Waco

STREAMING FLICKS

by Brian Miller

There have been numerous explorations of what unfolded at the Mount Carmel Compound in Waco, Texas in 1993, though the truth of what truly transpired will likely never be known. In January of 2018, the rebranded Spike TV, now known as The Paramount Network, began airing the limited series WACO, which stood as its first major release. Starring Taylor Kitsch, Michael Shannon, Shea Whigham, Julia Garner, Andrea Riseborough, Paul Sparks, John Leguizamo, Melissa Benoist and many others, it was a dramatic interpretation of the cataclysmic events, as pieced together from the memoirs of one of the survivors, and the FBI negotiator who attempted to bring the standoff to a peaceful conclusion.

In a compound with no running water, David Koresh and his congregation live their lives as a communal unit. Koresh, who is the sole authority figure, preaches to his followers for hours at a time, and the Branch Davidians take solace and joy in the fact that they have found a true messiah. Though his methods may be unconventional (physicality between men and women is prohibited, with the exception of David who can marry teenagers and impregnate anyone he sees fit) his passion and reverence for the Lord inspires all who choose to stay.

When the ATF gets wind that there is a stockpile of weapons at Mount Carmel, they spring into action. After the disastrous events at Ruby Ridge, where FBI Mitch Decker’s (Whigham) actions may have resulted in the death of an innocent civilian, negotiator Gary Noesner (Shannon) still feels bitter and outraged about how events unfolded. Searching for a way to improve their public image, the government descends upon Waco to confiscate the amassed cache of weapons. Almost immediately, the situation spirals out of control, with both agents and Davidians firing upon one another. Several Federal agents and multiple Branch Davidians are killed, and the FBI are called in. Noesner and Decker are both dispatched to the scene, and a standoff that would end in unspeakable horror is set into motion.

At this point, we have all seen the shocking footage of what transpired in Waco. From the initial firefight to the deadly assault on the compound, the images are stamped into the psyche of everyone who watched them unfold on live television. What WACO does, perhaps even more so than any of the documentaries I have seen on the subject, is humanize Koresh. Kitsch, who is best known for his roles as Tim Riggins in NBC’s FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS and for a number of action flicks that followed (BATTLESHIP, SAVAGES, JOHN CARTER) gives the performance of his career as the controversial Koresh. Soft spoken yet completely set in his ways, he projects an essence of power and command with all of his actions. Determined and righteous, he has a vague appreciation for those around him, but also has a singleminded drive that causes him to bypass the considerations of others, despite his constant missives on the importance of community. As the situation within the compound deteriorated, the power to end the whole thing always rested solely with him. Whether it was a divine prophecy, fear of imprisonment, or a massive ego trip that made him stay will never be known. In Kitsch’s hands, this question becomes a tad more muddied than it may have been before, but at no point does Koresh emerge as a wholly sympathetic character.

Taylor Kitsch as David Koresh as he preaches to his Branch Davidians.

WACO does a phenomenal job of introducing the audience to the principal players, and then building the tension dramatically throughout its six episode run. It was an interesting change of pace to see Shannon in the role of the calm, collected, and reasonable protagonist, particularly given his savage turns in BOARD- WALK EMPIRE, BUG, and THE SHAPE OF WATER. As his foil, fellow BOARDWALK EMPIRE castmate Whigham is excellent as well, embodying the frustrations of the entire FBI as the standoff dragged on for days and weeks. Much like Kitsch did with Koresh, the cast that comprises the population of Branch Davidians (particularly Garner, Riseborough, and Benoist) allows us to see the inhabitants as people, and not mere statistics.

WACO is a made-for-TV interpretation of how the shocking events unfolded, and obviously, creative liberties were evoked. The one issue I had with the series, is that it never really conveyed, other than a focus on his magnetic personality, what drove the Davidians to give themselves so fully to Koresh. There are brief glimpses of the rambling sermons given by the enigmatic leader, but it’s difficult to grasp what it was about the ideology that made them so certain that he was a messiah. The psychology of what happened is an essential part of the story, and that was lacking for the most part. Despite this criticism, WACO emerges as an enthralling viewing experience that culminates in a devastating finale that is just as shocking today as it was in 1993.

Waco- B+

(Now streaming on Netflix)