The Panama Deception (1992)
New Video Group

Description

A riveting Academy Award-winning documentary, made all the more timely by recent U.S. invasions and the current war on terror, THE PANAMA DECEPTION documents the untold story of the December 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama, the events which led to it, the excessive force used, the enormity of the death and destruction and the devastating aftermath.

Acclaimed filmmakers Barbara Trent and David Kasper uncover the real reasons for this internationally condemned attack, and reveal General Manuel Noriega s longstanding relationship with the C.I.A., the D.E.A., and George Bush, Sr. Utilizing devastating footage, expert commentary, and eyewitness testimony, the film shines a spotlight on this pivotal moment in U.S. history. Network news clips and media critics contribute to a staggering analysis of media control and self-censorship used to deceive the American public--a film hauntingly relevant today.

Tags

1980s, USA, Latin America, Panama

Collected reviews and ratings

9.2 digitallyobsessed.com | Jon Danziger

Perhaps overly susceptible to seeing dark conspiracies everywhere, this is still a damning account of a distasteful American imperial adventure, one that seems to have served as an unfortunate template for international hijinks to follow.
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9.0 Washington Post | Hal Hinson

"The Panama Deception" claims that the stated purpose of the invasion -- that is, to restore democracy to this troubled area -- is patently absurd, and that, in essence, the American people were lied to so that the government might remove a pesky impediment to its policies in the area.
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9.0 New York Times | Vincent Canby

"The Panama Deception," opening today at the Village East Cinema, is a tough, provocative, highly opinionated and slickly produced documentary, an answer to the official United States Government line about the 1989 invasion of Panama.
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8.0 Amazon user reviews

To some, the film will play like conspiracy theory as a few speakers are unidentified (probably to protect their identities). Trent and Kasper also suggest that General Torrijos's 1981 death by plane crash may not have been accidental, though they offer no proof. More often, however, they’re persuasive in their case against the intervention--and they have extensive audio-visual evidence to back it up.
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7.5 Entertainment Weekly | Susan Chumsky

Ultimately, setting the record straight will require a more nuanced treatment than The Panama Deception's advocacy journalism disguised as objective reporting.
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7.0 Variety | Emanuel Levy

"The Panama Deception" is a forceful, straightforward condemnation of the Reagan-Bush policies in Panama, particularly the 1989 U.S. invasion and its aftermath.
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6.3 Austin Chronicle | Marjorie Baumgarten

With its abundance of unsubstantiated assertions, The Panama Deception is unlikely to convince anyone who is not already inclined toward its way of thinking. Still, anything that peers into the shadowy political mire of what the United Nations condemned as a “flagrant violation of international law” is a welcome candle in the darkness.
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