Vietnam

Tonight we finished watching the Ken Burns ten-part series retelling the history of the Vietnam War. It is a mark of the power of the documentary that when it finished there was just silence between Marion and myself. The Vietnam War is both familiar and distant to me. The documentary recalled the war from its origins as a French colony to the final fall of Saigon. In itself the sweep of history and the ability to encapsulate complex history in an understandable form was impressive. What was more moving however was the personal testaments of those involved in the war. The accounts from those on all sides of the conflict were deeply personal and expressed movingly the horror and the futility of the war. They were remarkable in how quietly and dignified these men and women expressed their feelings and recollections.

It was an effective antidote to those who are bellicose in favour of new wars. The war achieved nothing but to cause tragedy, division, and disaster for both Vietnam and the USA. One of the abiding memories of the film was how none of the participants could come to terms with why the war was fought. There was no sense of accomplishment let alone victory, just an overwhelming feeling of futility. 

It was a mammoth piece of documentary making, to distil the Vietnam War into ten hours without simplification or superficiality while maintaining the power of the narrative. It did this by use of imagery that was allowed to express its own power without comment. Indeed it instead used contemporary music to underscore the imagery. I think it should be required viewing particularly for those who advocate future wars and intolerance.