The Waco Tragedy tells about the events of 1993 in Waco, which still shock people. The series, created by the duo of directors Howard and Dowdle, shows not only crimes committed by the ATO and the FBI, but also by sectarians.
The plot of the series, based on real events, tells about the religious sect “Branch of David”, which for several years lived in a complex of buildings in the city of Waco. The leader of the sect David Koresh, played by Taylor Kitsch (who after two large-budget failures in a row still did not give up), gathers a commune in Texas living by its own rules and doing illegal things, but after the authorities pay their attention to them, the life of the sect becomes much sadder, which leads to victims.
One of the notable achievements of the series is the acting. Michael Shannon played negotiator Gary Nosner, emotionally showing the gravity of the situation, his ability to express the heavy weight of responsibility, being in such a tense environment, amazing, Taylor Kitsch played no worse and perfectly showed the leader of the cult from a prosperous to manic crazy leader. However, not only the main characters, but also the actors performing secondary roles, managed to create a convincing catchy atmosphere.
The pace of storytelling is another advantage of the series, having arranged a real roller coaster, moving from a calm pace to a stormy development of events not letting the viewer get bored. The viewer is led through a variety of emotional experiences, from a powerful scene of artistic attenuation to a hot conflict with law enforcement.
The Waco Tragedy is a rich, intelligent and lively tale of tragedy told from different angles and deeply exploring the human motives and shortcomings that can lead to such events. Directors Howard and Dowdle, who managed to create a rich and lively plot, give the series a pulsation and really animate the story and raises a lot of questions for a modern audience with new force.
So if you want to watch a good drama series that is stunning with its tension and powerful acting, then Waco Tragedy is a great choice.
To be honest, it is very surprising that the average score of the mini-series “The Tragedy in Waco” (Waco, 2018) is unreasonably high at KinoPoisk. As one of the reviews correctly noted, even an article on Wikipedia causes more emotions than the 6 episodes of this TV movie.
From a technical point of view, the project is well done. “Waco” accurately and scrupulously recreates the entourage of America of the 1990s, almost always accurately follows reliably known historical events (the creators interpret “white” spots of history at their discretion due to their obvious bias), the eye rejoices from good camera work and visual range.
That’s what the series loses a lot, it’s in the authors’ apparent sympathy for one of the parties to the conflict (this time law enforcement offends the unfortunate sectarian fanatics). This negatively affects both the scenario itself, where reliably unknown facts are interpreted to the detriment of the security forces, and tearfully stupid dialogues. A lot of scenes in which young children ask the bloodthirsty feds, 'Will you kill us?' or tell the protagonist-negotiator how the ATF special forces killed their parents. Crazy fanatic David Koresh through the efforts of writers and Taylor Kitsch (mostly playing positive characters) suddenly turns into a respected leader and unfairly accused hero, true to his ideas and principles. And the fact that he sleeps with underage girls, whom he brainwashes, is just nuances, the portrait of the character does not spoil. And he keeps a huge supply of weapons at home in case of the Apocalypse. He is not compared here with Leo Aslan from the Chronicles of Narnia.
Even the firefight, because of which the siege begins, which has become a huge tragedy, the feds begin here, although in reality there was a provocation by sectarians.
As for the special services, their employees are all unpleasant personalities, careerists and liars, trying to curry favor with their superiors for the sake of increasing their budget. Of the positive characters, only an undercover ATF agent and an FBI negotiator, and even then sympathetic to a crazy sectarian. The cynical conversations of the FBI Special Forces chief make me sick. At the same time, all the dialogues are terribly trivial and flat, the characters are stilted puppets-functions, necessary only for the viewer to understand who is good and who is bad here.
And the closer the action of "Waco" comes to the finale, the more boring and banal the series becomes, which in the end begins to irritate wildly. And to be honest, I don’t even know why I still watched this tearful biased pseudo-drama through force.
2 out of 10
I will not explain the essence of the religious sect headed by David Koresh, as I do not like fanatics and stories about them, so I will limit myself to general facts for depicting the events and portrait of who became one of the main culprits in 1993 in the tragedy 14 km from Waco, a small town in Texas.
David Koresh, also known as Vernon Howell. His mother gave birth to him at the age of 14, and he never saw or knew his father. He did poorly in school, was illiterate and suffered from dyslexia. At the age of 11 he memorized the text of the New Testament, later, developing his teachings, declared himself the son of God and was known as an orator in his preaching, rubbing into the confidence of his henchmen without the help of hypnosis and any psychedelic means. Prophet, authority, guru, theologian, spiritual leader and head of a religious organization. He was a polygamist, impregnated a 15-year-old maiden (they say there were several) and had a total of 15 children from different women, saying that lust and fornication are naturally bad, so I am better than the men in my community.
One day, the ATO (Bureau aalcohol, tabac, firearms ogun and explosives - organization in the United States) receives information that explosions and shots from allegedly illegally stored weapons are often heard at the location of Mount Carmel estate, where the community lives. An inspection in this case begins, during which surveillance of the community estate is established, which later leads to an assault.
David’s words: “The 5th Seal of 7 will begin to be filmed when the ATO attacks the selected people (the sect), which will lead to a waiting period, bloodshed, and then to the apocalypse.” Thus begins the siege – “their test,” as the leader and his co-religionists think.
They are tortured with bright lights and loud noises at night. Cut off water, electricity and communication with the outside world. At the same time, those who were wounded on the day of the ATO attack remain without medical care inside and periodic negotiations are conducted, during which 35 people came out (by 1993 there were about 120 people in the sect).
On the 51st day of the siege, a decision is made to storm with tanks and tear gas. As a result, a fire begins, during which 76 members of the sect die (according to other sources - 82), including 25 children (according to other sources - 28). According to the official version, the sectarians themselves set fire to the building, committing mass suicide, according to another - the building caught fire from gas sprayed during the siege by the FBI.
The Waco tragedy was one of the largest and bloodiest failures of American intelligence agencies in the history of the country. There were armored vehicles, helicopters and hundreds of armed men in the fighting, but the outcome is known. Siege, gas, fire, death – these are the headlines that are then circulated on the radio, giving examples of FBI assaults acting on the same scenario.
There is no one to blame, everyone is guilty – David, his henchmen, the FBI, and negotiators. As in divorce, it is always the fault of both parties.
At the time of the tragedy, he was 33 years old, like Jesus at the hour of reckoning. Apparently, the lot of the martyr was much more important than the very life bestowed by this Messiah himself.
David and his cronies did not want to give up, fearing injustice from justice, and the FBI was so unwilling to show its powerlessness and weakness that to go along with the community would mean completely undermining people’s trust in law enforcement. Although it happened the opposite: this case was the impetus to the discontent of American citizens, who were shocked by the actions of the FBI, which subsequently resulted in a terrorist attack that claimed no less victims than the tragedy in Mount Carmal (after 2 years in Oklahoma City, a man blew up the headquarters of the FBI and ATO, as a result of which 168 people died and 680 were injured). He went on to say, "This is for Waco."
In Waco Tragedy, the strongest series – the first and last, everything in between – made me bored. I had enough drama, not bad dialogue and persuasiveness of the whole situation, but it was not for all 6 episodes. A tragic story, a terrible page in the history of the United States, shown in cinematic language, the language of the mini-series based on the book by Gary Nesner “Pushing Time: My Life as an FBI Negotiator”, the same negotiator who took a direct part in Waco, and who devoted more than 30 years of his work to this difficult craft to save people.
When a book based on real events is filmed, there are always 2 views on what happened - in this case, it is the world from within the sect and the motives of the FBI. And the main task of directors is not to choose one side, but to show the story from several sides. Did the authors succeed? I think so, but by what means is a different conversation. What is clear is that humanism and the value of human life should never be put on the scale with cruelty. Whosoever has created in this world? And therefore, the events in Waco are interpreted as nothing more than a tragedy, the shame of the authorities, whose actions led to mass deaths, and even with children. In my purely personal view, and I think of many, it was an absolutely useless, senseless slaughter. For what? . For the sake of beliefs that did not contradict anyone else? . . No one wanted to give up, and innocent people suffered. About it in the miniseries "Waco".
Trying to write a review of "Weiko" it is impossible not to divide it into two separate parts, cinematic and plot.
Let’s start with the cinematic, because it’s the easiest to talk about – everything is fine. Excellent dramaturgy, excellent play (albeit not the most famous) actors, of which the textured Shannon in the role of negotiator and Culkin (the younger brother of the same) stand out. Shannon is good, in fact pulls the entire mini-series on himself, completely eclipsed by Kitsch.
The plot does not become boring for a minute, although there are places in which the action slows down slightly, which is inevitable - a siege of 50 days could not consist of a solid "action".
Visually, of course, the series is a little boring - after all, the kind of semi-desert and riveted aba as a house you do not walk, but there are no options.
But I want to talk about the plot part in more detail, although it is difficult without spoilers.
Istria Weiko is most familiar to Russians, oddly enough, in the game Postal 2. Yes, it was from this confrontation that Friday’s mission “Take the Gift to Uncle Dave” was drawn, especially attentive will notice even the striking similarity of sectarian buildings in the game that in the film. About the connection of very gloomy jokes in the game with the real Vaiko and do not want to talk.
The story itself, of course, is ambiguous. So on one side, we have the FBI, on the other, we have a rather obscure religious commune. The FBI claims that sectarians accumulate weapons for the purpose of not understanding what, oppress children (their own) and in general some are not. Sectarians claim that they just live together, study the Bible and do not interfere with anyone, and they need weapons on the principle of “why not.”
The conflict was inevitable.
The more fun the picture becomes. The FBI "lies like a breath" to everyone who can about what is happening and provokes conflict. Sectarians, too, the further the stranger. It would seem that their leader David is a sweet man, but then we learn that his wives were literally forced to marry him, and under external pressure his pastorship takes the form of authoritarian rule.
And why they needed weapons is not clear in the end, because the essence of the religious beliefs of the Branch of David, the authors of the series, unfortunately, do not go deep.
In the end, it is unclear who was right and who was wrong. The creators of the series quite transparently hint, but in hearing their opinion to voice refuse, even in the epilogue.
What's the result? It's a very controversial story. At the same time, it is a story of absolutely senseless cruelty and victory of bureaucracy and political ambitions on all common sense. Make your own conclusions.
Black will become white if you look at it from a different angle.
I am so tired of movies where evil government and insidious policemen don’t let people live in peace. So much so that I decided to write my first review.
When I started watching the series, I initially thought that I would see two different camps: the FBI police on one side and these “believers” on the other, especially since the main actors are filmed on each side (Michael Shannon and Taylor Kitsch, respectively). But already in the second series I realized on whose side the director stands. And you know, it's sad. How many criminals and doubtful elements can we make ideals and idols for worship?
Of course, you can believe whatever you want, especially in the United States, but if you break the law in the country you live in, you are a criminal.
Today, anyone can be excused in movies. The main character’s daughter is terminally ill, so he robbed a bank and accidentally shot the cashier. But it's for my daughter. He's not a bad person, he's just not lucky. Yeah, we ran away.
What poor, helpless people, so believe and force, persistently convince the viewer of their infallibility, that even call the police when they are surrounded and stormed by police special forces. Yes, women and children, yes, they chose such a life, but the death of an innocent person is unacceptable. That a cop isn't a man? Is this just a tool in the hands of the law? He can die, they're all bad. Especially since other “sins” behind these sectarians are enough (I don’t know, brainwashing is a crime?).
I think it’s good, the actors know what they’re doing. The film did not like its message, one-sidedness, justification and regret for those who (forgive me) should sit on a chair.
I confess that I did not watch the series until the end, I could not. I don’t know how it ended, maybe it didn’t. But we will not finish the dish that we do not like.
An interesting project that tells about terrible events
Quite an interesting mini-series based on real events, and here the creators almost managed to fit the events of a long siege into 6 episodes. Of course, not completely, something was not said, but the plot got a clear beginning, middle and end of the conflict.
The series begins with an incident in Ruby Ridge in 1992, a few months before the main events, which made the FBI not in the best light. During the siege of the house of fanatics who illegally stored weapons, a sniper accidentally shot the wife of the suspect - the mother of 4 children. The case did not go to trial, but it did not leave the public with the best impression of the work of the Bureau. But here is a community of sectarians headed by David Koresh, who also has illegal weapons in the house and minor wives. For the FBI, Koresh's arrest is a chance to save his reputation.
As sources, the writers took 2 books - the memoir of FBI agent Gary Nesner 'Buying Time: My life as an FBI negotiator, played by Michael Shannon. And a place called Waco, written by David Thibodeau, who is one of the few survivors of that siege. In the series, Rory Culkin played his role, and through this character we get acquainted with the cult, its rules and the people who live there. And this is a cool moment that the creators show not only the actions of the Bureau, but also the inner workings of the sectarians. The viewer sees people living in respect, love and truly believing in the second coming and that their leader was chosen by God. Well, that's their choice. The siege was God’s plan for them, and a growing problem for FBI agents.
As a result, the project is interesting, even if you know how it will end, but if you did not know, you will be pleasantly surprised and immerse yourself in a tense story for 6 episodes. There are good acting jobs (Michael Shannon did a great job, a reasonable negotiator trying to build a constructive dialogue). And Taylor Kitsch, who played almost his best role, you believe him, you want to watch him, even if you understand that sectarians are not so holy after all, a good production and a clear plot.
7 out of 10
“Our species is mad by nature. If you lock more than two people in a room, they will find a thousand reasons to kill each other, which is why we invented politics and religion.
You probably have it when all of a sudden you stumble upon a movie or series that modestly hid in the inconspicuous corners of cinema-related sites. For example, 'The Waco Tragedy' or simply 'Waco'2018. This creation was not illuminated aggressively from each iron. Like, ' watch one of the best TV series of recent years'. And the articles didn't catch my eye. Well, then the greater the joy of finding, as the feeling becomes genuine. You're glad you found it, now it's with you for a long time.
Since the TV show is based on real events, naturally, you want to delve superficially with the help of the site in the vicissitudes of what actually happened. After familiarizing ourselves with the basic facts of the Waco, Texas siege, all we had to do was open our mouths and put our feet in it. I can’t believe that this outrage lasted for (think about it) 51 days in a row! A siege that involved tanks, psychic attacks and unlimited FBI resources. Against whom? A small community with a lot of kids!
Minnesota native John Eric Dowdle and his brother Drew wrote a very exciting and intense script. Well, in the spirit of spectacular American cinema, in which one side is trying to make white and fluffy, while the other is trying to denigrate and bite more painfully. It is noticeable to the naked eye when you watch the series that the government of Great America of the United States in the spring of the distant 1993 became insolent, approving all those actions directed against seemingly harmless members of a religious cult in the wilderness.
Of course, we do not look back on the side of the so-called sectarians. There in the commune they probably did unacceptable things, but while watching the series there is no time to think about it, then the mini-format would have to be extended to 10-12 episodes. The emphasis, of course, is on the leader David Koresh, an extraordinary personality with a difficult childhood. Taylor Kitsch, whom we have shamelessly sympathized with since the days of Gambit, brilliantly presented on the screen a kind of inconspicuous rock star and a crazy egoist in one person. Enjoyment.
It was a great idea to add the character of Stephen Schneider, who followed his leader but was still responsible for the voice of reason in those moments when David Koresh could go into lengthy discourse about God’s providence. There is not a single random character in the series, everyone has played an important role in this merciless game. There is no need to mention Michael Shannon. Once again, you notice how difficult it is to unequivocally relate to his frowning and painful facial expression. Able to be both a dangerous villain and a good guy.
Summing up the impressions, I would like to note that the creators, in addition to the coverage of the infamous events, wanted to convey to the audience how stupid and senseless the eternal confrontation between politics and religion, between which ordinary people constantly have to suffer. The latest series, in which the assault on the 51st day of the siege unfolds, nobility hits under the breaths when women and children find themselves in a terrible trap. While men are stubborn and unable to reach consensus, eternal tragedies occur. A tear rolls down my throat. .
I have had to deal with sectarians - both by chance and in working groups, and for myself I have deduced that there are two types of them ' tops ' - really believing in their ideals, up to fanaticism (but the instinct of self-preservation is not so easy to cut out) and normal people who promote this ' theme ' for their benefit (in all senses). Proceeding from this, I became interested in this series - it was curious to see what the point of view is ' there', besides, the beautiful appearance of almost the main Hollywood bad guy shown in the trailer ' for fifty', who perfectly knows how to make brutal faces, intrigued even more.
And so, the first episode seemed to live up to expectations - a great setup, moderately cheerful, bright and, as I thought, extraordinary characters, but all this died down too quickly. . .
Perhaps, taking into account that the series is based on purely real events, voicing some key points will not be considered a spoiler.
So, the main problem of the series is that, having at their disposal about five and a half hours of screen time, the creators not only did not really tell anything about the situation in its entirety, showing only the chronicle & #39; Sieges', but also poorly revealed the characters - it is not clear what this sect is, why it has a bunch of weapons and equipment, why people went after David (a theologian - here it is just clear, but the rest & #39; herd'?), why the FBI was wobbling for 50 days, why the mega negotiator from the FBI so clearly believes the character?
Although, given that the script is based on the memoirs of the same negotiator and two surviving sectarians, most of these questions fall away, ' inconvenient' the episodes are either much smoothed or shown indistinctly, especially with regard to the initiation of an armed clash, and the further actions of the sectarians are some undisturbed elves, although among them was a sensible lawyer, and in the end they pulled, apparently, very serious lawyers.
In general, in order not to fall into emotions or not to fall under ' incitement', I go to the results:
The impression of a boring, protracted spectacle, with an incorrect (I would even say defective) morality, is partially compensated:
1. excellent acting:
Michael Shannon is my respect, talent, but the role is poorly written.
Taylor Kitsch is a great job, very unexpected (for me personally);
Shay Wigham with all the other siloviki - good, sectarians - very decent;
2. in some places - a very correct display of the psychology of participants in such gatherings;
3. the vivid drama of the love line of the new adept and the youngest wife of David.
Therefore, despite all my dislike for people who fool others in their moments of grief and weakness,
5.5 out of 10
PS. shown did not cause empathy to anyone except the drummer and his young woman & #39; wife & #39; but made one wonder at the stupidity of the denouement - poor children who died from adult stupidity. . .
In six episodes, this picture perfectly demonstrates the problem of many human conflicts.
It all starts with a military operation without proper intelligence. Then a second mistake occurs on the part of the state: an operation without intelligence misses the target. Like a screwdriver going to hammer nails. This is the absolute incompetence of those responsible for carrying out such complex activities with the use of weapons. The head of the sect was suspected of polygamy, but aggression was made against the whole sect. And of course, just an armed seizure of a building in which there are children and women - if there is a goal only to capture the head who constantly leaves this building, if there is a suspicion of a gunshot. This is a fiasco. And then everything goes according to the simple laws of the pendulum. Each side is starting to rock him harder. The ATF simply pursued its goals (PR), which are at odds with the interests of society.
Michael Shannon, who played the negotiator, perfectly conveyed the character of a reasonable person. Whenever fanatics tried to turn the conversation into a religious one, he always tried to put it back into a constructive one. It was a pleasure to watch his character throughout the series. And to rejoice for his small victories, which led to the salvation of some lives.
About the FBI's actions... You know, after the events of the 37th year, all those involved in the unjustified repressions were tried in the USSR, and almost all the main participants, including the head of the NKVD, were shot or imprisoned. I was expecting something like this at the end of this series. But the U.S. democratic system irritated me with its reality. But such crimes committed by the military cannot be forgiven simply because it is unprofitable for the PR agency. The genocide of one’s own people is an unforgivable thing, the perpetrators of which should always be punished in order to prevent similar cases in the future.
Sectarians... no matter how much the series tried to show them as ordinary people, their actions only led to bewilderment. These are people who lack any critical view of the world. I feel sorry for them, only for their children who had no choice. I feel sorry for their relatives who too had no choice but to lose a loved one. But I don't feel sorry for sectarians. Believing in God, believing in your leader, wanting to be around crazy loved ones are just tools for not thinking. They have condemned their children to death. They allowed loved ones to condemn their children to death. They believed it would end well, but there was no reason for it. The situation was getting worse every day. From the first day, there were deaths on both sides. When you are surrounded by an army of armed men, with tanks and helicopters, and you are trying to prove something by developing a conflict - I do not know who you need to be to not understand what this will lead to.
Like any real story, the plot of this series makes you think about human stupidity. The first century in the yard, the tenth or twenty-first - people do not change. We continue to fight against inner stupidity, brainlessness, blindness, and we die or kill when we lose that fight. The FBI should have been smarter. Sectarians should have acted wisely. And then there would be no casualties. I don’t know what the FBI agents who ran the operation are doing now, but I hope they’re burning in hell with those adult fanatic child killers they burned. I like the phrase of the second negotiator, with which I will end this review:
If you had come out when you promised, you would already be free on bail.
The 6-episode film “The Waco Tragedy” is based on real events and tells about the confrontation between the religious sect “Branch Davidov” and the forces of the FBI / National Guard in the spring of 1993. The law enforced a 53-day siege of a ranch in Waco, Texas, which ultimately led to a tragic outcome for most members of the sect. During the use of tear gas by the feds, ignition occurred, as a result of which the ranch burned to the ground: 76 people died in the fire, 25 of them children.
The series is based on the book on Gary Nesner (direct participant in the events, head of the FBI negotiating department) “Stalling for Time: My Life as an FBI Hostage Negotiator” (Stalling for Time: My Life as an FBI Hostage Negotiator) and reconstructs the events of the siege in detail, as well as allows you to get acquainted with the essence of the religious society “Branch Davidov” (which is still more appropriate to call a sect, since all the signs of it are on the face: a charismatic leader, faith in his chosenness, large donations to the general fund, etc.). It can be noted high-quality camera work, attention to detail, excellent acting. The cast of the series is quite strong: on the one hand, there are no recognized stars, but nevertheless the main actors glowed in well-known projects (Taylor Kitsch - "True Detective", Julia Garner - "Ozark"..). It is worth noting the fact that Waco becomes more interesting with each episode: if I barely watched the first one, then I already followed the last one, without stopping. To the shortcomings of the series, I would attribute some protractedness: in general, the story could be compactly fit into the 4 episodes.
The most important part of the series is its content. The United States is a storehouse of all kinds of religious movements, some of which regularly make themselves felt on national television. Before the Waco tragedy, American society had already dealt with the tragic consequences of religious fanaticism: in 1978, more than 900 members of the Peoples’ Temple religious sect committed ritual suicide in Jonestown. Of course, it was difficult for the feds to ignore rumors that a sect-like organization on a Texas ranch kept large quantities of allegedly undeclared weapons, as well as child abuse and polygamy (David Koresh introduced celibacy for all male members of the sect and had sexual contact with any woman, even if she was someone's wife). Given the urgency of the problem, as well as the attendant circumstances (a large number of children in the ranch, increased media attention, the desire of the FBI to show itself as an effective state body), a wide variety of tools are used in solving it: from dialogue with the besieged to the use of psychological weapons.
In fact, it is difficult, even after watching the series and reading other sources about the events in Waco on the Internet, to form a certain opinion, shifting responsibility to the tragedy only on one side. It was very sad to see how completely different circumstances led the situation to a dead end. This is the intransigence of sectarians, on the one hand, and excessive aggressiveness, uncompromisingness of some FBI agents, on the other. One wants to empathize with the members of the Branch locked on the ranch, then one sobs in his voice, looking at the unsuccessful attempts of FBI agents to pull children out of the fire. Then you find common sense in the behavior of Koresh and some idyll in the device of life "Branches", then you want to personally strangle the eccentric leader of the sect, who sometimes behaves like a complete egoist. So it's a very complex question. Another plus of the series is the broad reflection after watching it. The main thing I certainly understood is to avoid fanaticism in any of its manifestations, whether it is a religion or just an unhealthy strong interest in something else.
Of course, a product worthy of attention of the general public receives from me.
8 out of 10
Charming Taylor Kitsch plays community leader David Koresh. This character is the seed of the movie! David cites the Bible by heart, plays electric guitar, writes and sings well! How beautiful the scene looks, where in response to the noise installations that the FBI turned on to get the sectarians to come out, David put the full power of the dynamics of his rock band and chopped down the rock and roll! Song in response to ugly noise! It is strange, of course, that the male parishioners allowed him to take their wives and kill thirteen children. But in the end, no matter what the child does! David runs the community purely with charisma. No punishment, no violence! Just the Bible and rock 'n' roll! Against the community Michael Shannon, who is for negotiations and an aggressive warrior played by Shay Wigham.
In general, this is the story of how the United States, and specifically the FBI and the gun commission quarreled with the community of believers led by David Koresh. On dubious suspicion of illegal modification of the weapon, the authorities attempted to conduct a search. Shooting started by accident and everything turned into a new Stalingrad. Negotiations lasted more than two months.
In reality, it was much easier. David Koresh did not take his wives, but the daughters of his followers. He made his girls from 10 to 14 years old. And many of them got pregnant. I mean, he was a pedophile and a maniac, not a handsome guitarist like in the show. Moreover, the sect was created not by him, but by a Hungarian immigrant in 1935. The Hungarian wife after his death decided that her son was not suitable for the role of leader and raised a successor, just this Koresh (this is his pseudonym). And then the heir and David fought with weapons in their hands for the estate, and even went to gunfights. In fact, the state was right, and the bench had to cover.
But the authors masterfully dramatized the story. The banal sectarian tragedy was understood on three levels.
The first is the clash of free citizens and a brutal state. The struggle for freedom and against freedom. The sectarians in the film are quite happy that David not only deprived them of sex, alcohol and tobacco, but also fucked their wives. Members of the community are ready to raise his thirteen children. Well, they like it. The state acts cruelly because it has officials to make a career and officers to shoot. The important thing is that having once entered into a confrontation, the public power can no longer give up the struggle, because otherwise it will not be respected. At least that’s what government officials think. And Koresh has his own truth. He must convey to the world the message of the seven seals.
Second, it is a clash between the community of believers and the infidels. A man declares himself a lamb, cites Scripture by heart, and skillfully manages the collective. From the chronicles of such clashes, then world religions are born. Small details, the insignificance of the occasions are erased from memory. The only people left are those who died under a charismatic leader. What's not life? In the absence of the Internet in three hundred years, you can make a manor a place of worship and think up anything about events.
Third, it is about the foreign policy of the United States, which does not like some countries. Yes, they live strangely, but it is their choice and they have a right to it. It is symbolic that the community members were killed by a generally non-lethal tear gas.
I didn't read Vicky while I was watching, so I felt the most intense feeling about the show. Reality has been altered in favor of a balance of sympathy. The authors are great to throw our emotions from the basket to the basket. And the ending seems completely unexpected, but natural. As a result, you will learn about the tragedy that happened in 1993, and at the same time watch a relevant and profound film about the present. We have similar goals set by the writers of the series 'Walitz' but it seemed to me that everything remained local. Although, of course, Nina Usatova played brilliantly. This role makes the whole series.
For me personally, the highest appreciation of a film is the desire to direct it.
Yes, I would like to be a director 'Waco Tragedies'.
The tragedy in Waco is a masterpiece worthy of applause, sounding through tears.
Mount Carmel and Ruby Ridge are names that burn the pain of cruel reality and human arrogance in the cube.
The credits are over. And the only question in my head is: Why? Why is the world so... cruel? No, it is not the world, no, and it is not even people, no, it is human arrogance, the stupidest human unfounded confidence in one’s own rightness and chosenness.
The film is, in my opinion, brilliant. Exactly brilliant. First, the events are sufficiently consistent with those described in all known Wikipedia, and in other sources, except, of course, the FBI report.
Second, the film presents human blindness in two ways: legalists who believe that the law is on their side, and therefore force will decide everything; and David’s followers who also blindly follow their leader. The first was ruined by unpardonable short-sightedness and such a pleasant coolness of our own - if we are in a tank ... The second is ignorance of their rights, unfounded fears of losing a warm and beloved home, not wanting to defend them in other ways and finally, their inability to make independent decisions and go against the recognized leader who took their own lives from them.
Thirdly, the film is not particularly in-depth, leaves much undisclosed - it allows the viewer to think / find / study and draw their own conclusions.
The finale is the price of human blindness and arrogance. Is it that the tough and invincible servants of the law are crying too? Yes – they lost, and let them write “clean reports” they still lost, lost themselves. But the Davidians - despite all the "whitewashing" and kind of innocence of Koresh's followers, the viewer remains with a heavy residue of their stupidity, deadly stupidity.
Make decisions.
Waco (2018) shows the tragic siege of Mount Carmel, which occurred in the spring of 1993 near Waco, Texas. The conflict occurred between armed members of the American intelligence services and followers of the religious sect “Branch of David”. During the events, which lasted from February 28 to April 19, 82 members of the cult, including more than 20 children, were killed, as well as 4 agents of the Bureau of Firearms Control. Shortly after a failed raid by federal ATO agents (ATF), the estate was besieged by the FBI.
The plot of the series, which was largely based on the book “Pushing Time: My Life as an FBI Negotiator”, intersects the events of the siege of the Mount Carmel estate in Waco and the incident in the Ruby Ridge area in northern Idaho, which killed two civilians. In both cases, the same law enforcement agencies were involved and in both special operations there was an excess of law enforcement actions, which subsequently undermined public trust in the FBI.
The version shown by Danny Gordon and brothers John and Drew Dowdles is radically different from the official investigation, which showed that the FBI acted within the legal framework. Therefore, the creators of the series made it possible to show the followers of David Koresh and reveal many characters, thereby allowing them to get to know these people from their side. For this reason, and also because of the official position of the FBI, we see a comparison of the people of this religious sect with the ideological community of Jonestown, where more than nine hundred sectarians committed the so-called "revolutionary act of suicide." However, followers of Mount Carmel assured that mass suicide was not part of their plans.
The intensity of emotions during the negotiation process was extremely high. And the viewer sees this well thanks to the beautiful play of Michael Shannon, who plays Gary Nesner, an expert in negotiating hostage situations for the FBI. You can see how it is extremely difficult for him not to react to emotional provocations, which thereby helps him gain time.
On the one hand, we see detailed screened events. Thanks to the documentary footage that has been preserved, we have seen the exact exchange of fire between the ATO staff and the Davidians. As well as the storming of the estate by FBI agents, after a nearly two-month siege. But because of the largely free interpretation, it is very difficult to evaluate this picture as reliable. When you begin to study the materials that preceded these events and the tragedy that followed, you involuntarily come to the conclusion that we will never know the truth. In fact, this is the reason why, at the end, we hear arguments about similar events that have already occurred in religious communities. It's about tragedies. And the creators were able to show their version, where Davidians are not crazy fanatics, but people with a certain faith, which is difficult to understand and accept modern society. The world is a collection of facts, not feelings. And understanding the world and accepting it are two completely different tasks that are not easy to reconcile.
Thanks to the talented work of the actors, the viewer is attached to one side, then to the other. Thus poaching him with his energy and feeling invested in the image. Taylor Kitsch literally creates sympathy, thanks to which you involuntarily begin to agree with the beliefs of David Koresh and the right to defend your home. And then we see a showdown from federal agents. This is the aforementioned Gary Nesner and, of course, Mitch Decker (Shay Wigham), who is almost the main antagonist. He tries to convince both Nesner and the viewer that if they do not show force, people will see the weakness of the main governing body of the country in the field of counterterrorism activities of the United States. So I decided to write this review. Because the movie makes you think. But, in any case, it should not be taken at face value. We can see both sides of it. And both of these sides are so worn that it is difficult to see where the eagle and where the tails.
It is in the state of experience that the viewer is filled with watching these series, and it is in his detached look that the chance to understand something is hidden. And he has a lot to open up to. To understand how we interpret the “justice” that we elevate to the highest value. Thus, the creators show how the always very mobile multidimensional balance is destroyed. You only need a reason for violence.
For this reason, everything that happens is shocking not only with its cruelty, but also with its senselessness. The FBI's main defendant was David Koresh. The man, who was supervised by federal agents, did daily jogs and was also on good terms with an undercover agent. As a result, he could lure him out at a convenient time for them. A survey by Time magazine found that more than 60 percent of those surveyed believed the fire was caused by federal agents. However, an official report that was presented later claimed that the fires were caused by the Davidians themselves. But we cannot change the fact that the final decision on the assault was made after receiving information that sectarians are committing child abuse. And this episode is very boldly and affirmatively shown in the series. Appreciate and evaluate such a move writers need to be very careful. There are a number of documentary films that either express the views of the official authorities or contain controversial accusations against these authorities. One such film, Waco: The Rules of Engagement, was nominated for an Oscar in 1997 for Best Documentary Feature Film.
However, the Mount Carmel operation was one of the FBI’s most notorious failures. The catastrophic outcome of these events was caused by the gross miscalculations of federal agents at almost every stage of the operation. Due to the huge number of dead (including children), this special operation received a wide nationwide resonance.
In any tragedy there is a place of meaninglessness and worthlessness. However, in "Waco" everything looks too unambiguous, which is confusing. Nothing is more tragic and unbearable than understatement and obscurity. These are the impressions of this picture. Only the opinion: any inhumane policy ultimately turns into a tragedy for all. Even if it wasn't as straightforward as it's shown here.
The leader is beautiful, the leader is great, the child and the old will follow him.
I think if a Wikipedia article evokes more emotion than a movie based on the events it describes, the movie has problems.
The siege of Mount Carmel, the history of the conflict of an armed religious community with dubious orders on the one hand and employees of the special services who want to curry favor with their superiors on the other, ended in disaster and all the circumstances of the case are still unknown for sure.
Filming the series "The tragedy in Waco" representatives of the Paramount Network studio preferred not to delve into the details and went through the events superficially and dryly, portrayed the situation one-sidedly, directly pointing the viewer to the guilty. Demonstration in the frame of suffering people and emphasized emotional remarks sounding from their lips is the easiest and fastest way to influence the feelings of the viewer and cause empathy in him, this is a kind of cheating. Many people are satisfied with this approach, but there are more demanding film lovers, to whom such directness and clumsiness cut their eyes.
To make the security services look unconditionally guilty, David Koresh is shown not as a fanatic and the head of a destructive sect, but as a person who firmly defends his views, and in this interpretation he is more a victim of circumstances.
Accordingly, the community he leads is just a bunch of freaks, like hippies, who are prevented by the evil American government from living by their own rules. Most of the time they are presented as ordinary citizens who think and act appropriately, know about their rights and sincerely worry about their children, as any normal person would worry in their place.
And this is loosely related to the fact that these same people blindly believe their leader’s religious prophecies about the “seven seals,” the coming Apocalypse, agree to the conditions of life in his community and submit to his will, dissolving marriages, taking a vow of celibacy. Men put up with the fact that their wives give birth to children by a self-proclaimed prophet, but are outraged by the infringement of their civil rights – paradox!
The FBI’s actions both in the series and in life are illegal and contradictory. All the excuses and reports, which in this case were left behind, are sewn with white threads and clearly contain a huge number of inaccuracies and traces of concealment of evidence. But it is also worth noting that behind the ambiguous motivation of the characters-participants of the cult, there are attempts by the authors to relieve them of responsibility for their own decisions that could change the course of events.
The cast of Waco has a lot of familiar faces, which you will recognize thanks to other TV series and films. Taylor Kitsch, Michael Shannon, John Leguizamo, Glen Fleischler and many others have proven themselves in previous works, but this time, it seems to me that their potential has not been fully exploited. The characters lack energy and the actors are more like talking dolls, obeying the will of the writers.
Everyone has the right to their point of view, including the creators of the series, but I think an unbiased presentation would give the viewer a stronger and more complex experience and would give the opportunity to draw conclusions about the events shown. Michael Shannon’s character could be an independent observer, through whose eyes the viewer would perceive what is happening. And as a result, the bias of the authors, unsophisticated artistic techniques and the untapped potential of talented actors turned an interesting story into an ordinary drama.
It is no secret that in recent years the series have acquired a completely different high status and therefore it is not uncommon to see movie superstars in them. “Waco Tragedies” looks a little more modest in this respect, although someone might argue with me. The main star of the series can be called the beautiful character actor Michael Shannon, who perfectly played in the Oscar-winning “The Shape of Water” and the outstanding “Under the cover of night”. The second main role was played by Taylor Kitsch, known for the role of Paul Woodrow in True Detective. Also involved in the series are Julia Garner (“Ozark”), Andrea Riseborough (“Battle of the Sexes”), Paul Sparks (“House of Cards”), Rory Culkin (“Signs”), Shea Wigham (“Kong: Skull Island”). Directed by John Eric Dowdle, the creator of the films “The Devil”, “Paris: City of the Dead” and Danny Gordon, specializing in the production of series (“White Collar”, “Hell on Wheels”, etc.).
The Waco Tragedy follows the 51-day siege of the Branch David Ranch in Waco, Texas by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Guard in the spring of 1993. The first episode tells the background of what happened, touching on the equally famous and resonant incident in Ruby Rouge, which marked the beginning of a chain of tragic events that ended with the terrorist attack in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995, and claimed the lives of 169 people. In the future, the series focuses on the leader of the cult - David Koresh (Taylor Kitsch) and his associates on the one hand, and a group of FBI agents, and especially negotiator Gary Nesner (Michael Shannon) - on the other. Events of those days are still completely unknown. Along with the official version, which is far from the liking of the American society, and also has inconsistencies and errors, there is a version of survivors and others involved in the incident. In addition, Congress has held numerous hearings on the case, and hundreds of studies have been written and several documentaries and feature films have been made. This series does not take sides, giving the opportunity to make a choice to the viewer himself, but to a greater extent deals with questions of truth and faith for some and for others.
