Essays on Vietnam War

Daughter of Danang, a film by Gail Dolgin and Vicente Franco, may be ranked amongst the greatest documentaries of this century. Unlike most Hollywood movies, this is a real, absolutely true harrowing story that takes its beginning from the Vietnam War. There are no stunts or special effects, outstanding actors or hackneyed phrases – there is just a real life with all its problems, misunderstandings, pros and cons, love and pain.

The 1968 film The Green Berets, starring and co-directed by John Wayne, presents a very pro-American and jingoistic view of the Vietnam War, sugarcoating the more violent and abhorrent aspects of the US Army’s activities during the war in favor of a more benevolent, patriotic mindset. The film follows Colonel Mike Kirby, leader of a Green Beret Unit, as he fights in South Vietnam and defends his men against actions taken by the North Vietnamese. In this essay, several aspects of the film will be critiqued, comparing the viewpoint explored in the film with the truth of US Army actions during the way.