|
The Vietnam War (2017),
Director: Ken Burns, Lynn Novick, rated TV-MA
There is no
single truth in war.
  Starring:
Peter Coyote (narrator), many interviews with those in the military and
government surrounding the war
DML Rating:
★★★★★★★★★☆
- near perfect
"There's no way we
could avoid telling this story. Wars are so extraordinarily
revealing... obviously of the worst of humanity, but as it turns
out, also the best of humanity. So it's time now. The decades
have passed and it's important now to go back and try to
understand it." – Ken Burns
Why watch this? All
wars are complex, but none more to America, than the 19 years in
Vietnam from 1955 to 1975.
Documenary Summary:
This documentary chronicles the origins and complexities of
America's involvement in Vietnam, from early French colonial
resistance to the end of the conflict. The 18-hour series delves
into the political and social divides sparked by the war in both
the United States and Vietnam. Through the perspectives of
nearly 80 witnesses, including soldiers, protestors, and
civilians from all sides.
Dad's Preview:
I grew up hearing about the Vietnam War. I distinctly remember
news reports listing casualty counts. Only later in life did I
realize what all that meant. I knew that a lot went wrong and
America seemed ashamed of it. Then I saw
Platoon
(1986) and realized I had considerably more to learn. In ten
episodes, Ken Burns (The
Civil War (1990)) and crew delve into all aspects in
search of knowledge. The focus was not mainstream news reports
and political talking points of the day, but rather interviews
with regular people who lived through it. This detailed
documentary, like the war itself, received critical acclaim and
harsh negative reviews alike. "It presents the Vietnam War in
far more compelling ways than I have seen from other
documentaries." (Mark P. Bradley, Univ. of Chicago) "The
South Vietnamese military was largely left out of the series."
(Tatiana Sanchez, San Jose Mercury News. Americans (and
the world) may never really understand Vietnam, but this
thought-provoking, master work should keep us seeking answers.
Florentine Films,
WETA, National Endowment for the Humanities; PBS
Back |