Officially, there is no state religion or state church, and the First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion. This is quite a typical approach for a secular state, and given the history of the formation and settlement of the United States, perhaps no other country in the world has such a variety of religious movements, sects and sects. But at the same time, and so many deplorable outcomes for their participants. For example, one can recall the notorious religious movement “Temple of the Peoples” and their ritual suicide in 1978 in Jonestown, in which more than 900 people died. Another feature of the United States is the constitutional right to own weapons, and as a result, a huge number of murders and other armed conflicts inside the country, both at the domestic level and with the involvement of the police and other agencies. Paradoxically, the tragedy in Waco, Texas, was due solely to the intersection of these two factors: freedom of religion and the right to keep and bear arms.
The serial leader of the sect David Koresh looks like a good guy, who knows the Bible by heart and interprets it perfectly (as far as knowledge of the Bible is true, Koresh, who suffers from dyslexia, learned it at the age of 11), and the fact that death overtook him at 33, in the “age of Christ” seems to be either a shocking coincidence, or a joke of the Almighty, or the depravity and blindness of a person in our world who is unable to see the true saint. Meanwhile, FBI negotiator Gary Nesner tries his best to convince the sectarians to surrender, but it seems that for all the desire for a peaceful resolution of the conflict situation, he has absolutely no desire or ability to understand them as if they speak different languages. Perhaps this is the paradox that having power, power and conviction in their rightness, it is impossible to build a dialogue with an individual or a small group of others.
In conclusion, I want to mention an interesting parallel that can be drawn between the hero of Shea Wigham in “True Detective” and in “The Tragedy in Waco”. In the first, he played the preacher Joel Terio, who eventually never received an answer from the Lord and abandoned the cause. And in "The Tragedy in Waco" - FBI agent Mitch Decker, eager to destroy David Koresh and his religious cult.
9 out of 10
Would you like to talk about our Lord, Jesus Christ?
The demand for scandalous stories has not faded to this day and the Paramount Network service has not remained on the sidelines. The six-part project “Waco”, created by the authors of the middle hand horror films, the Dowdle brothers, will tell about one of the most notorious armed incidents – the two-month siege of Mount Carmel ranch, in which armed members of the Branch of David sect lived.
The story takes the viewer to Texas in 1993. David Koresh, who considers himself the Messiah, lives on Mount Carmel Ranch with his flock of more than 80 people. The measured life of the Branch Davidov group ends as soon as the federal agency ATF initiates an investigation into the cult for illegal possession of large quantities of weapons. The attempt of agents to enter the building for a search ends in a shootout, which turns into a long siege of the ranch already intercepted by the FBI.
The six-part mini-series of the Dowdle brothers has a rather acute social background. In their work, the creators delve into not only the details of the conflict itself, but also into the life and order of the Branch of David, trying to understand what sectarians or people who are too deeply religious differ from other representatives of most of society. The viewer will visit the readings of the Bible, analyze the relationship within the group, find out what “Celibate” is and draw his own conclusions about what the authorities hated the “messiah” more: for polygamy, children from underage girls, tons of weapons or for his false Christianity. From the first episode, a strong action is tied up and attracts attention with a magnificent production and camera work. Of particular praise is an excellent from an artistic point of view and a very symbolic screensaver with tanks passing through the backyard of a residential building. But all of a sudden, the whole dynamic of the first episode collapses on the next. And, perhaps, the biggest disadvantage of the series is that for 4-5 episodes, the viewer will forget what dynamics and action are, because there is practically neither one nor the other. In a full-length, two-hour format, Waco’s story would have looked more optimal than six hours on a small screen. The project itself is based on the memoirs of FBI negotiator Harry Nessner and everything that happened during the more than 50 days of the siege – negotiations in an attempt to avoid subsequent casualties and escalation of violence. This will be the main theme of the series. Compensates these shortcomings, not letting the viewer get bored of religious themes, acting, where the most vivid and non-standard roles stand out Taylor Kitsch in the role of the messiah Koresh and Michael Shannon in the role of negotiator Harry Nessner. As a result, we can assume that the Waco Tragedy was created for a liberal Western public that hates a bloody government almost always what position the authors take on this issue becomes obvious in the first minutes. And in this case, from the point of view of the creators about the involvement of the authorities in the murder of several dozens of people including children with the easily flammable tear gas “Lilac”, which the authors thoroughly justify in the final, it is impossible not to agree. And if you read the materials related to this case, then without a degree, you can make confident conclusions about who is to blame for the deaths of children, who, ironically, were the main reason for starting a “non-assault” operation. Although to justify or condemn the activities of Koresh or law enforcement agencies to choose of course the viewer. But, it is important to remember that the creators of the project is extremely biased and de facto cannot be objective.
+: Plot, acting, staging, camera work.
-: Frankly liberal biased view, lack of dynamics, sometimes frankly staged scenes.
Another bombshell that detonated earlier this year was The Waco Tragedy, which is based on real events. It’s a terrible and terrible thing.
We are told the story of a certain David Koresh, who is the undisputed leader of his community, the Branch of David, and of course his followers. Their lives are somewhat isolated, and they devote all their time to studying the text of the Bible, believing that the end of the world is near and stockpiling weapons. Weapons? Yeah. That’s where everything interesting and exciting begins.
By the way, in order to convey the image of Koresh to us as much as possible, Taylor Kitsch lost 15 kg, thanks to intensive training, and I must say that he succeeded.
The creators of the series worked well on the atmosphere, time, facts and created a tense, confusing picture of the “misunderstanding” between the two sides, which ends quite naturally. Here everything is built not on special effects, but on the beautiful play of actors and subtle psychology. But I don’t want to reveal the story any more so as not to spoil it for you. The events of the series split America into two camps. The series itself consists of 6 episodes and turned out not to be long.
Six episodes - just enough time for the series to be thorough, and interest in it did not fade away, while the frame got all the main events that led to a huge disaster. So this series is not the worst way to get acquainted with the tragedy in Waco, if you do not want to read Wikipedia articles, study documentaries about those events, and if you prefer an emotional story, cold statement of facts and theories. It is worth knowing about what happened in Waco, since they still influence US domestic politics, and are mentioned at every opportunity.
TV series/films based on real events cannot lie, they simply cannot. Therefore, this picture can hit the feelings of any viewer, because everything that you see in it actually happened.
Speech in the series will be about the confrontation of the “Branch Davidov” and the FBI, the siege of 51 days long had very sad consequences that affected the society of the United States. The question of whether the armed forces did the right thing, and whether the sectarians were really as bad as they were said, remains open. But there are always facts, and here they are very sad. 81 people were killed, including children, could this be avoided? This question remains to be answered by the viewer and only for himself.
Before us, the reincarnation of those events, and the leading roles were taken by first-class actors, so what is happening becomes very vivid. Taylor Kitsch, performing perhaps his best role so far, the role of Koresh was created for him, entering the image is magnificent. Michael Shannon and others are equally worthy of all the flattering adjectives.
Shooting, scenery, and the picture itself has a high level. It is a pity that such series, which can really make a person think, are lost among superheroics and other multi-season, obsolete projects.
If you are a fan of the documentary meter, it is not recommended to pass by.
