This film describes the hidden struggle most of America's citizens do not see. This struggle is between the knowledgeable citizens trying to protect our constitution and the government. This great documentary takes the audience through the history of the Bush Administration and describes how 10 vital steps were carried out to create a totalitarian state. This film informs the audience about the similarities between that Administration's policies and the policies of regimes such as the NAZI's, Communist Russia, and Mussolini's Italy. Our country and our right's are not past saving and it must start with individuals. This film should be seen by all in order to realize how fragile our liberties are and how closely we all came to losing them.
13 Reviews
An eye opener.
johnnymacbest4 June 2010
I'm not a huge documentary fan. Having seen my fair share of docs back in the mid to late '90s and then on into the '00s, I become quite interested but my interest cooled off for a considerable amount of time. Then I stumbled upon this and I say it is really an eye opener; how it portrays a nation, that at once whose values of freedom from oppression and tyranny is now heading down that same dark path that has tainted Europe and Asia. I never in my life expected to be so outraged and angry at what our country is becoming. If we are to stand against the tyranny that is seeping into our American society, then you as well as the rest of America owe it to themselves to watch this documentary. The very essence of the values of America and freedom are at stake.
You will be flabbergasted and or infuriated by what you see and hear.
JohnRayPeterson2 September 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Naomi Wolf, who wrote the book by the same name, presents to a real audience, an audio video illustration of the points she makes in her book. You can choose to dismiss any or part of what she says and presents if you cannot take the truth for what it is. Like Jack Nicholson shouted in a 'A Few Good Men', "You can't handle the truth!"
Wolf has the scholarly credentials and merits being taken seriously. The movie is not the kind of hype you get from a Michael Moore production, not in the same class. She has done her research, consulted with the right people and displays courage to so straightforwardly bring hard facts unreserved. She will no doubt have to pay a price in the future for bringing to light the horrible truth.
I've viewed many serious documentaries and read numerous books which account for all that I deplore about our current society, but none has touched on the most horrific topic so graphically. I should have been prepared for this, and believed I was, after reading "War Is a Racket", "The Assault On reason" and "The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power"; I wasn't. Never mind the doom saying of all sorts by authors who cover all those reprehensible behaviour of corporations, banks and the State; 'The End Of America' covers the most important and basic principles we hold dear, demonstrating it is all a big illusion. Behold the New World Order. In my humble opinion, the hope she unfortunately tries to convey with some passion falls short of making a believer out of me. I trust one thing to be true and that is that history repeats itself and as Confucius was reportedly been attributed as saying: The world will unfold as it should". It always does so at great cost to humanity.
p.s. Other reviews did not have the benefit of the time elapsed since they were written so some comments are of course now inaccurate. Time will tell if mine is any better.
Wolf has the scholarly credentials and merits being taken seriously. The movie is not the kind of hype you get from a Michael Moore production, not in the same class. She has done her research, consulted with the right people and displays courage to so straightforwardly bring hard facts unreserved. She will no doubt have to pay a price in the future for bringing to light the horrible truth.
I've viewed many serious documentaries and read numerous books which account for all that I deplore about our current society, but none has touched on the most horrific topic so graphically. I should have been prepared for this, and believed I was, after reading "War Is a Racket", "The Assault On reason" and "The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power"; I wasn't. Never mind the doom saying of all sorts by authors who cover all those reprehensible behaviour of corporations, banks and the State; 'The End Of America' covers the most important and basic principles we hold dear, demonstrating it is all a big illusion. Behold the New World Order. In my humble opinion, the hope she unfortunately tries to convey with some passion falls short of making a believer out of me. I trust one thing to be true and that is that history repeats itself and as Confucius was reportedly been attributed as saying: The world will unfold as it should". It always does so at great cost to humanity.
p.s. Other reviews did not have the benefit of the time elapsed since they were written so some comments are of course now inaccurate. Time will tell if mine is any better.
Documentary will be sure to raise some eyebrows
jlck-16 February 2009
With President Barack Obama's recent orders to close down Gitmo, the United States is starting the process of ending a dark chapter in it's history. In The End of America, New York Times Best Selling Author Naomi Wolf chronicles the 10 steps a country takes towards fascism. There was dialogue as recent as the presidential campaign if America was heading towards socialism. The scary part is that much worse has been going on for the last 8 years.
Based on the best selling novel, this chilling documentary is more important to watch now that there is a new administration. The issues brought up in this documentary are challenges President Obama must face, from torture to privacy. This documentary is not so much a way to sway one's politics, but a reminder of how too much power can ultimately lead to the downfall of a nation. I recommend this documentary to anyone who has interest in the Patriot Act and the actions the Bush administration took in the last 8 years. Some issues are well known, but others will be sure to raise some questions about government that we as Americans are allowed to ask.
