THE VIETNAM WAR | OnStreaming

The Vietnam War poster. Mirrored soldiers above and below the title. — Images: Florentine Films

“To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.”

Directed by: Ken Burns, Lynn Novick
Documentary, History, War
16hrs 30minTV-MA$

Free 25 minute sneak peek preview on VUDU and PBS.org

Ken Burns and Lynn Novick bring us The Vietnam War.

The quote that tops this article is from none other than Friedrich Nietzsche, and it’s something to hold onto while viewing the ten episode mini-series.

The first episode explores the long history leading up to America’s involvement in Vietnam. Jumping back as far as 1853, the episode reveals the century of French colonialism that inevitably resulted in the Vietnamese people craving independence from France, not unlike the way Americans once craved their independence from Britain. The history is long and complicated and it requires ninety minutes or so to explain. By episode two, I realized how important it was to do the deep dive. There’s a lot to process about what brews a war, and part of that process is knowing that you can’t understand events without understanding the people– a mistake that even the leaders fighting the battles often made.

Filled with incredible filmed footage and arresting images, The Vietnam War doesn’t hesitate to show the hate, brutality, and cruelty that naturally comes with a conflict on this scale. Interviews with veterans from both sides give a glimpse into the thoughts, motivations, and the lasting impact the war had on the people who were there–living through history.

The war caused (and is still causing) a relentless amount of suffering. It’s often hard to watch the PBS documentary even with a full realization of how important this story is. I’m going to finish all sixteen hours with the hope of finding a little bit of meaning.

Streaming on Netflix. Available for purchase in SD, HD, and HDX. Prices start at $6.99 per episode, $45.99 for the season.