In 2006 Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline performed Bertolt Brecht's poignant war play "Mother Courage and Her Children" as part of the Central Park's annual free theater-in-the-park series.
Playwright Tony Kirshner ("Angels In America") adapted Brecht's original German text with contemporary dialogue for director George C. Wolfe to mold the play about a woman who sells her children into the capitalist machine of war.
Documentarian John Walter ("How to Draw a Bunny") takes advantage of Meryl Streep's openness in talking about her relationship to the material to mediate reflective looks at the resulting play in relation to Brecht's original 1949 production that starred his gifted wife Helene Weigel in the title role.
Walter's accurate use of archival footage of such moments as Brecht's interrogation by the House on Un-American Activities Committee give the film an historic relevance.
"Theater of War" is significant for providing an updated look at the relevancy of Bertolt Brecht as a cultural and literary figure as well as a playwright willing to put his art above all else.
The filmmakers might have done better to choose a less daunting title, but "Theater of War" is a highly quotable and thought-provoking film that rewards the viewer with layers of intellectual and emotional stimulation.
I can't wait to see it again.
(White Buffalo Entertainment) Not Rated. 95 mins.