Based on the best selling novel, this chilling documentary is more important to watch now that there is a new administration. The issues brought up in this documentary are challenges President Obama must face, from torture to privacy. This documentary is not so much a way to sway one's politics, but a reminder of how too much power can ultimately lead to the downfall of a nation. I recommend this documentary to anyone who has interest in the Patriot Act and the actions the Bush administration took in the last 8 years. Some issues are well known, but others will be sure to raise some questions about government that we as Americans are allowed to ask.
Is this the End of America?
leegaccmovies2 February 2009
I will come out and be totally honest: I'm not a fan of politics. They annoy me, and too much drama comes out of it. That being said, I was relatively shocked to find out the new documentary, End of America, is quite engrossing. Based on Naomi Wolf's NY Times Bestseller, the film takes a page from Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth and splits up lectures with gritty footage and informative interviews. Yes, the film takes a side, but it's a side that everyone can relate to. The film does do a good enough job not to completely bash President Bush or anyone specifically, but simply the system as a whole. EoA explains how the 2001 Patriot Act has limited American civil liberties and what we can do to not only recognize the problem but how to combat it. A highly intriguing film, End of America's message is more important than one might think.
Finally, the best-selling book becomes a full featured film!!!
roberts100811 June 2009
It is very rare to come across a movie that has a more profound impact than this one. It is not because you'll find here the greatest cinematography, acting, movie score and the like. No, it's because this film provides fresh water to a world of deathly dry, parched lips. We have been bombarded with lies in a manipulative atmosphere no different than what happened when the lies of the Gulf of Tonkin caused the US to go to war against Vietnam on false pretenses. Like the regimes of Hitler, Mussolini and others, the US has taken the same 10 steps to tyranny - completely annihilating the Constitution of the US which our leaders have sworn to uphold. Naomi Wolf walks us carefully through these 10 steps giving us one example after another. Benjamin Franklin once said that anyone that gives up freedom for security, deserves neither. This work here is a MUST for all Americans, and for those concerned about the direction that America has taken. This is a clear-headed, honest analysis that deserves critical, yet open thought and discussion. Could anything be more important knowing that we've been told this "War on Terror" will never end? I think certainly not! Remember, these hundreds of thousands of people in Iraq are dying, being tortured, and being raped, in the name of the USA.
Seeing the Overall Picture
cox-john103 February 2009
This movie is so interesting in that it was directed at the Bush administration, but the message relates to any president, including Obama. The real thing that Naomi is getting across is that we need to protect our constitutional rights. If you look at what is going on right now in the U.S., we need to watch the Obama administration too. Capital gains taxes going from 22 percent to 35 percent will kill capitalism, free trade, and the American dream. No one will be able to open a small business, and other small businesses will have to shut down, and these are our main job creators. This goes without even talking about the one trillion dollars that we are about to spend, half of which is not even intended to stimulate the economy, but to fulfill special interest democratic agendas. The redistribution of wealth will ultimately turn us to a socialist mindset, and possibly a socialist country. Additionally, when this one trillion is distributed, many economists are agreeing that people are realizing that this is a one time thing, so they will put it away and save it. When companies receive more revenue during "stimulus" time, they are realizing that "hey, it's just the stimulus" and will not hire more employees or expand their business. Here is the best part... When the economy recovers, all of this money that people are receiving and putting away will start to emerge, and then, duh duh duh, INFLATION! This is basic economics, just pick up an economics book and I bet it's in the first five chapters. I am not saying that this WILL happen, and I definitely want our country to get out of this mess and succeed. I am simply reiterating what Naomi was trying to get across, and that is that we need to protect our precious constitutional rights and watch our government as closely as possible no matter who is in office.
Doesn't do a good job of reaching out to a wider audience but is still engaging food for thought
bob the moo26 July 2009
I am a regular traveller to the US and love it a great deal as a place to be, but one thing about it that often strikes me is how polarised and segregated it can be along racial and political lines – the UK is pretty bad in the same way but is brilliant by comparison. Reading the reviews of this film shows more of the same – reviews are either 10* or 1* reviews and the actual text reveal a similar approach. I'm not looking to criticise other amateur reviewers but this does smack of reviewers coming to the film with their minds already made up. This is a real shame but it is not to be a surprise. Primarily any film that gives a platform to Wolf is hardly going to appeal to the right, or even the right-leaning viewer. On top of that a film that seems to be about the comparison of Bush with Hitler is one that is going to quickly polarise even viewers who may only "lean" one way or the other because, when you call a world leader Hitler, there is not a lot of room for standing on the fence.
