The Power of Nightmares (2004)

Brilliant and touching

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Honestly, everyone should see this thoroughly researched, no-nonsense documentary. It's food for thought. Congratulations to the director. My gratefulness to the BBC.At a time when TV news programs carry just about everything except news, at a time when hypocrisy and lies are what the media delivers basically, viewing this film is a rewarding experience to see this documentary which is just the opposite.This documentary is an essay on how some governments lie to the people and about how they present as fact events and characters that are merely fictional.Where can I buy it on DVD? Is there any chance that the documentary will be released in America? If anyone knows the answers to my query I will be very grateful to him/her for them.

I recently watched all three episodes of 'the power of nightmares' and found it to be the most important and eye opening documentary of recent years. Like his recent documentary (the trap), Curtis has produced a series that goes beyond the one way system of daily news reporting to something that strips away what we perceive as a threat to our world and our civilization and to look at its origins and its truthful existence. 'The power...' focuses on two movements, the Islamic movement and the American Neo-conservative movement, there origins, there battles to overthrow and instill there ideology in positions of power and to eventually the confrontation between both movements, set off by the events of 9/11. Curtis inter-cuts the interviews with key figures from both sides and also analysts on the subjects, with archival footage from films and news reports, to show how both movements started off on ideology's that would eventually agree with each other particularly during the Russian Afghanistan war of the 1980's. Yet a small group of extreme Islamist funded by Bin Laden, eventually broke off, with no enemy to fight or revolution to instill, they declared a war on America, eventually leading to the attacks on New York, September 11th 2001. Curtis comes to the conclusion that the threat of Al Quieda, has become a fantasy, enforced by the Neo cons and also taken on board by the British government, to instill a purpose for there selected governments, rather than being leaders who promise a bright future, they become leaders who will lead against the rise and threat of terrorism to there people and to there way of life, even though the threat is non-existent and becomes a phantom enemy. Curtis' series is well written, researched and engaging in showing you the true and stark picture behind the disinformation regularly given in the daily news and television media. Its also good to see the BBC producing documentary's of this quality in an age where TV is slowly becoming a succession of reality TV shows, and celebrity 'dancing on ice competitions.' This documentary treats its audience with intelligence, its demanding viewing, yet is rewarding. Check out Curtis' later documentary 'THE TRAP: WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR DREAMS OF FREEDOM,' again another insightful series. Your are being lied to!

This is a highly intelligent, informative, sometimes humorous and superbly edited series of programmes that look at two types of dominant fundamentalist groups that exist in the Twenty First Century. On the one side we have the Neo-Conservatavists, mostly all white, affluent Christian men (believers in Creationism mostly), who Western society is obviously supposed to value highly compared to the dark, foreign 'others' that make up the 'terrorists' from 'un-civilised' lands. The programmes chart the historic roots of these two fundamentalist groups, and reveal that they both came about from a belief in the corrupt and morally unsound nature of Western society after the threat of the Cold War dissolved. The programmes look at the the War on Terror and Curtis clearly presents the way that 'Nightmares' about terrorism can coerce and manipulate the 'big beast' that is society. Through propaganda, the media becomes a tool where lies are peddled and fear is stoked up to tame and create (un)believable truths in the mind of the general populace. For example a clip from a news programme shows lies about Al Qaeda being a highly organised network with vast caves full of high tech computers and complex equipment. This has been shown as a complete fabrication among many supposed truths presented to the general public.The series is principally excellent in enlightening us with 'facts' but also the way in which music and editing is used to bring the message across. For example a plethora of clips from the film 'Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves' and the use of traditional American music with images of Al Qaeda. I found this to be a humorous and unique touch that really makes these programmes stand out. Overall what this film reasserted once again is that these Neo Conservativist terrorists are no better than un-organized or partly organised Islamic terrorists. George W Bush is a terrorist of the worst kind, who through repeating lies long enough and hard enough to his scared citizens can manipulate them into believing ,for example, that an unprovoked and illegal war is justified. This idea of good versus evil is a dominant myth within Western societies, and George W Bush et al know that through creating this 'other' evil and building it up continouously, whether it exists or not one can win people on your side. The prime example being his victory in the Presidential elections, a great many of the people interviewed said they would vote for Bush because he would keep U.S.A safe. Which is of course quite the opposite in my opinion. A great series I hope Curtis and his team make many more enlightening and technically competent documentaries.

This is a superb 3-part BBC documentary about how gov'ts overblowthreats to create "nightmares" which can then be used for domesticpurposes/control. It traces the US neo-cons back to the Cold War daysand examines how both the neo-cons and Islamic fundamentalists falselyclaim credit for destroying the overblown threat of the USSR. The filmthen examines the so-called War on Terror (WoT). It includesoutstanding "evidence" of the terrorist "sleeper cell" trials in the US(you have to watch and see this evidence to believe it!!). This is anextremely well done, insightful look at the post-9/11 reactions by theUS and UK and will challenge propaganda about the WoT (e.g. the USgov't named Al Queda not Bin Laden; nuclear scientists and the Pentagonboth say a "dirty bomb" would most likely not kill anyone) withreasoned and well-sourced logic and arguments. For more information, see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/3755686.stm The first episode is not the most exciting, since it does thehistorical background to set up the last two episodes. (You can getthe gist of the entire documentary just by watching the last two. Viewing the BBC's link above will give some add'l info.) Few can claimto know about the clash of the US/west versus Muslim fundamentalism andthe interaction of US politics in that clash without seeing this video-- it's that good!