Oklahoma City (2017) User Reviews

A must-see documentary about the background of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing

[paul-allaer · 8/10 · 8 February 2017]

"Oklahoma City" (2017 release; 115 min,) is a documentary about Timothy McVeigh's bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City, and the wider background as to what roe him to do this. As the movie opens, it is "April 19, 1995, 9:02 am" and we her voices at the Water Resource Board Meeting, when an enormous explosion takes place. We get various historical footage as to the damage caused by the bombing, as well as first account interviews of first aid helpers, survivors, and family members of the perished, We then go back in time to the early 1980s, in northern Idaho, where white supremacists are gathering steam. As this point we're 10 min, into the movie, but to tell you more of the story would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is, to say the least, a sobering documentary, Built in three major chapters, "The Spark" (referring to Ruby Ridge), "The Flame" (referring to Waco) and "The Inferno" (referring to Oklahoma City), the documentary makers examine how right wing white supremacists were able to build a small but fierce resistance cell that becomes convinced that the federal government is "the enemy". The link between Ruby Ridge/Oklahoma City on the one hand, and Waco on the other hand, is less obvious (the Waco incident does not involve white supremacists), but nevertheless essential for the McVeigh narrative, as the documentary makes clear. McVeigh's personal background, fairly well known at this point, is examined as well. In the end, the lasting images of this documentary remain those of the Oklahoma City bombing itself, to this date still the largest domestic terrorist attack in this country's history, and with it the resolve of the survivors and the family of the perished. "Love is stronger than a terrorist attack", comments a survivor who has forgiven McVeigh. Wow.

This documentary played in a few theaters, but opened wide when it was shown on PBS' "The American Experience" last night. As it most often the case with programs on "The American Experience", the documentary was well researched, restrained and very sobering. A must-see for anyone interested in the history of this country.

A Broad Scope

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 10 May 2017]

The bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April 1995 is the worst act of domestic terrorism in American history; this documentary explores how a series of deadly encounters between American citizens and federal law enforcement - including the standoffs at Ruby Ridge and Waco - led to it.

There is the matter of what this film is and what it isn't. If you want a broad view of Ruby Ridge, Waco and Oklahoma City in under two hours, this is the perfect primer or refresher. However, if you want to learn more, and were around in the 1990s, there is very little here you did not already read in the news at the time.

I suppose if nothing else, this would be great for catching the younger generation up on what happened just twenty years ago, when "terrorism" and 9/11 were not yet synonymous.

White Bred Terrorism

[BlueFairyBlog · 8/10 · 26 April 2017]

I don't remember Oklahoma City, or Waco, or Ruby Ridge. These events, if they were in my young subconscious mind at all, were crowded out by 9/11, which happened when I was only ten years old. For a generation that has been inundated with images of terrorism, violence, and war, it's difficult to grasp just how explosive and unjust this event was, and how it shocked the nation to learn that born and bred Americans could be just as responsible for the destruction of the country's goodwill than foreign invaders.

This film was directed by Emmy winning PBS documentarian Barak Goodman (Scottsboro: An American Tragedy). He begins the film's narrative at Oklahoma City, but then flashes back to the inception of the Aryan Nation in the mid-to-late eighties, and the ensuing terrorist institutions that created a platform for an army vet named Timothy McVeigh. Tracing this critical history of white held terrorism within the United States, we see the quick succession of violent white men who have taken arms against their government, and the almost unending paranoia that it created. People like David Koresh and Randy Weaver were the inspiration for an angry, xenophobic young man without many options and a plethora of military knowledge at his disposal.

McVeigh chose the building because he wanted retribution for those who stood against the government and died because of it. In our current political climate terrorism is almost a give-in, an accepted cross to bear in our everyday lives. McVeigh was the first major figure in a long line of American born white men who have taken arms against their own citizenry (Eric Robert Rudolph, Dylann Roof, Wade Michael Page, and thirty-six others since Oklahoma City). This documentary not only sheds light on the horrific act of three disillusioned youths, but the greater trend of discontented, hate- filled teens who later become violent terrorists. These events are more common than ever, and it's not a problem that goes away with prayers and acceptance. It stops because we don't let it happen again. We protect our fellow man, our children, and those who don't have a voice. This film is illuminating in all the right ways, and emotionally devastating in a million others.

Official government version

[danmcn61-1 · 28 April 2017]

I did live through Oklahoma City and remember it well, and I remember Ruby Ridge and Waco also. Ruby Ridge and Waco had nothing to do with Oklahoma City, and neither did the militia movement or white supremacist organizations. This documentary is little more than the official government story, a story orchestrated at the highest levels of the Justice Department and the White House, placing all of the blame upon a disillusioned ex-soldier and his loser Army buddies and ignoring the obvious presence of more sophisticated conspirators. The film barely mentions the existence of "John Doe #2" who actually DID mastermind the bombing. There was a nationwide manhunt for this person during the week after the bombing until the FBI decided that they had their man and no further suspects were being sought. We are supposed to believe that McVeigh was smart enough to plan this elaborate scheme and yet stupid enough to drive a getaway car without a license plate attached? The film completely ignores the pre-bombing trips to the Philippines that were taken by Terry Nichols and clear evidence that he was meeting there with Ramzi Yousef (the mastermind of the World Trade Center bombing in 1993). Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying McVeigh was innocent. He was in this conspiracy up to his eyeballs and he deserved to be convicted, but there were other conspirators higher up the food chain that got away, for purely political reasons. That is the real story of Oklahoma City.

A very tragic situation for innocent children on both sides :(

[Loveunderlaw · 10/10 · 17 April 2018]

Anytime you have Abrahamic separatists zealots fighting the government that's been infested with Leftists(Clintons & Branch Davidians going head to head)children will be caught in between & end up losing their lives in most cases.

The children in Waco, nor the ones in Oklahoma City had to die. Thanks to unreasonable adults, both groups of children suffered & lost their lives. I was raised in an Abrahamic cult too, the J.W.'s(AKA Watchtower Bible & Tract Society). They always beat it into our brains as children "that everything the government does is from Satan" & "this World is Satanic too". And then my eldest sister's Leftist friends were always calling government folks "an evil that needs to be reigned in, we need to be more like Cuba & share with one another & less like Capitalist scum".

See neither side is right to a thinker(both groups are fifth column scums IMO), I'm sure that the J.W.'s would never go all Waco on anyone(they're controlling, but very cowardly), but it did feel like we were in Jonestown being forced to be part of their operation, they're not benign at all!

We were not allowed to have birthdays(I was made to sit in the hallway during birthday parties), holidays, participate in sports, no going to our proms or college either, also if you're in need of a blood transfusion forget about it, it's not allowed!

We also get genitally mutilated as kids(I hated that the most) it's a complete case of evil being inflicted on innocent children. I also got my *** kicked as a kid when when I got caught talking on the phone with a cute girl that was a none J.W., a totally insane group of people IMO & experience.

Now as an adult I want nothing to do with either group, I'm very middle of the road now & don't feel like losing my life over the aspirations of madmen. I only wish that whole situation didn't happen. Too many children get caught in the crossfire. Janet Reno, Bill Clinton & David Koresh were unable to see another's point of view.

That's at the root of most tragedies today, inflexible people that have no place in a modern society. We can make a better future for all of us if we choose rational thought over anti-life dogma!

Mental Illness Disguised as Political Philosophy

[leftbanker-1 · 9/10 · 18 September 2019]

The half-witted anti-government philosophy responsible for the Oklahoma bombing took root in Ronald Reagan's famous quip that the government isn't the solution; it's the problem. Except when it is the solution, which it is for many things we now consider to be modern civilization. What the Hitler-lovers don't understand is that for a society to function, there must be compromise. Most people who live in big cities get this basic concept. Rural hillbillies just want everything their way and don't want to pay taxes.

