Saginaw | 18 Sep 2017 6:41 a.m. PST |
Part One aired last night. Parts Two through Five air tonight through Thursday, and Parts Six through Ten air from next Sunday to Thursday. So far, I like the tone and pacing of the series, especially Part One's concise and narrative history laying down the foundation of the story of America's involvement. On a personal level, I've always had an interest in not just the Vietnam War itself, but of the stories of the lives affected and how our culture was changed. My brother and a couple of cousins were "in country" and, thankfully, returned with no observable ill-effects. We've learned so much since then, but there's still much more to tell. |
Old Wolfman | 18 Sep 2017 7:05 a.m. PST |
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clibinarium | 18 Sep 2017 8:10 a.m. PST |
In the UK it starts on BBC Four next week I think. They've billed it as a "10 Hour" series, but my understanding is the whole thing is 18 hours. I am guessing they've edited it down to get 10 one hour episodes. I hope I'm wrong. If not I'll wait to see it some other way as I am not watching the series with nearly half the material missing. I faintly remember them pulling the same thing with the Civil War in the early 90s. |
Cyrus the Great | 18 Sep 2017 8:25 a.m. PST |
I was surprised by the number of Viet Minh, still living, that they were able to interview. The number of presidents that had personal misgivings, but escalated anyway. What should've been viewed as the end of European colonialism, was viewed in the light of the Cold War! I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. |
ScottWashburn | 18 Sep 2017 9:38 a.m. PST |
I was very impressed with the first episode. The tragedy of the whole thing was made clearer than ever for me. Ho Chi Min would have gladly been an ally to the US if we just hadn't sided with DeGaul and the French. His interest in Communism was entirely secondary to his desire for a free and independent Vietnam. |
Cyrus the Great | 18 Sep 2017 11:06 a.m. PST |
Dewey being mistakenly shot, didn't help matters any. |
jdginaz | 18 Sep 2017 11:41 a.m. PST |
"Ho Chi Min would have gladly been an ally to the US if we just hadn't sided with DeGaul and the French. His interest in Communism was entirely secondary to his desire for a free and independent Vietnam." That is all BS Min was a diehard communist the idea that he wasn't came Archimedes Patti's report on Min and had become a personal friend of Ho and was a communist sympathizer himself. Early on he was an advocate of Bolshevism for Asians. He was a founding member of the French Communist party and later went to the USSR and received a university education there. The idea that he was mainly a nationalist is shown to be false by the fact that after returning to Vietnam he & Giap killed off the leaders of rival national groups making sure the communist were in charge of the movement. |
goragrad | 18 Sep 2017 1:02 p.m. PST |
There is also the fact that for significant periods in history the Northern and Southern portions of Vietnam were separate entities. Something noted post war by a reporter traveling through the country. Of course 20 years of living under Communism in the North versus at least a form of Capitalism in the South probably shaped the peoples' worldviews. And in my past delvings into Ho Chi Minh's background I found, that as jdginaz, he was a Communist first and foremost. Not unexpected that Burns would take a liberal view of the origins and conduct of the war. |
Cyrus the Great | 18 Sep 2017 3:05 p.m. PST |
Not unexpected that Burns would take a liberal view of the origins and conduct of the war. @goragrad Did you actually see the episode? |
Doctor X | 18 Sep 2017 4:17 p.m. PST |
It didn't matter if Ho was a nationalist or not. When the Cold War started being a Communist pretty much assured you couldn't be aligned with the US. Looking forward to tonight's episode. |
Shagnasty | 18 Sep 2017 5:52 p.m. PST |
No, despite the very clever advertisements. |
Captain Gideon | 18 Sep 2017 9:04 p.m. PST |
NO Not interested in the period. |
Hafen von Schlockenberg | 18 Sep 2017 10:25 p.m. PST |
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ZULUPAUL | 19 Sep 2017 4:09 a.m. PST |
No, no interest in his documentaries. |
StoneMtnMinis | 19 Sep 2017 9:03 a.m. PST |
NO, I have been fully indoctrinated already. I am no longer capable of thought crime. |
Jakar Nilson | 19 Sep 2017 10:02 a.m. PST |
Yep. I've also been reading Lucien Bodard's accounts on the French Indochina war, so some of what was shown on Sunday seemed a bit simplistic, especially the absence of any mention of Bao Dai. Hope there will be some mention of Australian and New Zealand involvement. |
goragrad | 19 Sep 2017 12:00 p.m. PST |
Haven't watched a Burns docudrama in years. When a man can do a series on the early feminist/suffragettes and totally fail to mention their anti-abortion views I can find better things to do than sit and wonder how what I am watching has been shaped by an agenda and what isn't being shown because of that agenda. |
Cacique Caribe | 19 Sep 2017 11:57 p.m. PST |
Some politicians still think there are 2 Vietnams today. :) Dan |
Tumbleweed | 25 Sep 2017 10:30 a.m. PST |
I reconsidered and decided that my comment could be construed as too political. |
14Bore | 26 Sep 2017 3:33 p.m. PST |
Not a channel I roam through often and didn't relize it was alresdy playing. But see its On Demand and plan to see at least a few. Like right now. Showing season 1 starting at episode 7 |
138SquadronRAF | 27 Sep 2017 8:16 a.m. PST |
Yes, up to to episode 4 currently and have generally found it interesting. |