Vietnam – A Television History
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: C- Episodes: A-
When it first debuted back in the early 1980s, Vietnam
– A Television History was one of the most ambitious and effective
documentary mini-series TV had ever seen. Created by WGBH and PBS for the ever-great American Experience
series, the original show seems to have run 13 hours, while the new 11 hour
version on this DVD is shorter because it was updated and that meant excising
items that were no longer relevant, were questions with answers or that the
answer was now common knowledge.
The program is still exceptional and the only thing that
can be said is that there is still not enough time to cover everything as
thoroughly as it could have been. The
great journalism of the mini-series can sometimes create a distance that might
negate the sense of being there without intending to do so. A DVD strictly of the footage of The
Battle For Dien Bien Phu has been issued separately and is covered at:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3708/Battle+For+Dien+Bien+Phu+(Documentary)
It puts you there in all the confusion, different from key
dramatic films on the subject (Deer Hunter, Platoon, Full
Metal Jacket) that also can, but documentaries are supposed to always
clearly explain everything. They do
this in varying degrees. The program
tells almost as much, but shows less.
Disc One has a Roots Of War that covers 1945 – 1953, a smart move
that cleverly shows how the end of World War II and world’s realignment started
setting up what followed whether those in power realized it or not. America’s Mandarin covers the 1954 –
1963 period and is ironically named since it is actually France who is trying
colonial exploitation of Vietnam and surrounding areas. Unfortunately, the U.S. decided to back them
financially, then take over from them.
Disc Two is covers that fateful plunging in LBJ Goes To
War (1964 – 1965), America Takes Charge (1965 – 1967) and America’s
Enemy (1954 – 1967). By the end of
this segment, bad mistakes were about to be made and with LBJ stepping down,
the most famous section of madness was about to take hold.
Disc Three offers the obsessive Richard Nixon taking over
and is covered in Tet 1968, Vietnamizing The War (1968 – 1973)
and Cambodia & Laos, which show how ignorance, racing, arrogance of
power, ill-thought theories about communism and the problems of what was there
to win all combine to lead to the biggest debacle in U.S. history for which is
has still not recovered and is repeating in Iraq to a shocking extent. The episodes do not take sides or become
political, but with Iraq, the mistakes then being repeated now are more obvious
than ever.
Disc Four offers the ironically titled Peace Is At Hand
(1968 – 1973), Homefront U.S.A. and The End Of The Tunnel (1973 –
1975). These were very painful when I
first saw them back in the 1980s and are much worse now because the country
repeated every one of them now when they should have known better, but this is
what happens when certain power interests use a deadly situation to their
advantage no matter who much it hurts others, made worse once again as a war
fought by the poor and guided by those who never saw combat. It is also a war not fought by the family
and friends of those in power, which always leads to failure, though Iraq is
not exactly Vietnam.
There has never been a better time to see Vietnam – A
Television History and those who have seen it will find new things to think
about as they watch. They’d better get
ready to make that next mini-series.
The 1.33 X 1 image offers tons of film footage, from good
black and white to all kinds of color, originating on film with new interviews
shot that way. There is some grain and
the usual variance in quality you get in such an expansive project, but it is
very good for what it is. The Dolby
Digital 2.0 sound is simple stereo at best, while much of the older audio is
obviously monophonic. The only extra is
the usual weblinks, but no printable educational materials, though a companion
book is available.
- Nicholas Sheffo
