Vietnam in HD: The Tet Offensive (2011)
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Third entry in the series takes a look at The Tet Offensive, which the North Vietnamese shocked American troops with several surprise attacks. The documentary really focuses on the 1/30/68 attacks, which happened during a time where there wasn't supposed to be any sorts of gunfights or battles. We learn that this was one of the turning points in the war and another key element is the fact that so many media members are covering the war and are able to send home images of dead bodies. This is the main reason that so many Americans begin to feel that they shouldn't be in the war and it's also mentioned that this is probably the reason that the government censored all footage during WWII. Also we hear the story of Anne Purcell, a woman who had to stay home with her five children while her husband went to fight. They would send audio recordings back and forth to one another and we get to hear some of the ones that Anne sent to him. We also meet Elizabeth Allen, a nurse who talks about the MASH units and we learn that 99% of those injured would survive if they made it past the first 24-hours. Once again this is an impressive episode in the series and while you never get a clear idea of what was going on in the Tet Offensive I think the story is good enough to draw you in. We don't get to spend too much time with Purcell or Allen but both are effective while they are on the screen. Some of the most striking images are once again the amount of damage caused by the battles and sensitive viewers should be cautioned that many dead bodies are seen including an infamous moment where a South Vietnamese soldier shoots a Northern man in the head in front of media cameras. Walter Cronkite's speech is also played and we learn that fifty-million Americans would watch their nightly news to see what was going on.
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Third entry in the series takes a look at The Tet Offensive, which the North Vietnamese shocked American troops with several surprise attacks. The documentary really focuses on the 1/30/68 attacks, which happened during a time where there wasn't supposed to be any sorts of gunfights or battles. We learn that this was one of the turning points in the war and another key element is the fact that so many media members are covering the war and are able to send home images of dead bodies. This is the main reason that so many Americans begin to feel that they shouldn't be in the war and it's also mentioned that this is probably the reason that the government censored all footage during WWII. Also we hear the story of Anne Purcell, a woman who had to stay home with her five children while her husband went to fight. They would send audio recordings back and forth to one another and we get to hear some of the ones that Anne sent to him. We also meet Elizabeth Allen, a nurse who talks about the MASH units and we learn that 99% of those injured would survive if they made it past the first 24-hours. Once again this is an impressive episode in the series and while you never get a clear idea of what was going on in the Tet Offensive I think the story is good enough to draw you in. We don't get to spend too much time with Purcell or Allen but both are effective while they are on the screen. Some of the most striking images are once again the amount of damage caused by the battles and sensitive viewers should be cautioned that many dead bodies are seen including an infamous moment where a South Vietnamese soldier shoots a Northern man in the head in front of media cameras. Walter Cronkite's speech is also played and we learn that fifty-million Americans would watch their nightly news to see what was going on.
