Path to War

Play trailer

Path to War

TV-14,

2002,

2h 45m,

History/

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

100%

11 Reviews

Tomatometer

74%

500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

11 Reviews

74%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

This film is a dramatization of the decision-making behind the Johnson administration's escalation of the Vietnam War in the mid 1960s. As Lyndon Johnson (Michael Gambon) agonizes over sending more troops to Southeast Asia, he is given contradictory advice from Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara (Alec Baldwin) and Secretary of State Dean Rusk (John Aylward). The president also attempts to build his Great Society at home, while balancing the war's increasing drain on the nation's resources.

Prime Video

HBO Max

Apple TV

Watch Path to War with a subscription on HBO Max, rent on Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Prime Video, Apple TV.

Critics Consensus

Path to War brings Lyndon B. Johnson's full term to vivid life with terrific performances and a screenplay that provides an intimate look into a president's psyche along with the far-reaching consequences of his decisions.

Read Critics Reviews

Laura Fries

Variety

Jun 29, 2020

Director Frankenheimer provides a steady hand, faltering only in one or two forced scenes intended to convey Johnson's growing alienation both politically and personally.

Go to Full Review

Steve Johnson

Chicago Tribune

Jun 29, 2020

It is painful and profound to watch a man choosing his own destruction in the belief that he can do nothing else, and these 2 3/4 hours capture that -- the heaviness of the head that wears the crown -- as eloquently as any film in recent memory.

Go to Full Review

Jonathan Curiel

San Francisco Chronicle

Jun 29, 2020

4/4

Johnson's brash way of talking rarely revealed itself in public speeches of his day, but in "Path to War," Frankenheimer and actor Michael Gambon give us the real Johnson.

Go to Full Review

John Levesque

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Jun 29, 2020

Drawing on a supremely intelligent screenplay by Daniel Giat, "Path to War" is another of those "important" films that would never make it in theaters today.

Go to Full Review

Lesley M. Smith

PopMatters

Jun 29, 2020

It captures the enduring inability of U.S. politicians and military leaders to understand that the projection of unassailable power and unmatched technology could not guarantee triumph or even avert defeat.

Go to Full Review

People Staff

People Magazine

Jun 29, 2020

Alec Baldwin excelled as former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

John Frankenheimer

Director

Michael Gambon

Lyndon Johnson

Donald Sutherland

Clark Clifford

Alec Baldwin

Robert McNamara

Bruce McGill

George Ball

James Frain

Richard Goodwin

Game Change

67%

76%

Game Change

Watchlist

Lilith

86%

63%

Lilith

Watchlist

Introducing Dorothy Dandridge

83%

81%

Introducing Dorothy Dandridge

Watchlist

Hawaii

67%

54%

Hawaii

Watchlist

Mary, Queen of Scots

67%

55%

Mary, Queen of Scots

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

This film is a dramatization of the decision-making behind the Johnson administration's escalation of the Vietnam War in the mid 1960s. As Lyndon Johnson (Michael Gambon) agonizes over sending more troops to Southeast Asia, he is given contradictory advice from Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara (Alec Baldwin) and Secretary of State Dean Rusk (John Aylward). The president also attempts to build his Great Society at home, while balancing the war's increasing drain on the nation's resources.

Director: John Frankenheimer
Distributor: HBO
Production Co: Miramax
Rating: TV-14
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 18, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Runtime: 2h 45m
Sound Mix: Surround

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings