Miniseries – The Vietnam War

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1:59

Sep 2017

Documentary

History

War

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Popcornmeter

96%

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49 Reviews

94%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

This 10-part, 18-hour documentary series from directors Ken Burns and Lynn Novick presents firsthand accounts of the Vietnam War from nearly 80 witnesses, including Americans who fought in the war and some who opposed it, as well as Vietnamese combatants and civilians from both sides. Digitally remastered archival footage, photographs, historic television broadcasts and home movies offer different perspectives on the conflict. Also providing insight are audio recordings from inside the administrations of Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon.

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Critics Consensus

The Vietnam War revisits a dark chapter in American history with patience, grace, and a refreshing -- and sobering -- perspective informed by those who fought.

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Jasper Rees

Daily Telegraph (UK)

12/28/2017

5/5

The final episodes, nine and 10, offered no respite as they trawled through the particulars of America's withdrawal, the downfall of Nixon, and the plight of the boat people.

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Justin Burke

The Australian

12/26/2017

An excellent 10-part documentary series about the Vietnam War.

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Mark Feeney

Boston Globe

10/04/2017

The philosopher Arthur C. Danto, a World War II veteran, once wrote of the experience of visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, "Be prepared to weep." Those words also apply to the experience of watching these 18 hours.

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PJ Nabarro

Patrick Nabarro

02/25/2020

4/5

It is paradoxically laudable that documentarians, Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, have been able to cast such a measured and equanimous tone over the subject matter.

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Dan Schindel

Hyperallergic

02/08/2020

The Vietnam War, which took ten years and $30 million to make, does almost nothing new with its topic. It can't say what any number of books, documentaries, articles, or fiction films haven't already said.

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Chris McCoy

Memphis Flyer

01/16/2020

Burns and Novick are great researchers, but they've outdone themselves.

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Gareth v

@geewah 06/24/2023

Brilliantly told doco from both sides, on the political, social, and ethical tolls this war took on the USA and Vietnam. Ken Burns proves why he's a legend of his genre (again) with this compelling doco

Mike F

@RT42074684 05/13/2023

A must see regardless of your interest in history. An emotional and factual roller coaster.

Eugenio T

@eugeniojtamburini 10/04/2022

Its greatest gift is allowing the audience to empathize with every perspective affected in the conflict, from the Vietnamese soldiers on each side to the everyday people caught up in protests thousands of miles away. It's a lengthy documentary series, but I insist that it works best when watched with as few breaks between episodes as possible. It's an immersive, moving documentary series that left me different than when I started it.

Michael D

@RT31605680 10/31/2020

During the first episode or two, viewers may find themselves saying, "really? Is this grizzled war veteran going to cry? Give me a break." By the time of the last episode, most viewers will be struggling to hold back their own tears even if their lives were unaffected by the war. Ken Burns presents the Vietnam War in a way nobody ever has. He masterfully captures the feeling of the the war - as much feeling as anyone who has never been there can experience.

05/26/2020

Ken Burns's The Vietnam War is documentary at its finest, providing gripping stories and riveting history to a revolutionary era for both the United States and Vietnam.

05/12/2020

Very interesting, but definitely told from a left wing point of view. Take some of these "facts" with a grain of salt.

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Peter Coyote

Narrator

Ken Burns

Director

Lynn Novick

Director

Geoffrey C. Ward

Writer

Sarah Botstein

Producer

Episode 1

Aired Sep 17, 2017

Deja Vu

After nearly a century of French colonial rule, Vietnam emerges independent; but Vietnam is divided in two, communists in the north aim to reunify the country, while the U.S. supports Ngo Dinh Diem's regime in the south.

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Episode 2

Aired Sep 18, 2017

Riding the Tiger

President John F. Kennedy and his advisers consider how deeply the U.S. should get involved in South Vietnam, as a communist insurgency and Buddhist protests intensify.

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Episode 3

Aired Sep 19, 2017

The River Styx

Fearing Saigon's collapse, President Lyndon B. Johnson authorizes the bombing of North Vietnam and sends U.S. ground troops to the south.

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Episode 4

Aired Sep 20, 2017

Resolve

North Vietnamese troops make their way down the Ho Chi Minh Trail, defying American air power; while the anti-war movement escalates, American soldiers realize this war is like no other.

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Episode 5

Aired Sep 21, 2017

This Is What We Do

As casualties mount on both sides, American soldiers face deadly ambushes and artillery; President Johnson assures the public that victory is within reach.

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Episode 6

Aired Sep 24, 2017

Things Fall Apart

Shaken by the violence of the Tet Offensive, assassinations and unrest, Americans begin to doubt President Lyndon B. Johnson's promise that victory is near; Johnson decides not to seek re-election.

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Episode 7

Aired Sep 25, 2017

The Veneer of Civilization

Draft-age Americans wrestle with their choices; Richard Nixon narrowly wins the presidential election; soldiers on all sides of the conflict witness savagery and courage.

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Episode 8

Aired Sep 26, 2017

The History of the World

President Richard Nixon begins withdrawing American troops from Vietnam; the invasion of Cambodia sparks large protests.

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Episode 9

Aired Sep 27, 2017

A Disrespectful Loyalty

The South Vietnamese fight on their own, succumbing to terrible losses in Laos; after he is re-elected, President Richard Nixon strikes a peace deal with Hanoi that sees the release of American prisoners of war.

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Episode 10

Aired Sep 28, 2017

The Weight of Memory

Civil war continues in Vietnam as President Richard Nixon resigns; North Vietnamese troops regain control of Saigon; Americans and Vietnamese try to heal.

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