Hearts and Minds (1974)

A documentary of the conflicting attitudes of the opponents of the Vietnam war.

Director:

Peter Davis

Stars:

Georges Bidault, Clark Clifford, George Coker

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Georges Bidault	...	Himself
Clark Clifford	...	Himself
George Coker	...	Himself
Kay Dvorshock	...	Herself
Dwight D. Eisenhower	...	Himself (archive footage)
Daniel Ellsberg	...	Himself
Randy Floyd	...	Himself
J. William Fulbright	...	Himself (as J.W. Fulbright)
Brian Holden
William Marshall	...	Himself
Robert Muller	...	Himself
Khanh Nguyen	...	Himself
Walt Rostow	...	Himself
William C. Westmoreland	...	Himself

Storyline

This film recounts the history and attitudes of the opposing sides of the Vietnam War using archival news footage as well as its own film and interviews. A key theme is how attitudes of American racism and self-righteous militarism helped create and prolong this bloody conflict. The film also endeavors to give voice to the Vietnamese people themselves as to how the war has affected them and their reasons why they fight the United States and other western powers while showing the basic humanity of the people that US propaganda tried to dismiss.

---

Plot Keywords:

vietnam | interview | vietnam war | propaganda | racism | 

---

Genres:

Documentary | War

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Official DVD site [United Kingdom] Rialto Pictures

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Vietnamese

Release Date:

17 November 1975 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Corações E Mentes

Filming Locations:

Linden, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$8,556 (USA) (22 October 2004)

Gross:

$28,287 (USA) (12 November 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBS Productions, Rainbow Releasing

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

After the movie won its Academy Award, the next Oscar presenter, Frank Sinatra, denounced it.

---

Quotes

Gen. William Westmoreland: The Oriental doesn't put the same high price on life as does the Westerner. Life is cheap in the Orient.

---

Connections

Referenced in Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood (2003)

User Reviews

A superior film/documentary

Peter Davis created one of the most moving accounts of the Vietnam War and the attitudes at home when he produced "Hearts and Minds".

The film looks unflinchingly at the nature of power and horrible consequences of war. It is very much a pro-peace film, but uses the people who were there to speak for themselves. It also seeks to probe deeper underneath the American psyche of the times and evolves into a historical document about the violent social rupture that happened between the fifties and the sixties.

In many ways, it feels like a punch in the gut to watch the film. So many ideologies are laid bear....so many were false or misleading.

In the end, the film leaves you thinking about the price of war - and who is given the task to bear that price.

Truly deserving of the Oscar it received - and worthy of repeated viewing.