To begin with, I had no idea about the story and only became interested in the series because I saw the cast with Taylor Hitch, Melissa Benoist and Michael Shannon. Here in the description of the series there are spoilers, which in my opinion will be offensive to those who know nothing and who want to know exactly during the narrative in the series. In any case, the series came out very decent. I watched as I walked out, but I'm sure I'd look in the air if it had already come out. The picture catches from the first minutes, although of course I would say that the first series is introductory and in the second already greater disclosure of characters and stories, of course, so I recommend watching at least two episodes, and then turn off if you do not like it. Now in order:
1. The cast. He's gorgeous, no further words. Taylor Hitch, who plays David Koresh, is brilliant in this role. Hell, I believed him from the first to the last seconds of the show. If I had confidence in Michael Shannon because I had seen him play well before, Taylor was a revelation to me. There's no question why all those people were following Koresh, Taylor perfectly conveyed all the charisma and passion.
2. Operator work and visualization. I have nothing to complain about, except, perhaps, a single moment. The last series has graphics and it’s certainly not perfect, but it’s a series and given the cast, it’s not surprising that the graphics limp a little, but it’s easy to forgive.
3. And most importantly, the story. The plot is based on two books: one is a book by Shannon’s hero, Nesner, an FBI negotiator, and the second is a book by two people who were in the “Davidow Branch” community. In the comments, not just here, I've seen people write that the story is a bit one-sided, in the sense that people in the community seem a lot nicer than the FBI, but I don't agree with that. The people themselves are, but David... I hated him almost from the first episode. And while yes, the FBI and the ATF are portrayed as pure evil, and I'm inclined to assume that there's a bit of fiction here for a more dramatic mood, David isn't shown as a good guy either. And I can say that I think both the FBI and David are to blame. And the others because they couldn’t make their own decisions.
Overall, the show was terrific and I don’t understand why it’s such a low score, I’ll give at least 9 out of 10. While watching, I learned a lot about this story, but even read about the seven seals, which are often mentioned in the series. And there was a lot of thought about religion and everything I saw in the show. Emotions over the edge. Perhaps a series that I would advise everyone to watch to understand that the government does not always tell the truth and that no matter how much you trust someone, you need to have your own opinion and think first of all about your interests.
10 out of 10
Tragedy in Waco is a wonderful mini-series that continues the tradition of the genre of artistic investigations. Of course, we can accuse the creators of not following the patriotic line voiced in the report of the FBI investigation into these events in 1993 in the state of Texas, and rely on the book of the “traitor”. Gary Nasner, a former FBI negotiator who wrote the truth. That his colleagues acted foolishly, cruelly and presumptuously. In addition, they constantly broadcast false information about the sect “Knee of David”. The second main source for the writers is the book by David Thibody, one of the sectarians, who stayed in the house in Waco for about six months. He also claims that agents from the Department of gun control first opened fire, and then gassed and started a fire, which killed many people, including children.
There are no spoilers here, because these events are open and have been known to many, even non-Americans, for a long time. Especially after a high-profile terrorist attack with hundreds of victims, declared an act of revenge for the vile actions during the defeat of a religious sect.
A question arises. What did the sectarians do wrong, that the authorities took over them? First, according to the FBI, they bought firearms in large quantities. And this data was confirmed when the first wave of assault began. Second, David Cairnish, the preacher of the sect, was of course a fanatic. He claimed that God was speaking to him. That he had revelations. That only he should sleep with women in the cult, and they should give birth to as many children as possible. And his youngest wife was only fourteen, which is clearly against the law.
The role of David Carnish was brilliantly performed by Taylor Kitsch. In general, in the series a whole constellation of actors: Rory Culkin as David Thibody, Michael Shannon is the negotiator Gary Nasner. Difficult role. Nasner has remorse, tries to do his job well, but occasionally he just has to lure people out of their homes like rats – for others to shoot them.
The U.S. government is shown to be an absolutely immoral structure that does not care about the freedoms and rights of Americans. And it is willing to sacrifice even children when it comes to the rule of law. Perhaps it was possible to avoid a tragedy. We could have been more flexible. It is striking, of course, the mess that is happening in the process of dispersing sects and fighting extremism in the United States. But it must be everywhere. There's protocol. But you always have to retreat from it. It is about living people.
The miniseries should step on a sore blister to those American patriots who firmly believe that their government is guarding their freedoms: religion, gun ownership, and even freedom of speech. The series perfectly shows how the truth is distorted by the press when law enforcement agencies need it.
Good show. But very stuffy - because of the pathology of what is happening. The folly and cruelty of this reality in which we all live.
7 out of 10
The most famous events of American history of the 90s are still quite fresh in the memory of viewers of cable channels, as hinted, for example, by the colossal high ratings of the first season of American Crime Story or The Hunt for the Unabomber. Key audiences are excited to take an interest in the art form of the events they witnessed, and younger audiences will not feel too culturally distant from what is happening on screen. The television network Paramount Network has released its project focused on these people – a six-part series “The Waco Tragedy”. Calling Taylor Kitsch, Michael Shannon, Melissa Benoist, Rory Culkin and John Leguizamo to the project, the studio created a curious piece about one of the most infamous incidents involving destructive sects.
"Waco Tragedy" doesn't waste time on a story. Viewers don’t see the backstory of the sect’s emergence, nor how David Koresh became the self-proclaimed voice of God. Instead, it shows the failure of American intelligence agencies during the so-called incident in Ruby Ridge, Idaho. While Ruby Ridge and the Waco operation are essentially unrelated, the inclusion of the Idaho event in the series provides a context in which the feds go for malfeasance or forgery.
So, in relation to the events in the series itself, based in a secluded estate in rural Texas, the Branch of David group illegally purchased weapons, as they said themselves, “to prepare for the end of the world.” The U.S. federal government joined the investigation and found that people from different backgrounds (about 80 people, including children) live on Mount Carmel ranch outside Waco city limits to follow the teachings of their leader Koresh.
The series is built on an interesting concept in which there is no place for “bad guys”. On one side of the barricades is a sect whose members, in principle, as shown in the series, do not wish to harm anyone. But the script shows that things are not that simple. Leader of the sect, cute "soul of the company" David Koresh, politely recruiting new members, performs at a local tavern, plays with children and at the same time has taken on the "burden" of having sex with women from the commune, including minors, likely against their will. But as for his closest entourage, then in the series they were really presented deceived, kind and ambiguous.
It is possible that the presentation of sectarians cute and fluffy associated with the demands of dramatic content of the plot, and, hopefully, not with any propaganda on the part of the creators of the show. Representatives of the security forces are shown not only to be ambiguous; they are openly arrogant, incompetent and cruel. The exception is one of the main characters - negotiator Neuscher. Even visual effects work against them: ordinary Americans protect their children by the will of fate, caught in Mount Carmel. In other words, with the game with audience sympathy overdone. What was supposed to be the eternal question of “who is to blame?” in relation to the Waco incident has turned into whitewashing some and vilifying others.
The cast in Waco is the best that the series contains. Taylor Kitsch introduced an incredible hero. He looks threatening, but he's charismatic! Characteristic memorable glasses, which would make any other actor simply absurd, balance the image of a man consisting of myths and legends about himself. Calmness and charisma are also represented in his opponent, a police negotiator played by Michael Shannon. He also has an almost uncanny ability to feel people, know their thoughts, and not get into your pocket. In “Waco” infiltrated and Shannon’s colleagues on the TV series “Underground Empire”: Paul Sparks in the role of the right hand of the cult leader; Shay Wigham as an FBI hawk who prefers forceful conflict resolution. Glenn Fleschler as a siege-leading obese personality. The rest of the actors in the second roles are also characteristic: an interesting hero Rory Culkin, cute Melissa Benoist in an unusual role for her and, of course, John Leguizamo, although there are not enough of them here.
