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Waco: The Rules of Engagement

  • 19971997
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 2h 45m
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
3.6K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997)
Using interviews, news footage, testimony before Congress, and infrared photographic analysis, ‘Waco: The Rules of Engagement’ chips away at the government's story that David Koresh and his followers were a dangerous cult involved in strange sex and drug practices who were preparing to slaughter their neighbors and that they immolated themselves a la Jonestown, rather than give themselves up peacefully. Nearly every element of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms' and the FBI's cover-up is exposed as fraudulent and the viewer is left wondering when, if ever, justice will finally be served.
Play trailer6:36
2 Videos
13 Photos
  • Documentary
  • History

A reassessment of the tragedy at Waco that left 76 members of the Branch Davidian religious sect dead.A reassessment of the tragedy at Waco that left 76 members of the Branch Davidian religious sect dead.A reassessment of the tragedy at Waco that left 76 members of the Branch Davidian religious sect dead.

IMDb RATING
7.9/10
3.6K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • William Gazecki
  • Writers
    • William Gazecki
    • Dan Gifford
    • Michael McNulty
  • Stars
    • Dan Gifford(voice)
    • Clive Doyle
    • Jack Harwell
Top credits
  • Director
    • William Gazecki
  • Writers
    • William Gazecki
    • Dan Gifford
    • Michael McNulty
  • Stars
    • Dan Gifford(voice)
    • Clive Doyle
    • Jack Harwell
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 40User reviews
    • 18Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 4 wins & 4 nominations total

    Videos2

    WACO: The Rules of Engagement
    Trailer 6:36
    WACO: The Rules of Engagement
    WACO: The Rules of Engagement
    Interview 4:47
    WACO: The Rules of Engagement

    Photos13

    Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997)
    Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997)
    Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997)
    Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997)
    Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997)
    Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997)
    Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997)
    Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997)
    Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997)
    Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997)
    Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997)
    Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Dan Gifford
    Dan Gifford
    • Narratoras Narrator
    • (voice)
    Clive Doyle
    Clive Doyle
    • Self - Branch Davidianas Self - Branch Davidian
    Jack Harwell
    • Self - Sheriffas Self - Sheriff
    Joseph Penno
    • Self - Former Chief, Houston Fire Departmentas Self - Former Chief, Houston Fire Department
    Dick J. Reavis
    Dick J. Reavis
    • Self - Authoras Self - Author
    James D. Tabor
    James D. Tabor
    • Self - Biblical Scholaras Self - Biblical Scholar
    David Thibodeau
    • Self - Branch Davidianas Self - Branch Davidian
    Joe Biden
    Joe Biden
    • Self - U.S. Senateas Self - U.S. Senate
    • (archive footage)
    • (uncredited)
    Sonny Bono
    Sonny Bono
    • Selfas Self
    • (archive footage)
    • (uncredited)
    Howard Coble
    • Self - U.S. Congressas Self - U.S. Congress
    • (archive footage)
    • (uncredited)
    John Conyers
    John Conyers
    • Self - U.S. Congressas Self - U.S. Congress
    • (archive footage)
    • (uncredited)
    Graeme Craddock
    Graeme Craddock
    • Self (Branch Davidian)as Self (Branch Davidian)
    • (archive footage)
    • (uncredited)
    Dianne Feinstein
    Dianne Feinstein
    • Self - U.S. Congressas Self - U.S. Congress
    • (archive footage)
    • (uncredited)
    Orrin Hatch
    Orrin Hatch
    • Self - U.S. Senateas Self - U.S. Senate
    • (archive footage)
    • (uncredited)
    Jim Jones
    Jim Jones
    • Self - in Jonestownas Self - in Jonestown
    • (archive footage)
    • (uncredited)
    David Koresh
    David Koresh
    • Self - Branch Davidian Leaderas Self - Branch Davidian Leader
    • (archive footage)
    • (uncredited)
    Tom Lantos
    • Self - U.S. Congressas Self - U.S. Congress
    • (archive footage)
    • (uncredited)
    Janet Reno
    Janet Reno
    • Self - U.S. Attorney Generalas Self - U.S. Attorney General
    • (archive footage)
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • William Gazecki
    • Writers
      • William Gazecki
      • Dan Gifford
      • Michael McNulty
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    This controversial documentary about the stand-off between an unorthodox Christian group - the Branch Davidians, under the leadership of the young, charismatic David Koresh - and the FBI and ATF in Waco, Texas, from February to April 1993 presents a different spin on the events from that of the United States government, which held that the Branch Davidians set the fire that destroyed their compound, and killed the vast majority of them, on April 19, 1993. Using footage from the 51 day siege, from the congressional hearings afterwards, from people involved in all aspects of the siege, and from experts technical, psychological, and religious, the movie suggests that the Branch Davidians were not a cult, but a valid religious group practicing under First Amendment freedoms who fell victim to first the ineptitude of an ATF raid designed to garner the agency positive attention and later the cruel, methodical work of the FBI, who over-saw the murder of the Davidians and then quickly covered it up. —Gary Dickerson <slug@mail.utexas.edu>
    • brutality
    • fbi brutality
    • burn
    • civilian killed by a cop
    • combustion
    • 85 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Genres
      • Documentary
      • History
    • Certificate
      • Not Rated
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Based on the same real life events as Waco Cult (2012), Revelations of Waco (2018), Waco: The Inside Story (1995), Truth and Lies: Waco (2018), Waco: Madman or Messiah (2018), Waco (2015), Waco: A New Revelation (2000), Waco: Clive Doyle (2018), Secrets of Waco (2017), The Secrets of Waco (2018), Waco, the Big Lie (1993), Waco (2015), Waco (2018), David Koresh (2007), Witness to Waco: Inside the Siege (2009) and In the Line of Duty: Ambush in Waco (1993).
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: A Thousand Acres/The Myth of Fingerprints/Going All the Way/Waco: The Rules of Engagement/Gravesend/Fire (1997)

    User reviews40

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    Very well made, eye-opening look at the Waco standoff
    Waco: Rules of Engagement does a very good job of not drawing conclusions for its viewers. It simply presents interviews, footage from the standoff, footage of the Congressional hearings, phone conversations, expert testimony, etc. and allows you to draw your own conclusion.

    I hardly intend to imply that the data presented here was done with 100% objectivity but it is very convincing. You won't like Koresh any more after you see this than you did before, but I tend to think that you will come to believe, as I now do, there is much that we were not told about what happened before and during the standoff.
    helpful•17
    9
    • goom
    • Oct 11, 1999

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 19, 1997 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • official site
      • Official site; reviews; showings; images
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Правила поединка
    • Filming locations
      • Waco, Texas, USA
    • Production companies
      • Fifth Estate Productions
      • SomFord Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $2,500,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $142,193
    • Gross worldwide
      • $142,193
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 45 minutes
    • Color
      • Color

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