Last Days in Vietnam (2014)

During the final days of the Vietnam War, North Vietnamese forces closed in on Saigon as South Vietnamese resistance crumbled. An unlikely group of heroes emerged as Americans and South Vietnamese took matters into their own hands.

Director:

Rory Kennedy

Writers:

Mark Bailey, Keven McAlester

Stars:

Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger, Stuart Herrington

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Nixon	...	Self - President (archive footage)
Henry Kissinger	...	Self - Secretary of State
Stuart Herrington	...	Self - Army Captain
Juan Valdez	...	Self - Marine Embassy Guard
Frank Snepp	...	Self - CIA Analyst
Graham Martin	...	Self - United States Ambassador to South Vietnam (archive footage)
Kiem Do	...	Self - Captain, South Vietnamese Navy
Ron Nessen	...	Self - White House Press Secretary
Gerald Ford	...	Self - President (archive footage)
Binh Pho	...	Self - College Student
Steve Hasty	...	Self - Marine Consulate Guard
Pete McCloskey	...	Self - Representative, California
Millicent Fenwick	...	Self - Representative, New Jersey (archive footage)
Terry McNamara	...	Self - Consul General
Hugh Doyle	...	Self - Chief Engineer, USS Kirk

Storyline

During the chaotic final weeks of the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese Army closes in on Saigon as the panicked South Vietnamese people desperately attempt to escape. On the ground, American soldiers and diplomats confront the same moral quandary: whether to obey White House orders to evacuate U.S. citizens only--or to risk treason and save the lives of as many South Vietnamese citizens as they can.

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Plot Keywords:

vietnam | vietnam war | country name in title | title directed by female | embassy | 

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Genres:

Documentary | History | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in The Oscars (2015)

User Reviews

Sad and harsh reality of war once it ends - slightly one-sided

One of the most reviled wars in American history, in term of involvement, is explored through the eyes of sympathetic humanity toward its last days.

The war in region known as Vietnam stretched nearly thirty years – and in the Last Days in Vietnam, filmmakers show the chaotic and desperate final weeks before and after the fall of Saigon.

Nearing 1975 the war in Vietnam was supposed to be finished through the signing of the Paris Peace Accords. However, North Vietnam continued the offensive and in doing so, violated the treaty. Slowly descending toward the South Vietnam capital of Saigon, and with US troops withdrawing, the scramble for safety intensified. In the final weeks, American soldiers and diplomats stationed in the area are confronted with a moral predicament: obey direct orders from the Executive Branch to only evacuate US citizens and condemn their Southern Vietnamese allies to an unspeakable end OR ignore orders, risk treason, and save as many lives as they can.

As someone born close to fifteen years after the end of the Vietnam War, the severity and desperation of that time is but a lesson from a history book for me. I am too young to know about Vietnam extensively, and unfortunately the American public education system rarely catches up to near-current history.

The documentary, Last Days in Vietnam, lacks the minute details of a backstory in the opening of the film to catch uninformed viewers up to speed to fully comprehend the complete gravity of the situation during this time. Last Days in Vietnam pretty much wastes no time and jumps right in to the withdrawal of troops and consequential impacts upon the South Vietnamese. From then on it is a fast-paced and suspenseful account of the courageous and hopeless efforts to save civilians while expressing the genuine reverence US soldiers has and have for their allies, who the US government had no direct objective to rescue.

Last Days in Vietnam is heart felt and comprehensive, detailing the accounts of those final days and weeks through video, pictures and first-hand personal narratives. The simultaneous use of real chronicles with video and photography makes for a powerful and engaging experience for the viewer.

Though the film mentions in passing, the harsh reality and ultimate consequence of war, human lives, especially in the face of imminent conquering and defeat – it does not delve deeper. Nor does Last Days in Vietnam review those civilians who were unable to be rescued or had unresolved resentment toward the Americans for abandoning them. Without these key unexamined pieces, Last Days in Vietnam ends up feeling like an American propaganda documentary – informative but one-sided.

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 January 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ostatnie dni w Wietnamie

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$30,500, 7 September 2014

Gross USA:

$466,114

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$466,114

Company Credits

Production Co:

Moxie Firecracker Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1