No End in Sight

2007 Documentary

On March 19, 2003, forces from the United States and a handful of allied nations invaded Iraq to remove Saddam Hussein from power. American military leaders expected the conflict to last no more than a few months, and President George W. Bush declared that major military operations were over less than two months later. However, Iraq soon became a dangerous quagmire for American forces, and near the end of 2006, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, one of the key architects of America's strategy in Iraq, resigned from office due to public outcry and Bush declared he was "rethinking" his plan of attack in Iraq as the nation sank into civil war, with U.S. troops the frequent targets of attacks on both sides. How and why did America's leaders decide to invade Iraq? How did they formulate a strategy that went so far wrong? And can anything be done to salvage the situation? Filmmaker Charles Ferguson, a former advisor with the Brookings Institution, examines these questions in No End in Sight, a documentary on the War in Iraq which includes interviews with a number of figures involved in the conflict's decision-making process, some speaking on-camera about the war for the first time. No End in Sight was screened in competition at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. more..

Director: Charles Ferguson

Reviews

  • Who is Charles Ferguson, director of this film? A one-time senior fellow of the Brookings Institute, software millionaire, originally a supporter of the war, visiting professor at MIT and Berkeley, he was trustworthy enough to inspire confidences from former top officials.

    Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times

    13 May 2013

  • Ferguson spotlights two massive mistakes: the looting that was allowed to continue, destroying Iraqi infrastructure and morale; and--far more revelatory -- the apocalyptically stupid decision to disband the Iraqi army, sending half a million angry soldiers into the streets.

    Owen Gleiberman - Entertainment Weekly

    13 May 2013

  • The most coolheaded of the Iraq war documentaries, the most methodical and the least polemical. Yet it's the one that will leave audiences the most shattered, angry and astounded.

    Mick LaSalle - The San Francisco Chronicle

    13 May 2013

  • Ferguson's film is a clear-sighted counterpoint to the former secretary of defense's impression. As the title suggests, it's a seemingly infinite mess.

    Wesley Morris - The Boston Globe

    13 May 2013

  • May be the best and saddest film of the year so far.

    Michael Phillips - The Chicago Tribune

    13 May 2013

Awards

  • Best Documentary, Features

    Academy Awards (2008)

     
  • Best Documentary

    Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards (2008)

     
  • Best Documentary

    Central Ohio Film Critics Association (2008)

  • Best Documentary

    Chicago Film Critics Association Awards (2007)

     
  • Best Documentary

    Chlotrudis Awards (2008)