Of course this is not what the film is doing but those instinctively in disagreement with it will be unable to get passed this and the film doesn't quite manage to deliver the "lessons from history" without making it sound like a direct comparison. This is a real shame because there is nothing wrong with looking towards the mistakes of the past in trying to do things differently now. Wolf delivers ten things that "closing societies" have in common and uses these ten things as discussion points to look at the impingements on personal freedom that were done during the Bush era. These ten aspects are 1) Invoke internal and external threat; 2) Secret prisons where torture takes place; 3) Develop a paramilitary force; 4) Surveillance on ordinary citizens; 5) infiltrate citizens' groups; 6) detain and release citizens; 7) target key individuals; 8) Restrict the press; 9) recast criticism as espionage and treason; 10) subvert the rule of law.
On all of these Wolf presents an interesting and rather chilling look at the modern political landscape. She discusses in each step how the Bush administration have done more or less what other "closing societies" have done. Does she ever say that the US was heading towards a dictatorship with Bush on the road to becoming a modern Hitler? No, she doesn't but, to be fair, given that the suggestion is unavoidable by virtue of the structure of her presentation she could have done a bit more to stress that she is not saying that but rather just using history as a way of learning. Had she done this better perhaps the film wouldn't feel like it is only preaching to the choir.
While she makes good parallels even the choir will acknowledge that some of her points are a real stretch though. For ever clear point about the utilisation of fear and threats, there is a weaker one like the targeting of key people. This point made me laugh because of the links she makes – talking about the Dixie Chicks seems trivial compared to historical "targeting". Likewise some of her other points appear to be reaching as well, the "restrict the press" point produced my favourite line where she talks about the Cheney "threat" on the editor of the NY Times – she says "what immediately comes to mind" is the trial of a Russian journalist by Stalin. Really? That "immediately" comes to mind does it!? Although Wolf doesn't always justify the links to history, her presentation still does do a good job of presenting a general erosion of civil liberties. I would say I agreed with her on all of them but all of her points are food for thought and I cannot really relate to those viewers who can watch this and simply dismiss it 100% out of hand and don't see anything worth thinking about.
The End of America is overly leftist and doesn't work hard enough to take the political tension out of the discussion but it is still a very interesting film that does serve as food for thought. OK some of the historical parallels don't really work that well but the points raised about the modern situation are engaging and chilling. Not good enough to draw in a wider audience and convince those that go into the film pitched against it but still an engaging film whether you accept it all or not.
Of course this is not what the film is doing but those instinctively in disagreement with it will be unable to get passed this and the film doesn't quite manage to deliver the "lessons from history" without making it sound like a direct comparison. This is a real shame because there is nothing wrong with looking towards the mistakes of the past in trying to do things differently now. Wolf delivers ten things that "closing societies" have in common and uses these ten things as discussion points to look at the impingements on personal freedom that were done during the Bush era. These ten aspects are 1) Invoke internal and external threat; 2) Secret prisons where torture takes place; 3) Develop a paramilitary force; 4) Surveillance on ordinary citizens; 5) infiltrate citizens' groups; 6) detain and release citizens; 7) target key individuals; 8) Restrict the press; 9) recast criticism as espionage and treason; 10) subvert the rule of law.
On all of these Wolf presents an interesting and rather chilling look at the modern political landscape. She discusses in each step how the Bush administration have done more or less what other "closing societies" have done. Does she ever say that the US was heading towards a dictatorship with Bush on the road to becoming a modern Hitler? No, she doesn't but, to be fair, given that the suggestion is unavoidable by virtue of the structure of her presentation she could have done a bit more to stress that she is not saying that but rather just using history as a way of learning. Had she done this better perhaps the film wouldn't feel like it is only preaching to the choir.
While she makes good parallels even the choir will acknowledge that some of her points are a real stretch though. For ever clear point about the utilisation of fear and threats, there is a weaker one like the targeting of key people. This point made me laugh because of the links she makes – talking about the Dixie Chicks seems trivial compared to historical "targeting". Likewise some of her other points appear to be reaching as well, the "restrict the press" point produced my favourite line where she talks about the Cheney "threat" on the editor of the NY Times – she says "what immediately comes to mind" is the trial of a Russian journalist by Stalin. Really? That "immediately" comes to mind does it!? Although Wolf doesn't always justify the links to history, her presentation still does do a good job of presenting a general erosion of civil liberties. I would say I agreed with her on all of them but all of her points are food for thought and I cannot really relate to those viewers who can watch this and simply dismiss it 100% out of hand and don't see anything worth thinking about.
