Noam Chomsky, an influential linguist better known today as a radical political activist, is certainly one of the most controversial contemporary American thinkers. The MIT professor emeritus is a self-styled libertarian socialist whose diatribes against what he describes as U.S. imperialism, the injustice of the capitalist system, and the abdication of critical responsibility by both intellectuals and the press, seem less inflammatory only because Chomsky is so soft-spoken. Will Pascoe's hour-long documentary complements his earlier Noam Chomsky—Rebel Without a Pause, presenting excerpts from one-on-one interviews with Chomsky, as well as extracts from lectures and campus discussions, during which Chomsky airs his views on the trajectory of American foreign policy and internal political development over the course of the 20th century. Although his opinions are certain to provoke many viewers, Chomsky's command of backing evidence is impressive, and his appreciation for those who have preceded him in the struggle—such as pacifist philosopher Bertrand Russell—is obviously genuine. At the same time, Pascoe's packaging of Chomsky's ideas into tidy little subject areas has an unfortunate reductive effect that also leads to a good deal of repetition. DVD extras include the full lecture “Is There Intelligent Life on Earth?” that Chomsky delivered at Ontario's McMaster University, excerpts of which are included in the main documentary. Given Chomsky's prominence on the current sociopolitical critical landscape, this is recommended, overall. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
Noam Chomsky on the World
(2008) 70 min. DVD: $19.95. Docurama (avail. from most distributors). ISBN: 1-4229-0097-5. Volume 24, Issue 2
Noam Chomsky on the World
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