Ken Burns Vietnam

[CaptainCrunch]

I don't know if this belongs in the entertainment section, but it it a TV documentary, and I thought it was amazingly well done.

This was an indepth 10 episode about 20 hour documentary looking end to end at the war in Vietnam.

Burns did a good job of looking beyond just the fighting of the war, but also looked at the political decisions and fumbles spreading through multiple presidents, telling the story of American and Vietnamese who fought on both sides, it also looked at the civil unrest and the breakdown of America.

With a hard emphasis of the political fumbles of a war fought from and lost by the White House, the ineffectual leadership on the American side. The growth of the anti-war movements and the effect of China and Russia and the bombing campaigns on the peace talks.

At some points this is a difficult series to watch. the history of the Phoenix program, Tiger force, the stories of the POW's (including the story of a group of POW's eating the camp commanders cat and paying the price) the turn of the American public on its government and the soldiers coming home is at times jarring and heartbreaking, and as one person stated, "I was watching our country falling to pieces before my eyes".

It was also interesting to note the presidents running the war from JFK, to LBJ in all his uncertainty to Nixon's ruthlessness to get the country out of the war to the point where he manipulated the peace talks before his election and lied to the South Vietnamese President about defending their interests.

Its a long watch and its just ending but I'm sure it will be replayed, but an exceptional watch.

[Yamer]

I noticed it being aired over the last few weeks, but didn't catch it from the start. I anxiously await its inclusion on Netflix (alongside all the other Burns docs).

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Yamer

I noticed it being aired over the last few weeks, but didn't catch it from the start. I anxiously await its inclusion on Netflix (alongside all the other Burns docs).

I don't have cable, so I'm hoping it ends up on Netflix soon.

I just finished watching the 13-part Vietnam: A Television History from the 80s a couple months go. It will be interesting to compare the two, and see how 30 more years of distance have changed the perspectives on the war.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I don't know if this belongs in the entertainment section, but it it a TV documentary, and I thought it was amazingly well done.

This was an indepth 10 episode about 20 hour documentary looking end to end at the war in Vietnam.

Burns did a good job of looking beyond just the fighting of the war, but also looked at the political decisions and fumbles spreading through multiple presidents, telling the story of American and Vietnamese who fought on both sides, it also looked at the civil unrest and the breakdown of America.

With a hard emphasis of the political fumbles of a war fought from and lost by the White House, the ineffectual leadership on the American side. The growth of the anti-war movements and the effect of China and Russia and the bombing campaigns on the peace talks.

At some points this is a difficult series to watch. the history of the Phoenix program, Tiger force, the stories of the POW's (including the story of a group of POW's eating the camp commanders cat and paying the price) the turn of the American public on its government and the soldiers coming home is at times jarring and heartbreaking, and as one person stated, "I was watching our country falling to pieces before my eyes".

It was also interesting to note the presidents running the war from JFK, to LBJ in all his uncertainty to Nixon's ruthlessness to get the country out of the war to the point where he manipulated the peace talks before his election and lied to the South Vietnamese President about defending their interests.

Its a long watch and its just ending but I'm sure it will be replayed, but an exceptional watch.

There is a little discussion in the I need a new TV series to get into (old or new) thread.

I think enough has been done about the period of the war itself and Americans continue to try and explain and perhaps justify their participation. Been beaten to death.

There needs to be an American production of a documentary called "After the Vietnam War". People think everything ends when that helicopter took off from the US Embassy in 1975. After that day there were horrible atrocities in the region. Why were the Americans in Vietnam? Because they were trying to prevent THIS. That's a story that needs to be told.

[nik-]

The last episode is titled "The Weight of Memory (March 1973-Onward)" so why don't we see what it shows before we assume it doesn't show any of that.

[jeffporfirio]

I tried watching it online at the PBS.org site, but couldn't watch it as its geo-restricted to the US, found it on Kodi though.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by nik-

The last episode is titled "The Weight of Memory (March 1973-Onward)" so why don't we see what it shows before we assume it doesn't show any of that.

I've seen it It touches on it a little but that topic is an entire series on it's own.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by nik-

The last episode is titled "The Weight of Memory (March 1973-Onward)" so why don't we see what it shows before we assume it doesn't show any of that.

Yeah, I was just coming back to this.

But even throughout the 9 episodes they talked about the damage to all three countries, north Vietnam, the then South Vietnam and America.

I've always said in the past that the best way to counter the so called domino effect was to come into the war on North Vietnam's side, kick the french out and start building McDonalds on every street corner

But I digress, there were lots of discussions about the atrocities committed by the Americans, but it was pretty far because it covered a lot of the atrocities by the other side as well.

I think tonight episode goes beyond the fall of Saigon.

[J pold]

How do I watch this? Love Ken Burns.