Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997)

Director:

William Gazecki

Writers:

William Gazecki (writer)
Dan Gifford (writer)

Release Date:

19 September 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | History

Plot:

This controversial documentary about the stand-off between an unorthodox Christian group - the Branch Davidians...

Plot Keywords:

Branch Davidian | FBI | ATF | Congressional Hearing | Raid

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 4 wins

Cast

Dan Gifford	...	Narrator (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Clive Doyle	...	Himself (Branch Davidian) (also archive footage)
Jack Harwell	...	Himself (sheriff)
Dick J. Reavis	...	Himself (author) (also archive footage)
James D. Tabor	...	Himself (Biblical scholar)
David Thibodeau	...	Himself (Branch Davidian)

Runtime:

136 min | USA:165 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Waco, Texas, USA

Company:

Fifth Estate Productions

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Men in Black II (2002)

The film someone had to make. Yes, it's biased - it's kind of hard not to be in light of the evidence.

The film someone had to make.

Waco: The Rules of Engagement dissects the evidence behind the standoff in Waco, Texas that led to the destruction of the Branch Davidian homestead and the alleged government cover-up.

The first thing you need to know about this film: you will see brief but disturbing photos of the victims bodies. This is not done for shock value, but to illustrate points about the way they died, as if you were present at the coroner's inquest.

The second thing you should know about this film: at two and a quarter hours, it's pretty ponderous - especially if you already followed the events closely at the time. If you are unaware of any of the events other than what was reported in the mass media, or if the only side of the story you are familiar with is the official government report, this may be essential viewing. If, on the other hand you want a more concise (albeit unapologetically one sided) version of events, you should see "Waco: The Big Lie".

In summary, this is pretty much the definitive documentary about this tragic event, and is very sobering, but as a work of film-making, could test your patience, especially if you have a short attention span. And it's at times superfluous for those who watched the CSPAN hearings and the 60 Minutes reports.

Perhaps someday someone will make a documentary that covers some of the stranger aspects of this story, such as the bizarre chain of events that led up to the ATF raid or the psychological warfare tactics the FBI used blasting rock music at the sect, and their charismatic leaders (all rock musicians themselves) picking up their instruments and turning their massive amplifiers outward to blast their own music right back at them.