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The Unknown Known (2013)

Cast includes: Donald Rumsfeld, Errol Morris
Director: Errol Morris (The Fog of War, The Thin Blue Line, Tabloid)
Genre: Documentary (103 minutes)

“In the future, public figures probably won’t write as many memos as I did,” says Donald Rumsfeld. During the 6 years he served as George Bush’s Secretary of Defense, he probably dictated… “oh, maybe 20,000 of them.” They were printed on white paper so everyone called them “snowflakes.” He reads the one about unknown knowns… “That is to say, things you think you know, that it turns out that you didn’t.” The interviewer is documentary filmmaker Errol Morris, and we see early on that the subject and interviewer have a somewhat adversarial relationship. “Why the obsession with Iraq and Saddam?” “Well, you love that word “obsession.“ Not an obsession! A very measured nuanced approach,” says Rumsfeld. He didn’t want to be guilty of a “failure of imagination.” All too often leaders weigh the evidence and when it’s negative, they assume the threat doesn’t exist. That’s a failure of imagination. July 27, 2001, to: Condoleezza Rice: “… We can stop the pretense of having a policy that is keeping Saddam in the box, when we know he’s crawled a good distance out of the box… If Saddam’s regime were ousted, we would have a much improved position in the region and elsewhere.”

Rumsfeld has never been at a loss for imagination or for words. His memo writing goes back to his earliest days in Washington… back in 1957. Later during the Nixon administration, a conflict with Haldeman got him relocated to NATO just in time to avoid getting caught up in the Watergate scandal. He continued to go from one high-profile assignment to another, serving in the Ford, Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 administrations. He was even a serious contender for the VP spot on the Reagan ticket. One has to wonder if his out-spoken style didn’t occasionally put him at odds with others in the various administrations. The memos serve as touch points throughout the movie, and it’s surprising (and somewhat refreshing) how frank and non-politically correct many of them are.

One wonders why Rumsfeld would have agreed to be the subject of an Errol Morris documentary. In a word… he’s fearless. He’s obviously brilliant, which is part of the reason the movie is so fascinating. For such a brilliant man, he’s certainly made some spectacular errors in judgment. Yet he never shows a morsel or regret. “Stuff happens. Free people are free to make mistakes.” His news briefings during the Iraqi War became “must-see TV” because of his jaw-dropping candor… reality TV with consequences! Errol Morris is a superb documentary filmmaker. Not only does he master the information and story flow, his graphics and music tie it all together beautifully. It’s obvious that Morris in no fan of Rumsfeld, but he never tries to trip him up. He allows Rumsfeld to tell his story in his own way. At times, Rumsfeld even keeps score… giving him self a point when he feels he’s outwitted Morris. It’s a fascinating look at a man many of us feel we’ve seen more than enough of… yet, it’s as mesmerizing as watching a train wreck. “All generalizations are false. (Including this one.),” Rumsfeld reads another memo. Seems like he’s got an answer for everything. Asked why he agreed to be interviewed for the film… “I haven’t a clue.”

4 popped kernels

Donald Rumsfeld’s 50-year career is well document in a blizzard of memos the staff referred to as “snowflakes”

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