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Theater of War
Directed by
John W. Walter
2008
1h 35m
Not Rated
Documentary
7.1
72%
79%
Add to Watchlist
A behind-the-scenes look at The Public Theater's production of Bertolt Brecht's "Mother Courage" that examines the playwright's life and ideas.
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Where to Watch Theater of War
Kanopy
Free
Cast of Theater of War
Meryl Streep
Self
Kevin Kline
Self
Tony Kushner
Self
George C. Wolfe
Self
Michael Izquierdo
Self
Jeremy Lydic
Self
Silvestre Rasuk
Self
Austin Pendleton
Self
Barbara Brecht-Schall
Self
Bertolt Brecht
Self (archive footage)
Theater of War Reviews
AV Club
Noel Murray
Though Theater Of War is informative -- both about Brecht and about the effort it takes to mount a big New York production -- Walter overreaches in trying to connect Brecht's anti-war sentiment with contemporary protest movements.
Boston Globe
Wesley Morris
Theater of War, Walter's invigorating film, asserts the value of Brecht -- and the power of art -- for our troubled times.
New York Times
Manohla Dargis
In his inspired, inspiring essayistic documentary Theater of War the filmmaker John Walter jumps from art to history and politics and back again.
San Francisco Chronicle
Walter V. Addiego
For theater lovers in general, this documentary -- a look at a high-powered production of a modern classic and a chance to watch Meryl Streep build a character -- is intriguing and educational. For partisans of Bertolt Brecht, it's mandatory.
New York Post
V.A. Musetto
Theater of War, while informative, feels more like a trailer for Mother Courage than a film of its own.
Chicago Sun-Times
Roger Ebert
All of this makes an interesting, if not gripping, film about the play, the playwright and the lead-up work to a stage production. It also leaves me wanting a great deal more.
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
Dennis Schwartz
The delights were in seeing arguably America's greatest actress, Streep, going through the clunky process of rehearsing while telling us how she interpreted her role.
ComingSoon.net
Edward Douglas
Meryl Streep is absolutely the least interesting thing about this inventive doc that takes an unprecedented look at the staging of a high-profile theater production.
Slant Magazine
Eric Henderson
Neither Meryl Streep's as-yet-unpolished performance nor the entire construction of this particular production of Bertolt Brecht's celebrated play are done much favor by this doc's unedifying attempt to shoot the moon.
NYC Movie Guru
Avi Offer
Mildly engaging with brief moments of insight, but it's mostly a missed opportunity to dig deeper into the play's sociopolitical relevance to the world of today
Spirituality & Practice
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
A thought-provoking documentary about the life and work of Bertolt Brecht and the 2006 Public Theatre's presentation of Mother Courage and Her Children
Chicago Reader
Andrea Gronvall
Engrossing and timely, this crackles with ideas about art, politics, religion, and the terrible costs of war.
New York Magazine/Vulture
David Edelstein
As a onetime dramaturg and Brechtian, I enjoyed the chin-wags and the glimpses of Streep in rehearsal -- especially her quivering admission that she can't bear the thought of anyone seeing her process.
Variety
Ronnie Scheib
[A] must-see docu for theater lovers could reach wider auds.
Film Journal International
Maria Garcia
If you can't define "Brechtian," this documentary, ostensibly about the Public Theater's production of Mother Courage and Her Children, may elude you, yet the all-too-brief glimpses of Meryl Streep finding meaning in the play may make it all worthw
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