Art of War

David W. Padrusch and Gabriel Gornell's documentary, which was originally broadcast on the History Channel, attempts to apply the lessons of Sun Tzu—drawn from his 6th-century B.C. book The Art of War—to three extraordinary U.S. military endeavors: the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, the 1944 Allied landing on D-Day, and the 1968 Tet Offensive. Packed with military historians who repeatedly link these battles to the ancient text (which reads like a fortune cookie, accompanied by a gong on the soundtrack), the film argues that all three campaigns confirm Sun Tzu's military theories, but for different reasons. As for Sun Tzu himself, his life and career in warfare are primarily depicted by a number of extras engaged in wuxia-style twirling demonstrations. Visually, Art of War is often ghastly, with the filmmakers relying on ugly CGI effects that fail to hide the low-budget efforts to recreate major battles. Anyone with a serious interest in Sun Tzu's classic text will be left baffled by the chaotic approach to the subject here. Not a necessary purchase. Aud: H, C, P. (P. Hall)