Posted on 10/04/2004 6:32:23 PM PDT by NavySEAL F-16
Kerry film shows Vietnam, ignores facts
By MAGGIE BERNARDI
The State News
The question raised by "Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry" isn't if it's an unbiased account of presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry's service during the Vietnam War.
Of course the film is biased for Kerry. In this time of political mud-slinging, the real questions are: Is the film factual? Can we trust it?
For the most part, yes. Sure there's some skimming over of dates and places and hard facts about Kerry's actual service, but overall, director George Butler's film seems to be an honest account of the Vietnam War and the veterans who protested it.
"Upriver," which is based on the book "Tour of Duty" by Douglas Brinkley, has actually been in the making for more than three decades. Butler began photographing Kerry's life in 1969, during his days leading the activist group Vietnam Veterans Against the War.
The film is certainly a homage to Kerry. In early scenes, photos of the young Yale undergrad are paired with recordings of President John F. Kennedy's 1961 Inauguration Day address. Later we hear former Chief of Staff Bob Haldeman describe Kerry to former President Richard Nixon.
"A Kennedy-type guy - he looks like a Kennedy and he talks exactly like a Kennedy," he says.
The film proves Kerry is an extremely well-spoken, eloquent man, even at a young age. One of his strongest moments is when, at only 27-years-old, he testifies about war atrocities to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
But the Kerry agenda aside, this film is far more powerful in its account of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, who gathered in Washington, D.C., in the spring of 1971 to protest the war.
Both the film's footage from Vietnam and from the protests appear to have been remastered. They are vibrant and incredibly sharp, more like modern-day war footage than the gritty reels we're used to seeing.
Butler relies heavily on interviews with veterans themselves, from Sen. Max Cleland who lost two legs and an arm to several of Kerry's old chums from Yale. Although some interview subjects come across affected when they unabashedly exalt Kerry, their commentary on specific moments is poignant and moving.
These are veterans who, when a chain-link wall was constructed to keep them at bay during the 1971 protests in Washington, removed their Purple Hearts, Silver Stars and Medals of Honor, and tossed them over the fence with bittersweet contempt. We hear that for some of the vets, those medals were the only representation of accomplishment they'd ever had.
When we see a mother throw her dead son's medals over, it's the film's most powerful moment.
Butler tells us that 58,169 U.S. soldiers died in Vietnam. More than 3,000 were wounded. Three million Vietnamese died, half of which were civilians.
You can't argue the astounding numbers, only marvel at them.
Unfortunately, when it comes to Butler's title purpose, he lacks numbers. We never hear any dates relevant to John Kerry's service in Vietnam and he has taken heat for spending only five months in combat. It's obvious Butler sidesteps the dates to avoid controversy.
If you're seeking to understand the Vietnam War and the veterans who spoke against it, this film is valuable. I imagine American history professors will screen "Upriver" in their classes for years to come.
However, if you're looking for square facts about the life of Kerry, you might do better with a TV mini-doc such as "Biography" on A&E.
I didn't read this article (so maybe its in there) but I heard that they showed it in a 330 person theatre and 5 people showed up :D
Not much of a crowd at the showing this reviewer attended:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1234654/posts
Four months is a long war? I guess given the amount that JFK talks about it, it must seem like 5 years.
WOW!
I wonder if the movie states five months in combat?
That's funny....up the river....that's where I thought he should be going.
Its a hoot !!!
Until he signs Form 180 (it'a now almost too late) anything he has to say or show about Vietnam is just selective recollection from a self-aggrandizing politician who would suck a botulized egg to win the White House.
As I recall it will be the story of the three biggest lies and how he believed them at the time.
I do not know what lies he will choose.
I suspect the three lies were among the lies that Kerry told the Senate committee in 1971.
Kerry apparently hung out with a tough crowd.
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