The disturbing mini-series is a very controversial retelling of those events. On the one hand, the desire of the creators to emphasize the tension between the various power structures, as well as the lack of agreement between negotiators and tactical groups, is laudable and works on “sightfulness”. On the other hand, perhaps because the series is based on the recollections of Koresh's former friend, the sectarians and the spiritual leader himself are portrayed as overly likable, regardless of the latter's actions, having had sexual relations with underage "wives." The above, concerning all participants of the assault, works perfectly on the dramatization, but does not allow to comprehend those events in any meaningful way. Despite the fact that Koresh, the FBI and the US Internal Troops were responsible for the deaths of many innocent people, the first in the series is almost heroic, and the latter are overly aggressive, politically motivated and at the same time terribly careless. However, although Waco Tragedy does not answer questions about what really happened during the 51-day siege of the estate, the mini-series still shows that regardless of the age of events, the debate about who is to blame for this or that incident can go on indefinitely.
7 out of 10
What does the average Russian know about Waco? Probably nothing. Yes, even if he knows, he will still learn new knowledge and facts about the events of twenty-five years ago.
For Americans, the release of the series is an occasion to recall and reflect on events that were interpreted by no means unequivocally, causing a violent resonance in society, especially among the low-income population. For us, foreign viewers, it is enough just to fix the fact, to see what happened on a small ranch in Texas.
And you know, Waco Tragedy is exciting from the very beginning. Here and beautiful opening, and beautiful camera work, and beautiful landscapes of the South of the United States, a juicy picture immediately attracts the eye and does not let go. From a visual point of view, there is nothing to complain about.
The plot is based on two books, the authors of which are two characters of the series - both are on opposite sides of the barricades. The creators set out to show two opposing views of the same event as the two groups saw the situation in their time. For the release of the first two series, this is successful – the viewer moves to two camps, watching the development of events and the motivation of the characters, their vision of the world. As one of the episodes correctly says, some live according to the law of society, others live according to the law of God. And it's quite contrasting.
But do not think that the plot is centered around the assault. Not at all - there are several good storylines in the series, telling about different things. One tells about life in the community of David Koresh, another tells about the affairs in the FBI and outlines the political situation in the 90s, the third focuses on the drama of individual characters.
The cast is very serious, but today you will not surprise anyone with first-rate actors in a TV show. Outstanding Michael Shannon plays an FBI agent, a representative of the law of society, the image of David Koresh illustrating the law of God, embodied lost in bad projects Taylor Kitsch. Other roles were performed by Rory Culkin, Paul Sparks, known for House of Cards and Shay Wigham. This is a tightly knit caste, playing at a high level - there is nothing to say, everything is fine.
Among other things, it is worth noting the cool scenery, hairstyle and fashion for a mustache, corresponding to time and music, which is not as much as we would like. Let’s fix that “The tragedy in Waco” has all the attributes of a cool series, it’s not a blanket.
The Paramount Network project does not pull the cat by the tail, but does not climb on the horn - events develop gradually, the plot is spelled out very clearly, six episodes should be enough to tell the story of the Branch of Davidov sect. During viewing, the hand does not reach for the phone, and there are no outright blunders and delirium in the course of the narrative.
Overall, Waco Tragedy is a great miniseries that deserves your attention. It has everything that can attract an audience – a strong cast, a plot based on real events, cool cinematic techniques and scenery. Moreover, it will not take much time from you - 50 minutes in ongoing, 6 hours in a volley.
Believe me, it's worth it.
Recently in Hollywood become more and more popular film adaptations of various historical events thundered a long time ago around the world, but already shrouded in the fog of time and forgotten by the public. In this case, we will talk about the series “The Waco Tragedy”, the script of which is written on the basis of two books at once: “Waco: a survivor story” and “Stalling for time: my life as an FBI hostage negotiator”, which tells about the sad but no less real events of the siege of the Mount Carmel Ranch, which belonged to a cult, rather to the Branch Davydov community near Waco, Texas, and this is a key point that is laid in the narrative. The story is told from both angles and only the viewer decides on whose side the laws of morality and the concept of independence. The siege, which began on February 28, 1993 and lasted for 51 days, will be revealed in all its glory of ambiguity on behalf of negotiator Gary Neuscher and on the other hand one of the witnesses who survived the above events. It is thanks to this that we will be able to feel all those emotional throws that the participants of this terrible confrontation experienced. As Gary Neuscher said, “If you talk to an FBI negotiator, it’s the worst day of your life.”
The story begins with the events of the 1992 Ruby Ridge hostage-taking (all events are real and played a role in the Waco siege), where the negotiator was Gary Neuscher (Michael Shannon). What happened at this capture dealt a serious blow to the reputation of the FBI, since before the start of negotiations was ordered to shoot to kill, resulting in the death of the innocent wife of the invader. Looking at this story, it is still unclear why the FBI decided to invade private land, whose owners simply wanted to be left alone and allowed to live as they pleased. At this very moment on the other side of the country, David Koresh (Taylor Kitsch) was peacefully living his way of life: walking with his son and every day instilling confidence in people at mass, occasionally going to local bars, where he held concerts playing the guitar. He was the kind of rock star everyone wanted to spend time with. Friendly, charismatic and one hundred percent convinced of his faith, he carried the teaching to people, wrapping their minds with sweet speeches about a bright and righteous future (in his opinion).
Unwilling to admit defeat and fearing losing government funding, the FBI needed to win public trust and prove its existence legitimate. It is here that information emerges about a group of people living far away and buying large quantities of weapons for incomprehensible needs (although this does not contradict the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution). Seeing this opportunity, the FBI cooperates with the team of the ATF (Alcohol Tobaco and Firearms Bureau) and goes to the scene to smoke and arrest a cult cell for child abuse and many other violations of the law.
In fact, it is disgusting even to look at the political intrigue that prompted the FBI to act so decisively, which took place only out of greed and a desire to bring some conditional order to the places where he was already. People just lived the life they wanted, how could there be anything better? On the other hand, the worship of the ambiguous interpretation of the Bible, polygamy and hermitage also do not quite fit into the generally accepted laws of the existence of society, and there was information about child abuse. People at that time were more gullible and less skeptical of everything that was happening, there was no Internet and the main role was played rather by real personalities and their impact on each other, which means more space for negative manipulation and brainwashing, especially charismatic and convincing, such as the well-known Charles Manson, it was more than untied (and we all know where it led).
Just a stunning cast and one hundred percent hit in the characters played by such stars as Taylor Kitsch, Michael Shannon, Paul Sparks, John Leguizamo and many others, simply will not leave you indifferent to everything that is happening and will force you to think through and rethink what is happening. Excellent recreated atmosphere of the early 90s, cinematography above all praise, costumes and small Easter eggs in the form of watching the “Lazon mower” will not give a second to doubt that you are there, together with them in the distant 90s. As Taylor Kitsch himself admitted in an interview, for him it was the most difficult challenge of his entire acting career, to play such an ambiguous character and, admittedly, he did his job one hundred percent. The game is simply brilliant, and the monologues are so convincing that it becomes clear how Koresh managed to gather such a large community and involuntarily wants to believe his words.
The very idea, as I mentioned at the very beginning of the review, is to tell the story from different sides of the coin, and most importantly, to humanize all those who took part in the skirmish, because immediately after the end of the siege, absolutely all the media vilified and erased everything that David tried to build. The public is still ignorant of all the events that occurred under those sad circumstances.
I recommend the series to everyone, especially fans of historical adaptations, where everyone can look at a piece of history (albeit not at the happiest), and most importantly try to understand all those things that pushed people directly involved in the events of 1993. Sooner or later, the series will make you take sides, make a choice and that is what I like so much in this work, it does not leave indifferent.
8 out of 10