Directed by peter davis, minds doesnt really attempt to provide a history of the conflict, though it pays some lip service to that concept. It is a potent film with many images that stick in the mind. Hearts and minds, however, is so various, so full of associations that go beyond the war, that the film does a lot more than preach to the committed. The movie was chosen as best feature documentary at the 47th academy awards presented in 1975. It is a multifaceted initiative that includes the following programs.
It is a provocative film that is likely to generate strong feelings and reactions. Peter daviss hearts and minds is an archetypal important documentary about the war in vietnam. Critics of this film argue that this film doesnt utilise hard political analysis. Analysis of hearts and minds and harlan county, usa. 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. Parents need to know that hearts and minds is an intense 1974 academyaward winning documentary about the vietnam war. I can not say that i have ever seen the 1974 award winning documentary hearts and minds, directed by peter davis, before but after watching the trailer. Hearts and minds is a powerful indictment against the vietnam war. Hearts and minds postviewing guide trinity university. Hearts and minds 1974 many times during his presidency, lyndon b. 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. Hearts and minds 1975 winner of the academy award for best documentary feature, peter daviss documentary on the american involvement in the war in vietnam debuted at the cannes film festival in 1974, just a year after the american withdrawal and months before the resignation of. Filmmaker peter davis uses johnsons phrase in an ironic context in this antiwar documentary, filmed and released while the vietnam war was still under way, juxtaposing interviews with military figures like u.
What do they reveal about the architecture of cinematic argument. Power is virtually the first word heard in peter daviss epic documentary, hearts and minds, and power, real and mythical, is what the film. Cinematography richard pearce film editors lynzee klingman, susan martin. Hearts and minds is a 1974 american documentary film about the vietnam war directed by. 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. In the film, director peter davis combines archival. Hearts and minds, a sentimental and intellectual film as its title suggests. Hearts and minds is the thirteenth episode of the first season of the american television series lost. Accompanied by james tenneys sound collage, schneemann uses a magnifying glass to travel through images from news reports on vietnam war atrocities, as if trying to get closer to the truth hidden within. Before viewing the film hearts and minds, please be warned. On the 40th anniversary of hearts and minds, vogue.
Throughout the film, you see various conversations with both a. The award winning documentary, hearts and minds, portrays the attitudes of the opposing sides in the vietnam war. The episode sees boone carlyle ian somerhalder experience a vision quest, believing his stepsister shannon maggie grace to be dead. 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. The film s title is based on a quote from president lyndon b. The movie was chosen as the winner of the oscar for best documentary at the 47th academy awards presented in 1975. The film is being revived and re released thirtyfive years after it was made. For evidence of this, we need look no further than 1974s oscarwinning hearts and minds, a provocative look at the us involvement in the vietnam war. This was a controversial film when it was released, and it is still a controversial film. Hearts and minds is a 1974 documentary film directed by peter davis it is a history of americas involvement in the vietnam war.
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. On the commentary track for peter davis hearts and minds, a landmark. Hearts and minds film the hearts and minds film initiative is the flagship program of serviam media. Davis makes no attempt to justify the american involvement in vietnam, which, its obvious, he believes to have. War in hearts and minds, peter daviss academy awardwinning 1974. For years, the vietnamese had been conspicuous by their absence in american film and texts. The film starts with a basic outline of the issues. Hearts and minds is a 1974 american documentary film about the vietnam war directed by peter davis. Using a wealth of sourcesfrom interviews to footage of the conflict and the upheaval it caused on the home frontdavis constructs a powerfully affecting picture of the disastrous impacts of war.
It is also rated r, which accurately reflects some of the disturbing. This created quite a storm, pro and con, in the united states. Overviewintroduction hearts and minds is a gripping 112 minute documentary created in 1974 and directed by peter davis. With tin chan, chau diem, ngo dinh diem, john foster dulles. It is a controversial film because it highlights the sentiments of war. Pacification is the more formal term for winning hearts and minds. 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. However, hearts and minds went on to win the 1974 academy award for best. Hearts and minds is a powerful documentary that was made by peter davis in 1974 to examine the vietnam war in its last days. 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. The films title is based on a quote from president lyndon b.
Documentary is not truth, no retelling of an event ever is. William fulbright, william marshall, khanh nguyen, walt rostow, william c. The virulently antivietnam war documentary also is a prime example of feeblethinking vietnam veteran bashing, of what. In this case, however, it was also defined as the process of. 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. If southern comfort sought to place the viewer on the ground in a vietnamese jungle, peter daviss 1974 documentary, hearts and minds, recently reissued by criterion in a new dualformat edition with two hours of unused material, provides an evocative, often gutwrenching sense of what it was like to be living in the united states during 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 the height of. The disjointed structure of the film leads the director to slowly reveal. There are lessons aplenty about vietnam in hearts and mindsits a shame we still. Its very sympathetic to the vietnamese which i am not saying is a bad thing, damning the war and the government to the point where im surprised it wasnt somehow censored on release. Through a series of flashbacks, it is revealed that boone is in love with shannon, and that they slept together prior to crashing on the island.
Peter davis on his pivotal vietnam documentary, hearts and. 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. Hearts and minds is a documentary about the vietnam. The movie was chosen as academy award for best documentary feature at the 47th academy awards presented in 1975. The documentary hearts and minds 1974 directed by peter davis is a. When they did appear, it was usually as onedimensional characters in a predetermined history. Released in 1974, when it could be considered part of a heated cultural.
The film premiered at the 1974 cannes film festival. Johnson said that ultimate victory in the vietnam war depended upon the u. Vietnams history as a french colony is discussed, as well as americas gradual and incremental involvement in the conflict from the 1950s into the 1970s. An examination of the conflicting attitudes of the opponents of the vietnam war. Hearts and minds, a film study of power the new york times. Its mission is to foster civic engagement, using the media arts as tools for youth leadership development, community education and outreach. And then it was shelved for a year because its original distributor, columbia, feared legal problems. Military, political, economic, and social means were used to. Its one of many scenes that capture the complexities of the vietnam war in hearts and minds, peter daviss academy awardwinning 1974 documentary, just.
The late film critic judith crist, in her essay written for criterions 2002. Hearts and minds is designed to be profoundly upsetting and shocking. Hearts and minds criterion collection with dvd on tcm shop. Herring and ngo vinh long in the excellent and updated liner notes that accompany its reissue. One of the most important contributions peter daviss hearts and minds makes to our national dialogue on the vietnam war is its portrayal of ordinary vietnamese. Hearts and minds a must to avoid vietnam veterans of. 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. Using actual footage and interviews, hearts and minds makes the viewer question why america was involved in the war at all. A startling and courageous film, peter daviss landmark 1974 documentary unflinchingly confronted the united states involvement in vietnam at the height of the controversy surrounding it. 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. 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 the film first appeared here in 1974, its sympathetic and complicated treatment of average vietnamese created a. Hearts and minds is an unapologetically partisan film and. Rent hearts and minds 1974 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix.
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