Waco: The Rules of Engagement

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Waco: The Rules of Engagement

1997,

2h 45m,

Documentary

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Watchlist

87%

15 Reviews

Tomatometer

86%

1,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

15 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

This documentary about the 1993 showdown between the FBI and the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas, presents an alternate theory about the tragedy. The government has long contended that this fringe Christian group was a danger, and that the siege on its compound, which resulted in the death of 70 people, was necessary. Director William Gazecki, using footage from the siege and the Congressional hearings that followed it, asserts that American forces may have attacked a peaceful religious group.

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Jan 1, 2000

3.5/4

It presents testimony from both sides, and shies away from cheap shots. We feel we are seeing a fair attempt to deal with facts.

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Marc Savlov

Austin Chronicle

Jan 1, 2000

4/5

A masterful, terribly engaging, and horribly affecting documentary.

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Oct 9, 2005

3/5

Mark Palermo

The Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Aug 23, 2004

4/5

Frank Swietek

One Guy's Opinion

Mar 4, 2004

3/5

Mark Robison

Reno Gazette-Journal

Mar 1, 2004

4/5

A fascinating piece of American mythology.

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Ron L

Mar 26, 2018

Wow! This is a really well done 20+ year old Documentary. Like most Americans, I thought the Branch Davidians set fire to themselves, but this Documentary does a pretty good job of showing that might not be the case. This was a tragedy in US modern history and the ATF & FBI didn't do a good job handling the situation. They gassed children and tore down walls with those tanks.

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William Gazecki

Director

Dan Gifford

Narrator

Clive Doyle

Himself (Branch Davidian) (also archive footage)

Jack Harwell

Self

Dick J. Reavis

Himself (author) (also archive footage)

James D. Tabor

Self

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Synopsis

This documentary about the 1993 showdown between the FBI and the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas, presents an alternate theory about the tragedy. The government has long contended that this fringe Christian group was a danger, and that the siege on its compound, which resulted in the death of 70 people, was necessary. Director William Gazecki, using footage from the siege and the Congressional hearings that followed it, asserts that American forces may have attacked a peaceful religious group.

Director: William Gazecki
Producer: William Gazecki, Michael McNulty
Screenwriter: William Gazecki, Michael McNulty, Dan Gifford, Ron Nelson
Distributor: New Yorker Films
Production Co: Fifth Estate Productions
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 19, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 3, 2016
Runtime: 2h 45m

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