Unfinished Symphony

Spring, 1971: Vietnam, the “living room war” has now become America's longest war, and Unfinished Symphony opens with views of ragtag members of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War passionately cursing this “illegal, immoral” conflict and discarding their battle ribbons and medals. Using original, grainy black and white footage, Bestor Cram and Mike Majoros' documentary focuses on a group of disgruntled veterans preparing a symbolic Memorial Day march, hoping to mobilize Americans against the war by retracing Paul Revere's revolutionary ride from Concord to Boston. On the second night of the march, however, trouble erupts when the veterans defy local regulations by camping overnight on Lexington green, leading to the arrest of 410 veterans and sympathetic townspeople--the largest mass bust in Massachusetts history. Against this backdrop, contemporary comments from leftist historian Howard Zinn (who argues that democracy must respect diversity of opinion even if that leads to acts of non-violent civil disobedience), are interwoven, while Henryk Gorecki's “Symphony of Sorrowful Songs” is played throughout (initially poignant, but eventually becoming intrusive and annoying). Unfortunately, while John Kerry--protester, Vietnam veteran, and future U.S. senator from Massachusetts--amongst others, are glimpsed occasionally in the historical footage, the film presents no contemporary commentary from Kerry or other participants, whose input from a 30-years-after perspective would have added considerably to the program's relevance today. As it is, depending on one's point of view, the video is either a timely reminder of the need to protect civil liberties, or an abrasive, “in your face” screed (with lots of offensive language and graphic images) which could reverse the recent tone of civility which has surrounded debate about the Vietnam war. In either case, this video is not a necessary purchase for most libraries, with the possible exception of regional collections. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)