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Movies / On DVD / The Trials of Henry Kissinger
The Trials of Henry Kissinger

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The Trials of Henry Kissinger (2002)

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Reviews Counted:56

Fresh:53

Rotten:3

Average Rating:7.3/10

Consensus: This compelling unauthorized biography takes a muckraker's view of the controversial diplomat.

Rated: Not Rated

Runtime: 80 mins

Genre: Education/General Interest

Theatrical Release:Sep 25, 2002 Limited

Synopsis: THE TRIALS OF HENRY KISSINGER, a documentary based on the book by British journalist Christopher Hitchens, argues that Kissinger, the former U.S. Secretary of State and the recipient of the Nobel... THE TRIALS OF HENRY KISSINGER, a documentary based on the book by British journalist Christopher Hitchens, argues that Kissinger, the former U.S. Secretary of State and the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, was a power-hungry warmonger responsible for massive military cover-ups in Vietnam, Cambodia, and East Timor in the 1960s, as well as the assassination of a Chilean leader in 1970. The film includes interviews with historians, political analysts, and such notable journalists as the New York Times' William Safire--a former speech writer for Richard Nixon. In addition, it uses archival footage from the Nixon era, including coverage of events both in Washington and in Vietnam. With narrator Brian Cox guiding the flow of the film and keeping it tightly focused on its arguments, THE TRIALS OF HENRY KISSINGER is shocking in its political revelations and fascinating in its portrait of Kissinger. It was directed by Eugene Jarecki and written by Alex Gibney. [More]

Starring: Richard Nixon

Starring: Richard Nixon

Director: Eugene Jarecki

Director: Eugene Jarecki
Screenwriter: Alex Gibney
Producer: Alex Gibney, Eugene Jarecki
Composer: Peter Nashel
Studio: First Run Features

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Aug 19, 2003

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • Is Henry Kissinger - Nobel Laureate and the most famous diplomat of his time - also a war criminal? Featuring previously unseen footage, declassified documents, and revealing interviews with Kissinger supporters (Alexander Haig, Brent Scowcroft, and William Safire) as well as detractors (Seymour Hersh and Christopher Hitchens), this stunning film explores how a young boy who fled Nazi Germany grew up to become one of the most powerful and controversial figures in U.S. history.
  • Source: First Run Features Home Video
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for The Trials of Henry Kissinger

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    Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
    12/16/02
    Boston Phoenix
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
    01/10/03
    Arizona Republic
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
    02/25/03
    Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
    03/14/03
    St. Louis Post-Dispatch
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
    07/21/05
    Houston Chronicle

    While the filmmaking is standard documentary fare and the approach overtly biased, the narration, with tales of intelligence intrigue and ruthless foreign policy, is compelling and convincing.

    Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
    12/05/02
    Allison Benedikt
    Allison Benedikt
    Chicago Tribune

    Not everyone will welcome or accept The Trials of Henry Kissinger as faithful portraiture, but few can argue that the debate it joins is a necessary and timely one.

    Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
    10/11/02
    Ann Hornaday
    Ann Hornaday
    Washington Post

    Even if you don't think [Kissinger's] any more guilty of criminal activity than most contemporary statesmen, he'd sure make a courtroom trial great fun to watch.

    Full Review Source: Los Angeles Daily News | comment Comment
    10/25/02
    Bob Strauss
    Bob Strauss
    Los Angeles Daily News

    A fascinating, bombshell documentary that should shame Americans, regardless of whether or not ultimate blame finally lies with Kissinger. Should be required viewing for civics classes and would-be public servants alike.

    Full Review Source: Entertainment Today | comment Comment
    10/28/02
    Brent Simon
    Brent Simon
    Entertainment Today

    Takes a fresh and absorbing look at a figure whose legacy had begun to bronze.

    Full Review Source: San Jose Mercury News | comment Comment
    10/31/02
    Bruce Newman
    Bruce Newman
    San Jose Mercury News
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    It's better suited for the history or biography channel, but there's no arguing the tone of the movie - it leaves a bad taste in your mouth and questions on your mind.

    Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
    11/29/02
    Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
    Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
    TheMovieChicks.com

    Scores by marshaling facts that speak for themselves. And they don't speak kindly.

    Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
    11/29/02
    Chris Vognar
    Chris Vognar
    Dallas Morning News
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Directly charging him with mass murder, the film colors Kissinger as a secretive, paranoid, duplicitous megalomaniac who rose to political superstardom while literally--the movie claims--getting away with decisions that left hundreds of thousands dead.

    Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine) | comment Comment
    09/13/07
    Christopher Smith
    Christopher Smith
    Bangor Daily News (Maine)

    Jarecki and Gibney do find enough material to bring Kissinger's record into question and explain how the diplomat's tweaked version of statecraft may have cost thousands and possibly millions of lives.

    Full Review Source: Lybarger Links | comment Comment
    05/07/03
    Dan Lybarger
    Dan Lybarger
    Lybarger Links

    The film is a blunt indictment, part of a perhaps surreal campaign to bring Kissinger to trial for crimes against humanity.

    Full Review Source: San Diego Union-Tribune | comment Comment
    01/10/03
    David Elliott
    David Elliott
    San Diego Union-Tribune

    The Trials of Henry Kissinger is a remarkable piece of filmmaking … because you get it.

    Full Review Source: Hot Button | comment Comment
    01/07/03
    David Poland
    David Poland
    Hot Button

    It's both a necessary political work and a fascinating documentary...

    Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
    03/10/03
    Dennis Schwartz
    Dennis Schwartz
    Ozus' World Movie Reviews

    It makes compelling, provocative and prescient viewing.

    Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
    10/10/02
    Desson Thomson
    Desson Thomson
    Washington Post
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    A fast-moving, fluidly told tale, Eugene Jarecki's documentary certainly will likely inflame Kissinger's ardent cronies. And yet, as one-sided as its story is, the movie also manages a measured disposition.

    Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
    10/11/02
    Elbert Ventura
    Elbert Ventura
    PopMatters

    May not be a breakthrough in filmmaking, but it is unwavering and arresting.

    Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
    09/26/02
    Elvis Mitchell
    Elvis Mitchell
    New York Times
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
     
     
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