FilmSnobReviews

Title: Oklahoma City
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Director: Barak Goodman
Starring: N/A

What It Is: Weaving a narrative surrounding the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building by Timothy McVeigh. We get some background on the movement he was involved with. Where this movement came from and the methodology behind the whole thing. From it, we learn what might have given McViegh the disillusionment and mistrust he felt towards the American government. This includes real footage from the 1995 disaster. It also includes interviews with first responders, survivors and the parents of the young children, some who lived some that did not all were affected by the events.

What We Think: Never does the doc glorify McVeigh nor give his ideology credence. It focuses less on placing blame because it is obvious where the blame is. I learned a bit more about the Waco disaster as well. While I was familiar with the events here the specificity they go into and the details given shed more light into a dark and notorious event in the history of the ATF. The undertone of racial tension was likewise brilliantly portrayed. First-hand accounts are always the best ones and that’s what this film relied on.

Our Grade: A-, So should you see it? Yes, absolutely you should. The biggest domestic terrorist attack in United States history is chronicled here and it is done with a sensitivity that you really don’t see often. From what I understand this is a PBS doc and I mean you don’t immediately assume “Hey this will probably enthrall” it totally does though. It does what I think a good doc should do and it sticks to the facts. See the film wherever you can and please note that not every PBS doc is NOVA, which I think we can all say is pretty boring.