A documentary by John W. Walter. In English and German with English subtitles. Unrated. Plays Friday to Wednesday, June 5 to 10, at the Vancity Theatre

Whatever structural flaws it may have, Theater of War is one of the most aptly titled documentaries ever made. As a dissection of Bertolt Brecht’s uniquely influential response to the carnage of two world wars, it is useful. As a depiction of what it takes for an actor of Meryl Streep’s level to leave her blood on the stage, it’s even better.

The film centres on preparations for a recent Public Theater run of Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children on a Central Park stage in New York. In this update, directed by George C. Wolfe from a new translation by Angels in America playwright Tony Kushner, Streep plays the enigmatic title character, a hard-bitten opportunist who must make harrowing decisions that pit profit against survival.

The principals hold forth on the continued relevance of Brecht, who famously broke down the “fourth wall” separating players from their people, to both disturbing and farcical effect. His approach continues in the enhanced naturalism (or caustic artificiality, you could say) of low-budget cinema, confrontational docs í  la Michael Moore, and the mockumentary humour of Christopher Guest, for just a few examples.

Scholars, friends, and Brecht’s daughter add to the discussion, amidst audio snippets and black-and-white stills of the groundbreaking 1949 production in East Berlin, which the 2006 version attempts to duplicate in key areas of set design and intention.

Filmmaker John W. Walter has attempted to cram too much, moving in too many directions, into 95 minutes. Still, between Streep’s smouldering performance and the priceless footage of Brecht playing dumb before the House Un-American Activities Committee, this is one Theater that won’t make you reach for your revolver.