The Vietcong Chronicle

Produced by Harvey Schuster, The Vietcong Chronicles is an unusual documentary which combines film footage shot by the Vietcong in hidden jungle training camps and overlaid narration to point out day-to-day operations of the Vietcong. Although the narrator occasionally editorializes on the voice-over, the program is mainly concerned with explaining the events captured on the film. As the sepia-tone images play out on the screen, the viewer sees a wide variety of activities: propaganda agents pinning cheap medals on individuals for best quiz scores, women dressed in traditional garb performing USO-style dances for the troops, "junglesmiths" turning out munitions by the wheel-barrow full deep in the brush, huge cook-outs, young men taking apart "dud" U.S. bombs, etc. Towards the end of the program, some battle footage is shown, as well as clips from the "underground hospital" (a mobile medical unit which kept strychnine on hand for the most seriously wounded). Adding original music and some sound effects, Schuster has done a good job in assembling the footage, and despite the sensational nature of the subject matter, The Vietcong Chronicles does not come across as an exploitation video. With the Vietnam War still very fresh in many minds, there is a sensitive aspect to the film that libraries may want to consider: many people will be interested in seeing this video, many others will absolutely not want to watch it. Although this is not a broadcast television level documentary by any means, the program is reasonably well done, and, I think, should be included in video collections. Recommended. (Available from: Instructional Video, Inc., 727 "O" St., Lincoln, NE 68508; (800) 228-0164.)