Because of the high stakes that surrounded each character's decisions, Thirteen Days remained exciting even during technical discussions of policy. Not only was it entertaining, then, but it also greatly increased my understanding of the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the methods by which decisions are reached, in Washington and probably in most -- if not all -- current and historical halls of government during times of crisis. The negotiation and circumvention of the many personalities involved in powerful, history-making decisions is a delicate and complex dance that only true masters can maneuver in, and in Thirteen Days both Kennedy brothers and, to a degree, Robert S. McNamara were all portrayed as such political masters.
On a somewhat less profound though perhaps more practical level, this film also taught me about the way decision are negotiated between the civilian...
Though the President is ostensibly the Commander in Chief of the military, and is the final decision maker, he is not able to act effectively by making unilateral decisions. He is able to postpone an invasion of Cuba until a more suitable option was found, but who can say what would have happened had McNamara not conceived the naval blockade, of if President Kennedy had not stood his ground so well in the face of such immense pressure? Again, it is the decisions and personalities of a few individuals that often shape large swathes of history, and I still find this awesome, inspiring, and a little frightening -- any different combination of men in power during these thirteen days might have made for a very different decision and possibly a different world even today. Thirteen Days does an excellent job of capturing both the facts and the feeling of this point in history.
