Rent The Vietnam War (2017)
4.5 of 5 from 86 ratings
18h 0min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
Ken Burns and Lynn Novick's ten-part, 18-hour documentary series. 'The Vietnam War', tells the epic story of one of the most consequential, divisive, and controversial events in American history as it has never before been told on film. Visceral and immersive, the series explores the human dimensions of the war through revelatory testimony of nearly 80 witnesses from all sides - Americans who fought in the war and others who opposed it, as well as combatants and civilians from North and South Vietnam. Ten years in the making, the series includes rarely seen and digitally re-mastered archival footage from sources around the globe, photographs taken by some of the most celebrated photojournalists of the 20th century, historic television broadcasts, evocative home movies, and secret audio recordings from inside the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations. 'The Vietnam War' features more than 100 iconic musical recordings from the greatest artists of the era and haunting original music from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross as well as the Silk Road Ensemble featuring Yo-Vo Ma. - Actors:
- Huy Duc, Duong Van Mai Elliott, Karl Marlantes, John Musgrave, Nguyen Ngoc, Bao Ninh, Phan Quang Tue, James Willbanks, Carol Crocker, Leslie Gelb, Roger Harris, Bill Zimmerman, Bui Diem, Ron Ferrizzi, Robert Gard, Hal Kushner, Neil Sheehan, Jack Todd, Philip Brady, Bill Ehrhart
- Directors:
- Ken Burns, Lynn Novick
- Producers:
- Sarah Botstein, Ken Burns, Lynn Novick
- Narrated By:
- Peter Coyote
- Writers:
- Geoffrey C. Ward
- Aka:
- The Vietnam War: A Film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick
- Studio:
- PBS
- Genres:
- TV Documentaries
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 12/12/2022
- Run Time:
- 1080 minutes
- Languages:
- English Dolby Digital 2.0, English Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles:
- English Hard of Hearing, Spanish Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.78:1 / 16:9
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- The Making of 'The Vietnam War'
- Bonus Content
- Disc 1:
- This disc includes the following episodes:
1. Déjà Vu (1858-1961) - Disc 2:
- This disc includes the following episode:
2. Riding the Tiger (1961-1963) - Disc 3:
- This disc includes the following episode:
3. The River Styx (January 1964 - December 1965) - Disc 4:
- This disc includes the following episode:
4. Resolve (January 1966 - June 1967) - Disc 5:
- This disc includes the following episode:
5. This Is What We Do (July - December 1967)
- The Making of 'The Vietnam War'
- Bonus Content - Disc 6:
- This disc includes the following episode:
6. Things Fall Apart (January - July 1968) - Disc 7:
- This disc includes the following episode:
7. The Veneer of Civilization (June 1968 - May 1969) - Disc 8:
- This disc includes the following episode:
8. The History of the World (April 1969 - May 1970) - Disc 9:
- This disc includes the following episode:
9. A Disrespectful Loyalty (May 1970 - March 1973) - Disc 10:
- This disc includes the following episode:
10. The Weight of Memory (March 1973 - Onward)
- Bonus Content
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Reviews (2) of The Vietnam War
A superbly structured, balanced telling of a disastrous tragedy. - The Vietnam War review by AB
Over the years I have soaked up every film and documentary I could find on the subject of the Vietnam war, and I can say this series is by far the most profoundly complete I have seen. It uses insights from the individuals caught up in it - the Viet Cong & North Vietnamese Army, the US Military & South Vietnamese army, civilians from both sides, politicians and journalists alike, to explain, account and report from the early circumstances causing the build up and outbreak of the war through the fierce intensity at the height of the conflict to the final withdrawal and legacies.
It explores and reports the socio-political aspects, the strategies and technologies, the cultural contrasts of the belligerents and most of all the people fighting it. It gets across the absolute sacrificial determined tenacity of the north Vietnamese and Viet Cong people - hand made IEDs and mind boggling hard graft versus the richest most technically advanced, but often disillusioned, army in the world (not the last time this would happen). It covers every angle - it's the most complete and compelling telling of this tragic yet fascinating landmark in our history that I've come across.
If you have an interest in this significant piece of modern history -the first rock n roll war - which became an unmitigated disaster, this brilliant, powerful and compelling series is absolutely unmissable.
6 out of 6 members found this review helpful.
An in-depth account accurately told. - The Vietnam War review by DJ
This series should be acclaimed as one of the most accurately told pieces of history one is every likely to possess as a historian, teacher, student or member of a family who has lost a loved one in this disastrously prosecuted war, from which it seemed impossible to extract the fighting forces. Like Afghanistan, the indigenous people fought a strike and withdraw strategy. Afghanistan has never been defeated in 6000 yrs and the North Vietnamese used a similar strategy, which denies technology that hoped for sweeping victory. There were no winners in Vietnam, just endless suffering by all sides.
The film's Director, Ken Burns, is one of the most acclaimed directors of our time. HIs understanding of film grammar excels to the point that his techniques are taught in film schools and colleges throughout the Western world. This is an exemplary piece of work that will doubtless be revered as the truest account on record. It is the creation of an extremely clever man and it must have taken years to research and complete, such is the passion of Ken Burns when undertaking a project.
Utterly gripping and brilliantly executed, this film will never be surpassed in the field of documentaries.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.