The End of America is overly leftist and doesn't work hard enough to take the political tension out of the discussion but it is still a very interesting film that does serve as food for thought. OK some of the historical parallels don't really work that well but the points raised about the modern situation are engaging and chilling. Not good enough to draw in a wider audience and convince those that go into the film pitched against it but still an engaging film whether you accept it all or not.
Enough to make you question what is going on
diamondsoft215 March 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Unlike the previous comments, I watched this from start to finish and found it to be thought provoking. I didn't find it to be "liberal" but more the comments from some respected individuals who earnestly want to defend every American's rights and freedoms.
This movie is not filled with hysterical comment, speeches or scenes but carefully lays out the fact as reported in newspapers across the US and in Congressional and Senate hearings. It is a should watch for every citizen in the free world and a should watch for every American.
BTW I also have the infamous "SSSS" designation on my airline tickets because I fly one way from city to city. As a WASP, in my early 60's, wearing a suit I apparently look and act like a terrorist.
This movie is not filled with hysterical comment, speeches or scenes but carefully lays out the fact as reported in newspapers across the US and in Congressional and Senate hearings. It is a should watch for every citizen in the free world and a should watch for every American.
BTW I also have the infamous "SSSS" designation on my airline tickets because I fly one way from city to city. As a WASP, in my early 60's, wearing a suit I apparently look and act like a terrorist.
Pure Leftist Crap..
darkmantis12325 February 2009
More of the liberal bias that's permeating our culture with an "anything goes thinking" mentality. Don't waste your time on this one. It's an absolute attack on the previous administration and highlights minor faults and absolutely reaches for the stars in trying to compare that to fascism and Hitler. Sure, it'll get you talking, talking about how much propaganda is poured into this drivel that is nothing more than a weak attempt to brainwash the weak minded and our youth. This shouldn't be described as a documentary, more like an opinion. While, it is true that the democratic congress and democratic president is more like a socialist regime, the Bush administration is nothing like that nor will it be viewed in history like that.
Sometimes, taking out the garbage and cleaning the cat box is more enjoyable than watching a movie.
Sometimes, taking out the garbage and cleaning the cat box is more enjoyable than watching a movie.
Have Faith in Your Doubts
Jalea23 January 2012
You cannot judge any president or leaders based on sound bites, which can be misconstrued and manipulated. However, the movie makers make some good points that will make you think. The testimonies of various individuals are at times heart rending and frightening. There can be no doubt that our country is going through a political and societal shift, in terms of the level of control, erosion of privacy, and changes in legislation that have effected our every day lives. However, can we really tell what is true and what is not based on the media? One should not negate any trend of thought without checking out the facts. At the same time, you should keep your eyes and ears open and READ. Which, if this documentary accomplishes encourages us to do that, than in my opinion, the mission is accomplished.
When will we get the "End of America's Wealth' version ?
furlough125 February 2009
About Obimbo's waste of taxpayers dough and the way the DIMocrats destroyed the wealth and finances of the ENTIRE WORLD with their social mis-handling of the Freddie and Fanny crap and the CRA from Clinton. NEVER.. that's when.. they keep trying to back peddle and blame Bush.. forgetting that they were in control of the congress when the sh*t went down.. And when Bush tried to call them in and reel in some of the excesses.. he was called racist and told that it was because Franklin Raines.. who is black.. was being singled out because of his race.. no.. it was because BUSH had enough sense to realize that the CRA was a load of dung and that it was based on a house of cards theory taht would never pay off.. BUSH STANDS Proved CORRECT,,, Libs cringe and cower and try to spin the truth
Beware of false prophets.........
jawhittaker197319 January 2011
C'mon people, don't be stupid sheep,this person is taking things out of history and compareing them to Bush,gee how original,when 911 happened Bush set up a homeland security, (1)for America, (2) it's people, to stop terrorism, Hitler was the terrorist, he murdered millions, he wanted to take over the world, he wanted it to be his world....You love Obama so much why is everything Bush acted on and set up is still being implemented by Obama's administration. Our rights are still safe, and sound, alittle bruised, but we are trying to live in a new world and times. We are safe because of our troops and by people who know a hell of a lot more than the people who made this movie and is trying to scare you into we don't have the power to control our own lives. Be very careful, these are the people you should be afraid of. Remember she trying to sell a book, it makes for good reading.....
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
