Hearts and Minds

With all the praise a person can muster, the most anti-war, anti-American film ever made. The truest film about Vietnam on film. The bravest footage put to film.

having been filmed during the latter period of the vietnam war, this must have been quite harrowing at the time. today, there are few new insights contained within, but it's still a sad movie. amazing what sort of things these guys managed to capture, some very personal stories, and some seriously evil fuckers too. heavily biased, as it should be.

Probably would have been much more powerful at the time, though it's still very interesting. Davis does an excellent job with the editing, allowing opposing viewpoints to have their say, but never allows them to go unopposed. Some of the footage is very impressive, not just the war and deaths, but the more personal stuff that you'd never expect on film. The fact that the subjects allowed some of this to be filmed says as much about the effects of war as the content itself.

A well-put together and, at times, emotionally unsettling look at the Vietnam War, that unfortunately has lost most of its punch through no fault of its own. The footage that I'm assuming was considered shocking and deeply troubling in 1974 just does not carry the same weight in 2010 when we're all used to seeing hijackings, murders, even war itself on basic cable. That being said, the scene's final 15 minutes documenting the wailing mourners at the Vietnamese funeral still packs quite a punch.

Westmoreland's a dick, but I knew this already. Worth watching for some of the footage behind a couple of iconic Vietnam War pictures (Loan performing the execution, and the girl running along the road), although that can be obtained elsewhere. Also, there's a veteran/former POW who is pretty caught up in the whole propaganda thing, and watching him delivering his message to school children is amusing, if not a little scary.

Obviously the footage speaks for itself. But editorially this IS propaganda.

Too one sided

I don't really like these kinds of documentaries but I must admit that I am glad that I finally watched them. If this was a little better structured then I might've got more out of it.

Expectedly harrowing, compelling dissection of the Vietnam War is a powerful screed giving the appearance of impartiality, but Davis can’t help rubbing his audience’s nose into some emotive points he wants to make; it would have been even more gripping had the images been allowed to speak for themselves. Perhaps this subject matter doesn’t warrant an impartial perspective, but why bother with the façade? Invaluable as a contemporaneous historical document, but eclipsed somewhat by later efforts.

Daniel Ellsberg: "The question used to be: might it be possible that we were on the wrong side in the Vietnamese War? But, we weren't on the wrong side. We are the wrong side."

Hearts and Minds dares that partiality by forcing its viewers to bear in mind how the war effected those we invaded, the first stride to stop hiding from a clash that loomed to demolish the country's social interdependence.

An upsetting documentary about a stupid war. Very hard to see that kid crying about his fathers death, and victimized kids. Especially when after the crying kid, you get a scene with an American saying Vietnamese don't value life as much as they do. WHAT THE FUCK!

Anyone looking for a starter on how America came to the political divide it's at today, or how documentary film came to the place of liberal activism it is today will find it in this film. Incredibly well made, powerful and completely bias (although it's a bias I share, it's worth noting).

Davis' visual argument overwhelms rationality.This was the beginning of Red/Blue antagonism -- turning benighted patriotism against an opponent's humanity.

A compilation (mishmash?) of Vietnam related footage. Some of it compelling, most of it though is not. If there was any sort of organization here, I didn't catch it.

The film contains graphic footage, which for all its violence is not nearly so unsettling as the interviews with brutalized American troops.

Some of the scenes felt a little manipulative, such as the camera pulling back to reveal one of the speakers is in a wheelchair, or missing a limb, ect. It's very well edited however, and the parade scene at the end gives such a looming sense of menace.

Davis presents many different viewpoints, but this is not at all objective. Loaded with great footage and insightful interviews ranging from heartbreaking to enraging. It's not a particularly unique message, but it is well done.

This will make you cry. It won't turn you into a peacenik hippy, but it will help you understand their point of view and wonderfully inform you at the same time.

A bit cheap and ham-handed in places--but I guess that's easier to say now than 30 years ago. My favorites were Randy Floyd and William Marshall--also Clark Gifford was fun.

Not especially illuminating to a modern viewer, but nonetheless thought-provoking, occasionally chilling, and ultimately disheartening.