Winter Soldier (1972)

Winter Soldier (1972)

“I didn’t like being an animal, and I didn’t like seeing everybody else be an animal.”

Synopsis:
During a truth commission held by Vietnam Veterans Against the War, ex-soldiers testify about the atrocities they (and others) committed.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Documentary
  • Veterans
  • Vietnam War

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, this “gut-wrenching, myth-shattering” documentary makes for “horrifying, unforgettable, essential viewing”. Filmed by a collective team of directors in Detroit, Winter Soldier is as close to “pure” documenting as one could hope for — all cameras are focused on the veterans as they share their horror stories, and it’s the power of these cumulative narratives which carries the film. Story after story reveals the daily atrocities soldiers were asked (and expected) to commit against the Vietnamese — all of whom were treated as The Enemy. Soldiers were told that “any dead Vietnamese is a V.C.”, and were explicitly encouraged to increase body counts. Though we may have read about such heinous practices in the abstract, hearing about them from the mouths of real men is an entirely different experience. One can’t help feeling grateful that at least these long-haired veterans were given the opportunity to “confess their sins” in public, and hopefully help not only others, but themselves as well.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Countless powerful, personal testimonies of crimes against humanity committed in Vietnam


Must See?
Yes. Along with Hearts and Minds (1974) and In the Year of the Pig (1968), this remains one of a handful of must-see documentaries about the Vietnam War.

Categories

  • Controversial Film
  • Historical Relevance

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One thought on “Winter Soldier (1972)

  1. “We were Americans. We were the civilized people,” says one Vietnam vet. They were anything but – and programmed that way.

    True, this is very much one of the ESSENTIALS. Mandatory viewing, not only for ffs but for all Americans. More than just about anything that could be written about it, the film speaks volumes for itself. Descriptions of what went on are (for lack of a harsher term) brutally savage.

    This is one real eye-and-ear-opener – about hatred, racism, brainwashing, and one particular war rooted in thirst and hunger for conquest and power.

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