A Quiet Hope

Seven Vietnam veterans are the interview subjects in this strange, and somewhat dishonest film. Over the first two-thirds, the seven vets tell stories about their days in boot camp, experiences in Vietnam, and difficulties adjusting to civilian life back home. Intercut throughout the stories are film clips of the Vietnam War set to an amazingly rich soundtrack (featuring "Let's Hang On," "Wipeout," "Purple Haze," "Think," "Bad Moon Rising," and "Fire and Rain," among others). The strange thing about the film is that the filmmakers have done so much editing as to make the vets' stories nearly incoherent. Often a vet will say one sentence, followed by an edit to another vet for one sentence, and so on; by the time the first vet comes around again, you're juggling four or more separate stories in your head. The film takes a sudden turn during the final third, when all of the vets reveal that their lives have been restored because they each accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior. We do not question the sincerity of either the interviewees or the filmmakers. These are emotional and moving testimonials. We question the packaging--nowhere in the descriptive paragraph describing the film is religion even mentioned. It's dishonest, and reminiscent of the door-to-door "world citizens" who profess to want to discuss a social or political problem with you, but really want to sign you up for a particular denomination. The production values and overall content of A Quiet Hope are top-notch. But because of the confusing editing, and the unstated "message" aspect of the film, we can only suggest that this be an optional purchase. (Available from most distributors.)