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01-17-2004, 09:50 AM
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#1 of 34 
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What are the best Vietnam documentaries?
It seems that Vietnam: The Ten-Thousand Day War is OOP, is it? It sounds like the definitive documentary series on the war. Is it?
There doesn't seem to be any other comprehensive documentaries on DVD currently. Have there been any recent documentary series' broadcast on American TV that have yet to make it to DVD?
I know that there are many great books on the subject, but seeing as Vietnam was a modern war, there must be millions of miles of feet of film that I have never seen.
I have The Great War (1964, BBC TV series) on DVD, a 7-disc boxed set of some 18+ hours and I have The World At War and both are masterpieces of audio visual historical documenting. Having a Vietnam equivolant would be much appreciated.
I love Ken Burns' films. I have The Civil War and The West, both are extraordinary. His brother Ric made a series called, New York and I have been meaing to get that for a while, but it's pretty expensive, but I'll probably get it this year sometime. There was an extra episode made later, after 9-11, wasn't there? It's a pity that it isn't included in currently produced sets.
Can anyone be of any help?
Thanks for reading.
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01-17-2004, 11:16 AM
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#2 of 34
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"The Vietnam War With Walter Cronkite" is on DVD. It's interesting, with lots of clips from contemporary news broadcasts.
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01-17-2004, 06:16 PM
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#3 of 34
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Hearts and Minds, from Peter Davis, is pretty cool. Its anti-vietnam in the sense that it talks about why we shouldn't have gotton into it, and the consequences of that. If you don't mind that viewpoint, its a fascinating piece. its available on Criterion DVD.
I\'ve seen things you people wouldn\'t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those... moments will be lost in time like ...tears... in rain. Time... to die.\"
My DVD Collection Exposed!
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01-17-2004, 06:29 PM
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#4 of 34
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I've never seen Vietnam: The Ten-Thousand Day War , but I did watch the broadcast of Vietnam: A Television History when it ran on PBS back in '83(?), and thought it was excellent at the time (not on DVD).
Yet another film I've never seen that is available on DVD from Criterion is the Peter Davis documentary Hearts and Minds . From what I understand, this is more a film about the domestic conflict over the war and less about bugles & drums, I also understand it is supposed to be quite good.
Tim
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01-17-2004, 06:48 PM
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#5 of 34
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Quote:
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I did watch the broadcast of Vietnam: A Television History when it ran on PBS back in '83(?),
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Yes, it was 1983. I watched it with a Vietnam vet friend of mine. One of the episodes began with footage of a draft lottery. When they showed that scene my friend starting laughing. The number drawn was his number.
I would love to see it released on DVD. If you can find it, Stanley Karnow's companion book was excellent reading. |
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01-17-2004, 07:04 PM
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#6 of 34
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Another title to watch for is The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara , a documentary by Errol Morris (Thin Blue Line ). This was shown theatrically last year and one may hope that a DVD release will not be far off. Said to be rather sympathetic to McNamara.
In other media, be sure to check out Taking Charge: The Johnson White House Tapes 1963-1964 by Michael R. Beschloss. There are abridged cassette & CD audio versions available. I would never have believed the anguish in LBJ's voice over Tonkin Gulf incident, if I hadn't heard it on these tapes.
Tim
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01-17-2004, 09:07 PM
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#7 of 34
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What I'd like to say about "Hearts And Minds" would get me thrown off the list, so instead my Vietnam documentary DVD wish (but I doubt it shall ever get released) shall be a plug for the excellent Charlton Heston narrated "Television's Vietnam" and it's sequel "The Impact Of Media" from 1985. The latter is based on the outstanding 1977 book "Big Story" by Peter Braestrup.
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01-17-2004, 09:17 PM
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#8 of 34
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I'll second (or is that third?) Hearts and Minds, an excellent documentary. It isn't a combat documentary per say, that is it doesn't focus on military tactics so much as it does on the war's human cost and the politics surrounding it. It has some pretty sad/disturbing scenes, particularly when the camera follows some GIs into a brothel, and some interviews with bomber pilots back in the states, but it also has some amazing - and very revealing - interviews with some of the major politicans/generals involved. Highly, highly recommended.
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01-18-2004, 02:19 AM
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#9 of 34
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And another vote for Hearts And Minds. The statistics and strategies you can get from books. H&M's uses the visual power of film to say what needs to be said about the war, and in certain, terrible ways, about war in general.
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01-18-2004, 03:01 AM
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#10 of 34
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I have the documentary series Vietnam The Ten Thousand Day
War an awesome and definitive series to keep.
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