A handful of movie stars and musicians take the audience on a journey into their protest review which traveled the Pacific Rim during the Nixon era of the Vietnam war as well as just outside American local military bases. At first, this concert of songs and sketches seems half Hellzapoppin', half Springtime for Hitler for the modern era. In spite of the laughs, blues and military brass, there's a touching sentiment to it. Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland represent Hollywood elite, hot off the trail of "Klute" even though much of this took place before the film was released. Anti-Fonda criticizers will most likely skip this, but this will remain her opportunity to speak her mind and even sing a bit.
I have no opinion on Hanoi Jane as her protest years referred to her as, with accusations of treason thrown at her, but I do admire her fight for freedom of speech. The songs do speak to peace lovers, an ironic view of the past considering our present. There's clever adaptions of famous American anthems with protest lyrics and a few heartbreaking solos which describe the agony of what the reluctant soldiers must have felt in battle. An interesting depiction of prostitutes protesting the war with their johns is an important issue made here, as is another issue of Puerto Ricans and blacks who fought at home yet pulled together during war time in peace. One number featuring Fonda seems like a spoof of Liza Minnelli in the same year's "Cabaret".
I have no opinion on Hanoi Jane as her protest years referred to her as, with accusations of treason thrown at her, but I do admire her fight for freedom of speech. The songs do speak to peace lovers, an ironic view of the past considering our present. There's clever adaptions of famous American anthems with protest lyrics and a few heartbreaking solos which describe the agony of what the reluctant soldiers must have felt in battle. An interesting depiction of prostitutes protesting the war with their johns is an important issue made here, as is another issue of Puerto Ricans and blacks who fought at home yet pulled together during war time in peace. One number featuring Fonda seems like a spoof of Liza Minnelli in the same year's "Cabaret".