Winter Soldier (1972)

User Rating:

8.3/10   

Genre:

Documentary | History | War

Plot:

For three days in 1971, former US soldiers who were in Vietnam testify in Detroit about their war experiences...

Plot Keywords:

Soldier | Testimony | Atrocity | Vietnam | Interview

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Rusty Sachs	...	Himself
Joe Bangert	...	Himself
Scott Shimabukuro	...	Himself
Kenneth Campbell	...	Himself
Scott Camil	...	Himself
John Kerry	...	Himself
Steve Pitkin	...	Himself
Jonathan Birch	...	Himself
Charles Stevens	...	Himself
Fred Nienke	...	Himself
David Bishop	...	Himself
Nathan Hale	...	Himself
Michael Hunter	...	Himself
Murphy Lloyd	...	Himself
Carl Rippberger	...	Himself

Runtime:

USA:96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:MA | USA:Not Rated | UK:X

Company:

Winterfilm Collective

Movie Connections:

Featured in Sir! No Sir! (2005)

soldiers telling the raw truth

This film consisted almost entirely of talking heads, but held the attention of the audience from start to end at a screening organised by the Socialist Workers Party. It was introduced by a Vietnam veteran slating the UK Labour party for applauding Tony Blair "the 2nd most hated man in the world" on his farewell speech.

The film was mainly shot at a public hearing, organised by Veterans against the war (featuring John Kerry), where former soldiers talked about truly disgusting atrocities against men, women and children that they saw or themselves committed. They are described in a matter-of-fact fashion, because they were an everyday occurrence. They also talk about how they were trained, the dehumanising mindset they were trained in and the realisations they came to on returning to the US. Cut into this were interviews with audience members including a dissenting black veteran talking with members of VVAW about why he thinks there are not many Afro-Americans in their movement.

Too often when atrocities occur, it is the soldiers that are scapegoated, when it is governments that send them out brainwashed. This film gives them a chance to put their side of the story, causing conflicting emotions- should you feel disgusted with them as murderers or pity them as young conscripts deceived into fighting, brutally trained to act like animals. Though it is grim, it is also heartening that they had the courage to stand up against their government and attempt to stop the genocidal war. The sort of film GW Bush and Blair should have watched years ago.