When the issue of hearts and minds arises in the film, it is not only concerned about the emotions towards the war at home, but also. Peter davis landmark documentary on the vietnam warwhich took a. I happen to agree entirely with the assessment of the war shown in the film, but even with. Hearts and minds film hearts and minds is a 1974 american documentary film about the vietnam war directed by peter davis. Hearts and minds is a 1974 documentary film directed by peter davis it is a history of americas involvement in the vietnam war. Annual hearts and minds film festival a sociallyfocused film festival showcasing topical, cutting edge documentary and narrative work from student and adult media makers around the world. One film is intensely focused and the other more of.
Hearts and minds is a 1974 american documentary film about the vietnam war directed by peter davis. And we see ourselves as ruled by our heads and not our hearts. The film however did seem very theatrical at first. Before viewing the film hearts and minds, please be warned. Francis wells who is going to allow him to watch him perform open heart surgery. For the 1974 american documentary about the vietnam war, see hearts and minds film. Jun 24, 2014 hearts and minds challenged that predilection by forcing viewers to consider what the war had done to the vietnamese.
The film is definitely set up differently than a hollywood film. Hearts and minds is the fahrenheit 911 of the vietnam. The late film critic judith crist, in her essay written for criterions 2002. Using actual footage and interviews, hearts and minds makes the viewer question why america was involved in the war at all. Hearts and minds 1974 hd best vietnam war documentary. Hes always wanted to see the beating human heart, that thing within us that keeps us alive. Without any type of introduction the film starts off in this setting and leaves its viewer unexpectant of what is to come.
This film recounts the history and attitudes of the opposing sides of the vietnam war using archival news footage as well as its own film and interviews. Courtesy, criterion this article is more than 5 years old. Parents need to know that hearts and minds is an intense 1974 academyaward winning documentary about the vietnam war. A startling and courageous film, peter daviss landmark 1974 documentary hearts and minds unflinchingly confronted the united states involvement in vietnam at. An examination of the conflicting attitudes of the opponents of the vietnam war. Oct 27, 2014 on the 40th anniversary of hearts and minds, vogue. The movie was chosen as best feature documentary at the 47th academy awards presented in 1975. Hearts and minds, a film study of power power is virtually the first word heard in peter daviss epic documentary, hearts and minds, and power, real and mythical, is what the film contemplates in as many tones and moods as you might expect in superior fiction. The film had its world premiere at the 1974 cannes film festivalless than a year after the casechurch amendment ended direct u. Hearts and minds came about after i had made a film for cbs news, for whom i worked, called the selling of the pentagon, which was an investigative expose of defense department propaganda. Hearts and minds a must to avoid vietnam veterans of america. Receiving the best documentary award for their incendiary vietnam war film hearts and minds, schneider read out a telegram expressing greetings from. Hearts and minds postviewing guide trinity university.
Power is virtually the first word heard in peter daviss epic documentary, hearts and minds, and power, real and mythical, is what the film contemplates in as many tones and moods as. When the film first appeared here in 1974, its sympathetic and complicated treatment of average vietnamese created a. This website includes a war timeline and pictures and analysis of the conflict in. Even when davis is laying the groundwork for americas initial involvement in the war, hes experimenting and provoking.
Essay on analysis of the documentary hearts and minds 1145 words null page hearts and minds begins with footage on a village that is northwest of saigon in vietnam named hung dinh. It is a provocative film that is likely to generate strong feelings and reactions. What do they reveal about the architecture of cinematic argument. Peter davis landmark documentary hearts and minds was completed at a very particular moment in the history of the vietnam war. This documentary presents both sides of the argument on americas involvement in vietnam. Usually you dont see a lot of formalism in a film but with hearts and minds i. The urgency of hearts and minds, its anger and its articulation, its insistence that effects of war be visible, and its cogent analysis of connections among politics, media, and the military, all. Analysis of hearts and minds and harlan county, usa. This revealing documentary about the vietnam war was made and released at a time when it was clear that the war would end in humiliating defeat for the us. Throughout the film, you see various conversations with both a. The urgency of hearts and minds, its anger and its articulation, its. Oh and kev, i meant to say that your analysis of the imperialists is perfect.
Daniel ellsberg has a wonderful movie profile, and the face and manner of the. Hearts and minds is a powerful film that deals with the vietnam conflict and is also one of the very few films of this genre that looks at it from the viewpoint of its victims, the vietnamese people. In this documentary, filmmaker david malone asks whether we are right to take this view. Critics of this film argue that this film doesnt utilise hard political analysis. Nov 20, 2006 1st documentary movie on the origin of ccp virus, tracking down the origin of the wuhan coronavirus duration. Hearts and minds was the first film to show the viewpoint of the enemy during a time of war.
Why were still talking about, and watching, hearts and. The disjointed structure of the film leads the director to slowly reveal. Hearts and minds is a powerful documentary that was made by peter davis in 1974 to examine the vietnam war in its last days. Nov 02, 2011 advocateobjectify hearts and minds hearts and minds 1974 shows the devastation of the vietnam war and discusses the antiwar sentiment that started to appear in the usa during the 1960s. The films title is based on a quote from president lyndon b. Hearts and minds, a sentimental and intellectual film as its title suggests. This was a controversial film when it was released, and it is still a controversial film. Another film that should be required viewing from this era is the powerful documentary sir.
