Vietnam: The Ten Thousand Day War
Vietnam: The Ten Thousand Day War, a Canadian television documentary on the Vietnam War that was broadcast in 1980 by Michael Maclear, was a 26-part program.
The documentary series was condensed into 13-hour episodes for American television broadcast. The program was released on videocassette by Embassy and received a National Education Association award for best world documentary for besting other programs.
The military, political, and societal effects of the Vietnam War are still being experienced, these effects have altered the landscape of American life to an unprecedented degree. Written by CNN’s Peter Arnett, the 13 episodes of Vietnam: The Ten Thousand Day War chronicle the entire conflict, beginning with the initial preparations for war in late WWII, through to the final days of Saigon in 1975.
Filmmaking documentaries is simply more effective than this. The documentary features extensive archival footage from both sides and interviews with participants including infantry soldiers and diplomats. All of this results in a journalistic objectivity and fairness that is devoid of sentiment.
It would be easier to comprehend the conflict if blame could be laid at the feet of the French, Kennedy, Johnson, or Nixon, but the progression of the conflict is never entirely clear. Instead, it was a slippery slope that led to death in large numbers and devastation in Vietnam.
