been made in other media and other forums.
That's not the fault of the film. Documentaries such as Waco: typically take a long time to travel around the country. The producers make only a few copies of the film because of the small audiences. The films then play city by city. Phoenix was obviously not at the top of their list.
Waco: reaches the Valley just in time for the fifth anniversary of the April 19 tragedy. I doubt that anyone will walk away from this movie unaffected.
Unrated, Waco: The Rules of Engagement contains light profanity and grim footage of the carnage. It opens Saturday and plays only at the Valley Art Theatre in downtown Tempe.
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Arizona Republic