And then it was shelved for a year because its original distributor, columbia, feared legal problems. The former star of the popular kids show bill nye the science guy is now the ceo of the planetary society, an organization founded by bills mentor carl sagan, where hes launching a solar propelled spacecraft into the cosmos and advocating for the importance of science, research, and discovery. Using a wealth of sourcesfrom interviews to newsreels to documentary footage of the conflict at home and abroaddavis constructs a powerfully affecting portrait of the disastrous effects of war. A startling and courageous film, peter daviss landmark 1974 documentary hearts and minds unflinchingly confronted the united states involvement in vietnam at the height of the controversy that surrounded it. A courageous and startling film, peter davis landmark documentary hearts and minds unflinchingly confronts the united states involvement in vietnam. Power is virtually the first word heard in peter daviss epic documentary, hearts and minds, and power, real and mythical, is what the film contemplates in as many tones and moods as you might. There are lessons aplenty about vietnam in hearts and mindsits a shame we. Johnson said that ultimate victory in the vietnam war depended upon the u. The editing, though often manipulative, seamlessly weaves actual footage with interviews, giving the film a firm narrative and. It didnt follow the traditional documentary structure. Scenes from actual news footage is shown villages burned, dead bodies, and bloody injured soldiers as well as testimonials from american soldiers, some of whom are now paralyzed. When peter davis set out to make the documentary hearts and minds in. On the commentary track for peter davis hearts and minds. Peter davis on his pivotal vietnam documentary, hearts and.
Included are interviews with several wellknown personalities including gen. Using a wealth of sourcesfrom interviews to newsreels to footage of the conflict and the upheaval it occasioned on the home frontdavis constructs a powerfully affecting picture. In this documentary, filmmaker david malone asks whether we. Newsweek had a fawning interview in its april 6 issue with peter davis, the director and coproducer of the 1975 documentary, hearts and minds, on the occasion of its recent dvd reissue. These films are featured at hearts and minds community screening room events and the annual hearts and minds film festival. Hearts and minds is not just about how the united states government messed up in vietnam but about human suffering on all sides. Mar 24, 1975 power is virtually the first word heard in peter daviss epic documentary, hearts and minds, and power, real and mythical, is what the film contemplates in as many tones and moods as you might. The movie suggests that american aggression is deeply rooted in a. As uncomfortable as it may have been for many americans, it now seems clear that hearts and minds was the first step in coming to terms with a conflict that threatened to destroy the social fabric of the country. Hearts and minds is designed to be profoundly upsetting and shocking. Hearts and minds is an academy award winning documentary about the vietnam war directed by peter davis. It is a potent film with many images that stick in the mind.
Jun 23, 2014 whatever its propagandistic goals, however, hearts and minds remains an expansive, intuitive work of art, abandoning traditional narrative structure for a more freeflowing association of interviews and images. However, hearts and minds went on to win the 1974 academy award for best documentary feature. Hearts and minds, a film study of power the new york times. The film is being revived and re released thirtyfive years after it was made. David malone is a science documentary filmmaker and he came to papworth hospital in cambridgeshire. Peter davis landmark documentary on the vietnam warwhich took a broad view in its. Its not balanced within itself, but given the daytoday barrage of standard media coverage of the vietnam war during the time the documentary was made, i believe the making of this film represented an attempt to balance the average americans knowledge of what was really going on and how misrepresented the war was by our government and. Released in 1974, when it could be considered part of a heated cultural conversation, hearts and minds is an activist documentary, making an emotional, impassioned plea against the war as emphatically and comprehensively as possible. The award winning documentary, hearts and minds, portrays the attitudes of the opposing sides in the vietnam war. Hearts and minds vietnam or winning hearts and minds refers to the strategy and programs used by the governments of vietnam and the united states during the vietnam war to win the popular support of the vietnamese people and to help defeat the viet cong. Hearts and minds is a documentary about the vietnam. Hes there at the invitation of consultant surgeon mr. William westmorland, clark clifford who was president johnsons secretary of defense at the end of his presidency, daniel ellsberg, and walt rostow among others on their views of the war. The documentary hearts and minds 1974 directed by peter davis is a.
Davis makes no attempt to justify the american involvement in vietnam, which, its obvious, he believes to. Herring and ngo vinh long in the excellent and updated liner notes that accompany its reissue. The documentary midnight in paris, about high school kids in flint, michigan, going to prom, earned raves on the festival circuit. The horrible prescience of 1974 war documentary hearts. Hearts and minds is a 1974 american documentary film about the vietnam war directed by. The film is a searing indictment of the united states and its presence in vietnam, depicting the ghastly toll of pain and suffering inflicted on the vietnamese people by the american armed forces. Hearts and minds is a powerful indictment against the vietnam war. When a film carries a title as heavy as hearts and minds, it is crucial not to overlook its importance in labeling the film and its significance to what happens within it.
1290 125 1152 1042 1646 1235 194 23 264 159 1561 1060 191 1082 728 774 1140 751 1560 1018 969 861 1410 123 1103 1003 567 1097 1030 244 573 636 333 1416 23 1345 272 911 1171 1496 115 1281 1400 711