Critics unfairly judged Power and Terror for not being cinematic; it's simply a record of several Noam Chomsky lectures. Chomsky comes off as a college professor should - he's unassuming and loathe to present himself as a 'charisma package' touting his ideas. He'd rather his words and ideas speak for themselves. He's not only not a politician (he wants nothing for himself, a stance we find suspicious in America), he's not selling anything except his ideas.

I personally find Chomsky's ideas to be a breath of fresh air in today's oppressive media onslaught; I think he's a patriot, well knowing that just waving the flag for Noam can be its own trap. There's a smug leftist comfort of feeling intellectually superior to whatever know-nothing barbarians are in control of the country at any given moment. I hear some exasperation with Chomsky because his relentless criticism of the United States of America makes liberals nervous as well. I don't know if that sentiment stems from his actual messages, or from the fact that his no-nonsense talk just isn't likely to make much headway in a national dialogue crowded with hysteria, ignorance and opportunism. Chomsky, happily, doesn't seem to be affected by the country's emotional doubts and moods.

In his lectures, Chomsky not only applauds our nation but says that the climate for dissent and intellectual freedom has improved since the 1960s, when it took five years for the anti-Vietnam war movement to gain momentum. Protest now has a legitimacy that it lacked back then, when police departments would allow roughnecks to pelt women and children marchers with cans and tomatoes. He doesn't direct anyone to become an activist, and says as much to an eager attendee who asks him for guidance - he's a professor simply stating his views, not a politician or a rabble-rouser. He's also not a satirist or a public jester. His criticism of right wing targets are sometimes witty, but they are the remarks of a public speaker whose aim is to inform, not inflame.

Chomsky's messages are never going to find favor with conservatives. He insists upon using historical facts instead of fairy tales to back up his assertions. His characterization of America as 'insular' and unconcerned with the rest of the world - ('American think everything of importance happens here') never goes so far as to claim that we are villains and the rest of the world are innocent victims. But his accusations cut deep when he describes current American 'diplomacy' as thinly veiled threats and gangster tactics - reporting that an Arab delegate was told bluntly by our State Department to keep in line, because an Operation Desert Storm can be redirected at his country at any time.

First Run Features' DVD of Power and Terror: Noam Chomsky in Our Times is a well-engineered presentation of a film shot on video. The lighting and audio in the lectures is good, and a shrewd use of a multi-camera setup pays off in the cramped after-speech moments when the professor patiently fields questions and signs books.

Chomsky devotees will like the extra lecture clips, which allow him to directly address his opinions on subjects like Iraq and Globalization. The film was apparently produced in Japan, and there are some interesting Japanese vocals on the soundtrack. Just for the record, Chomsky's criticism of the colonial terrorism of the past, does not omit Japan's role in the 1930s and '40s.

On a scale of Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor, Power and Terror: Noam Chomsky in Our Times rates:
Movie: Good
Video: Good
Sound: Good
Supplements: Extra lecture outtakes
Packaging: Amaray case
Reviewed: April 10, 2003