If you want to see a country without a government, I'd suggest you try Somalia. In theory, this is a libertarian's wet dream, except it isn't because Somalia is a hell-hole of anarchy. Of course, to flea-brains like Timothy McVeigh, their perfect world has individuals running all of the facets of modern life. What a ridiculous concept.

McVeigh, like so many of his ilk, was mentally ill, obviously. He was also a freaking idiot with the IQ of a rodent, an animal to which he bore a remarkable resemblance. Medical examiners at his execution revealed that McVeigh's genitals were also rat-like and inadequate, even to facilitate congress with a small rodent. It's true, look it up! His whole movement is composed of inbred hicks, who when they pool all of their mental resources together still fail to conjugate verbs correctly in the only language that they speak, yet they call themselves the master race. How do they figure?

The thing is, nobody like the cops, and the federal agencies (FBI, ATF et al) did some outrageous things, not just to the far-right freaks, but to lots of people with opposing views, but that's no excuse to go overboard. If they think that they can go toe-to-toe with these agencies, they are dumber than I ever thought they were.

This is the central lie of the militia groups. You can suit up in G.I. Joe clothes and buy guns, but don't think that you could actually oppose a real, state-sponsored army, not even a little bit. As far as opposing the government, it is all we have as a people, the only thing we have purchase on in the quest for power. By limiting government, you are drastically limiting the power of the people and handing it over to the plutocrats, people like Trump and his backers (the people who control him, not those who voted for him).

McVeigh opposes killing Iraqis but goes on to bomb a child care center. This is the sort of loony thinking of these violent groups. He was pulled over after the bombing because he didn't have a plate on the car he was driving? What a complete moron!

I oppose the death penalty, even for a rat-face creep like McVeigh.

Great documentary.

[Stewatson35 · 8/10 · 2 January 2023]

I've seen all parts of this documentary before in other documentaries. But this was a nice retelling, having everything as straight as possible.

A lot of the other documentaries focused on him building the bomb and the evidence that it was him.

Such as the rental van being caught on camera etc.

They've kind of missed those bits out, which is fine because we all know he was guilty!

He admitted to it and was found guilty in court.

So it's no shock he was going to be found guilty.

His one misguided thought is that he assumed that his death would start another civil war... and it didn't!

The only thing that came out of all of this was Mcveigh being sentenced to death for targeting a building which housed an FBI office.

The guy was unhinged, but not enough so he didn't know what he was doing.

Let's hope he's nice and hot wherever he might be.

Pretty good.....

[tamjam6869 · 4/10 · 27 April 2019]

Until they quoted the Southern Poverty Law Center the end. Next time, try quoting a legitimate organization. And, much of the footage was rehashed from other documentaries.

Humanizing of a Terrorist

[lbmersault · 1/10 · 2 April 2017]

All this movie tries to do is humanize a terrorist.

The documentary is well made and researched. It is effective in what is trying to do. The problems is that this documentary tries to make people understand Timothy McVeigh's point of view. We are exposed to different events that eventually led to the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City and that is what's wrong with this film. It is not acceptable to humanize someone that hurt so many people.

I understand that everyone has reasons to act the way they do and it is very interesting to know them, specially in relation to this event that marked the USA, but doing this is as preposterous as making a documentary of 9/11 and including a mini bio of Osama Bin Laden and events that pushed him to plan it. This documentary would never have been done if a person of color was the perpetrator. The director almost tries to excuse the actions of the terrorist because of their background.

Slow moving

[rollvideo · 3/10 · 18 March 2020]

25 mins in and still no mention of the main perpetrator. Instead of summarising what angered and motivated Timothy McVeigh to commit the crimes the producers want to give you a detailed backstory. Sheesh! It's history now, just spit it out already😡