The Trials of Henry Kissinger (2002)

A film about the war crimes of the American diplomat, Henry Kissinger.

Director:

Eugene Jarecki

Writers:

Alex Gibney, Christopher Hitchens (book)

Stars:

Brian Cox, Henry Kissinger, Anna Chennault

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Brian Cox	...	Narrator (voice)
Henry Kissinger	...	Himself (archive footage)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anna Chennault	...	Herself
Amy Goodman	...	Herself
Alexander Haig	...	Himself
Seymour Hersh	...	Himself (author)
Christopher Hitchens	...	Himself
Barbara Howar	...	Herself
Michael Korda	...	Himself (Editor-in-Chief, Simon & Schuster)
Lewis Lapham	...	Himself (Editor, Harper's Magazine)
Geoffrey Robertson	...	Himself (Human Rights Lawyer)
William Safire	...	Himself (New York Times)
René Schneider Jr.	...	Himself
Michael Tigar	...	Himself (Professor of Law)

Storyline

Part contemporary investigation and part historical inquiry, documentary follows the quest of one journalist in search of justice. The film focuses on Christopher Hitchens' charges against Henry Kissinger as a war criminal - allegations documented in Hitchens' book of the same title - based on his role in countries such as Cambodia, Chile, and Indonesia. Kissinger's story raises profound questions about American foreign policy and highlights a new era of human rights. Increasing evidence about one man's role in a long history of human rights abuses leads to a critical examination of American diplomacy through the lens of international standards of justice.

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Plot Keywords:

diplomat | diplomacy | american politics | power politics | political criminal | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA UK Denmark France Canada Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 May 2003 (France)

Also Known As:

Angeklagt: Henry Kissinger

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$14,667, 29 September 2002, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$515,678, 15 June 2003

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arte France Cinéma, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Diverse Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in The 2003 IFP Independent Spirit Awards (2003)

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Soundtracks

Mr. Big Stuff
(uncredited)
Performed by Jean Knight
Played during the segment discussing Kissinger's celebrity status

User Reviews

More One-sided then a Michael Moore documentary!

I am not a fan of Kissinger & I'm sure he has done quite a many disreputable things. However this is so one-sided that it shouldn't be called a documentary at all. A lot of this is interesting but how much is truth? This does nothing but say how horrible the man is & all the bad things he has done especially during the Vietnam War. The one thing that is for sure is that Kissinger didn't seem to have any sort of scruples or loyalty towards anyone but himself. I'm not sure if that is good or bad, but as far as his Foreign Policy issues are concerned, he would do whatever he had to or follow whoever he thought would win an election so he could stay in power. This is mildly interesting but again you only get one side. Everyone attacks him & it seems no one stands up for him at all. I must say that his wiretapping of his own people is quite unforgivable no matter who you are. He reminds me a lot of J. Edgar Hoover & I bet he had all sorts of blackmailing files just like Hoover did which is probably part of the reason he was so powerful. If you attacked him, well he could really hurt you.