Hearts and Minds (1974)

Director:

Peter Davis

Release Date:

17 November 1975 (Sweden)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

A documentary of the conflicting attitudes of the opponents of the Vietnam war.

Plot Keywords:

Controversial | Discussion | Protest | 1970s | United States Army

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Georges Bidault	...	Himself
Clark Clifford	...	Himself
George Coker	...	Himself
Kay Dvorshock	...	Herself (also archive footage)
Daniel Ellsberg	...	Himself
Randy Floyd	...	Himself
J. William Fulbright	...	Himself (as J.W. Fulbright)
Brian Holden
Robert Muller	...	Himself
Khanh Nguyen	...	Himself
Walt Rostow	...	Himself
William C. Westmoreland	...	Himself

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Vietnamese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:15 | USA:R | Brazil:14 | UK:X (original rating) | UK:15 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Linden, New Jersey, USA

Company:

BBS Productions

Trivia:

In a Moviefone interview, Michael Moore cites this as one of his inspirations to begin making films.

Quotes:

Daniel Ellsberg: We weren't on the wrong side. We were the wrong side.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood (2003)

"Hell no, we won't go"!

Very good piece on the horrors of war and the stupidity which causes them. Lots of good interviews with former gung-ho jarheads who are now armless, without legs, or sitting forever in wheelchairs. Several clips from interviews with politicos of the era in which one man even went so far as to admit the entire war was a gargantuan error: "I couldn't have been more wrong in my assessment of the situation" was his comment. We really are led by fools. Other footage showed the ravages of the Viet people themselves - not just a bunch of dinks - who lost homes, families, and entire villages. The most telling scene for me was of the 2 parents mouthing their patriotic "he died fighting for freedom" gibberish in defense of a useless war which took their son away forever. Maybe this was merely their own defensive mechanisms at work but it made them appear so painfully ignorant of what was going on around them. This should be viewed by all, especially those who were around at the time and remember all the conflicting emotions.