Wormwood

The Macro Story of the CIA's Covert, Illegal, and Unethical MK-Ultra Program Unveiled in the 1970's is now in the Public Domain and has been Fodder for Historians and Conspiracy Theorist since its Embarrassing Entry in the Conscience of the American Psyche.

The Micro Story is of Eric Olsen's Quest to find out what Happened to His Father, Frank Olsen, a Government Scientist who was Found Dead on the Sidewalks of New York after Plunging 13 Stories from His Hotel Window is Meticulously Metered Out in this Errol Morris Documentary/Drama.

The Macro and the Micro are Combined for this Netflix Mini-Series that runs 4 hours from 6 Episodes. Those Searching for the Modernist Instant Gratification Fix might find this Format a bit Too Much.

But the Dazzled Presentation of Cut and Paste Collage cannot be Denied its Power and Entertainment Gravitas. The Real Footage of Politicians and Journalists puts the Viewer in the Time and Place, and the Dramatic Recreations of the Unknown "Real Happenings" of the Story are Compelling.

This "Collage" Creation of the Visuals, using Actual Print and Video is Mesmerizing and Informative. Overwhelming, but Magnetic it is a Ride of Historical Musings on a Headline Grabbing Uncovering of Government Hubris and a Personal Lifelong Lamenting from a Son's Dedication to the Truth Stemming from the Love of a Father who got Swallowed Up in the Paranoia of the Cold War.

I only started watching Wormwoood because NetflixLife posted a tweet asking if anyone was getting into it. No one responded which truly surprised me, so I advised Netflix I'd give it a try.

The story is definitely worth telling. It has all the elements to create a decent docudrama. I always enjoy Peter Skarsgård, but the poor guy was so limited by the material. I'll will admit though, that the first episode was interesting enough for me to keep going.

But sadly, as early as episode 2, I realized 6 episodes were unnecessary. It could have been condensed to 2-3 episodes at the most. The pace is stultifying slow. I think this show might have been markedly better and perhaps more cohesive if they simply used the recorded interviews with the key characters.

I thought I'd try one more episode, but early into episode 3, Id had enough. I wasn't going to watch 3 more hours for any momentum or improved pacing.

I rarely review a show where I feel compelled to write a review. Wormwood is the exception. I simply had to express my disappointment in what could have been, with a different director perhaps, a terrific exposé on devious real life doings of the CIA in the late 40's through the early 70's.

This needed to be edited down. I value the gradual unveiling of information in the order it was revealed historically. That is how it unfolded for one affected family.

There are way too many minutes of re-enactment, especially the rendering of details that the storytellers say are missing. At times, the re-enactment footage is re-used! Additional footage comes from productions of a Shakespeare tragedy. So it feels as if the Shakespeare OR the re-enactments would have been indulgence enough. Why feature both?

I was curious. This answered some questions. Wish it had done so more quickly.

...with all these negative reviews.

Wormwood is a fresh take on the 'documentary with dramatic acting' genre. Using established actors to capture the dramatic reenactments, juxtaposed with Morris' real-life interviews and media clips from that time-period, brings a different level of legitimacy, to an incredibly fascinating story.

Worth the watch

First the director, of whom I am a fan, is to be congratulated for bringing this important story to the screen, a sad and terrifying chapter in our history that is larger than the Frank Olson story itself and even the MK Ultra program. That said, he seems to have been constrained by production values demanded by post-Breaking Bad audiences: technical and artistic overkill, relentless musical tension, and genre-bending, when the story itself is not only mind-boggling but well-documented and essential history that is little known or understood. The length (as has been noted) is far more than necessary to tell this story. A two hour movie or a two part series would have been a more effective use of the raw material. I am however pleased to see the Frank Olson story presented with great respect, although the documentary parts were, to me, far the most compelling than the drawn out contemplative sequences. (I loved seeing footage of the confessions of US military personnel, captured in Korea during the war, to having dropped bio-warfare bombs on North Korea counterposed to their recanting the same confessions when back in the US, suggesting that the brainwashing may not explain these confessions.) I do wonder if Netflix pressured the producers to come up with a six part series for their own reasons. The full history of US intelligence black operations since World War 2 could probably fill many decades of screen time, should our media choose to bring such history to the light of day. I would love to think that this is only the beginning of such an essential exploration.