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In 1993, cult leader David Koresh and his followers took over a compound in Waco, Texas. Upon learning of his apparent stock piling of weapons, the authorities became involved, and a battle of wits ensued between the ATF agents assigned to lead a tactical assault to take out the fanatics, and the hostage negotiators, who had their own methods of doing things. It all culminated in a terrifying human tragedy, with mass loss of life and ensuing reverberations of blame and what lessons could be learned.
I was only vaguely aware of a major incident regarding something called Waco, but had little background knowledge on it, given my age at the time it happened, so this Netflix documentary provided some interesting background information on the incident, if nothing else. It opens right in the heart of the drama occurring, with little in the way of any development of events leading up or any in depth examination of the key players in the incident, which robs it of any wider impact, but that's not to say what is on display doesn't make for riveting viewing.
Blending the shocking past events with modern day footage of the key participants, the documentary employs an effective camera technique, using a split screen to convey both of these things, which gives events of thirty years ago a more dramatic urgency in the present times. Many of the interviewees, speaking as either those involved with Karesh or those tasked with bringing him down, all feel deeply reflective about their involvement and what they did on either side of the fence, with age and wisdom on their side, but what is undeniable is the terrible human toll it all ended up taking, and the devastating impact it left behind, that obviously still reverberates to this day.
In more modern times, and with greater awareness around cults and mental health, it's tempting to think the idea of anyone falling under a cult is just a thing of the past, but in many ways, the time of the internet can exacerbate the problem, and this documentary, while not perfect, still provides a chilling account of one such time that had far lasting effects. ***
In 1993, cult leader David Koresh and his followers took over a compound in Waco, Texas. Upon learning of his apparent stock piling of weapons, the authorities became involved, and a battle of wits ensued between the ATF agents assigned to lead a tactical assault to take out the fanatics, and the hostage negotiators, who had their own methods of doing things. It all culminated in a terrifying human tragedy, with mass loss of life and ensuing reverberations of blame and what lessons could be learned.
I was only vaguely aware of a major incident regarding something called Waco, but had little background knowledge on it, given my age at the time it happened, so this Netflix documentary provided some interesting background information on the incident, if nothing else. It opens right in the heart of the drama occurring, with little in the way of any development of events leading up or any in depth examination of the key players in the incident, which robs it of any wider impact, but that's not to say what is on display doesn't make for riveting viewing.
Blending the shocking past events with modern day footage of the key participants, the documentary employs an effective camera technique, using a split screen to convey both of these things, which gives events of thirty years ago a more dramatic urgency in the present times. Many of the interviewees, speaking as either those involved with Karesh or those tasked with bringing him down, all feel deeply reflective about their involvement and what they did on either side of the fence, with age and wisdom on their side, but what is undeniable is the terrible human toll it all ended up taking, and the devastating impact it left behind, that obviously still reverberates to this day.
In more modern times, and with greater awareness around cults and mental health, it's tempting to think the idea of anyone falling under a cult is just a thing of the past, but in many ways, the time of the internet can exacerbate the problem, and this documentary, while not perfect, still provides a chilling account of one such time that had far lasting effects. ***