The shocking truth revealed!
In one of the most tragic face-offs in the history of law enforcement, the deadly debacle at Waco pitted the Branch Davidian sect against the FBI in an all-out war. This documentary makes the most of footage and recordings to examine how the events that led to the tragedy of April 19, 1993, unfolded, and how the FBI's unrelenting approach made what was already a bad situation much worse.
Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997) is a documentary film directed by William Gazecki, released on September 19, 1997 with a runtime of 2h 16m. It stars Dan Gifford, Clive Doyle, Jack Harwell and Joseph Penno. Viewers rate it 7.6 out of 10 across 56 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for Waco: The Rules of Engagement before you stream it.
Dan Gifford
as Narrator (voice)
Clive Doyle
as Self - Branch Davidian
Jack Harwell
as Self - Sheriff
Joseph Penno
as Self - Former Chief, Houston Fire Department
Dick J. Reavis
as Self - Author
James D. Tabor
as Self - Biblical Scholar
David Thibodeau
as Self - Branch Davidian
Joe Biden
as Self - U.S. Senate (archive footage) (uncredited)
Sonny Bono
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Howard Coble
as Self - U.S. Congress (archive footage) (uncredited)
John Conyers
as Self - U.S. Congress (archive footage) (uncredited)
Graeme Craddock
as Self - Branch Davidian (archive footage) (uncredited)
Directed by William Gazecki, written by Dan Gifford and William Gazecki, produced by William Gazecki and Dan Gifford.
Average viewer score of 7.6/10 from 56 ratings.
This isn't the first time that a group who chose to opt out of more traditional societal participation and remove to somewhere remote and private have been called a cult, but rarely can their activities have caused quite such consternation with, in this case President Clinton's particular version of, "Uncle Sam". By ensuring that most of the broadcast media were placed safely out of range, the authorities have…
Reviewed on October 14, 2026
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Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997) is currently available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. No subscription streaming option is listed right now, so availability may change.
The main cast of Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997) includes Dan Gifford, Clive Doyle, Jack Harwell, Joseph Penno and Dick J. Reavis. The film was directed by William Gazecki. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Waco: The Rules of Engagement was released on September 19, 1997 and runs for 2h 16m.
Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997) holds an average rating of 7.6 out of 10 from 56 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy documentary films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official Waco: The Rules of Engagement trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
