The Sixties: The Years That Shaped a Generation

David Davis and Stephen Talbot's PBS-aired, somewhat misleadingly titled documentary The Sixties focuses on the period from 1967-1971 (which, to be fair, gets to the heart of the decade), serving up a mostly Cliff Notes-level survey of the rise of the counterculture (sex, drugs, and rock ‘n' roll), the Civil Rights movement, and the escalation of the Vietnam War. Key archival clips and stills (Martin Luther King, Jr.'s “I Have a Dream” speech, the bombing of Cambodia, Woodstock, the student takeover of Columbia University, etc.) are intercut with talking-head interview clips featuring Barbara Ehrenreich, Charles Kaiser, Norman Mailer, Tom Hayden, Daniel Ellsberg, Bobby Seale, and others. With the exception of Peter Coyote's comments about The Diggers (a kind of politicized prototype of hippies), nothing in the two-hour overview was new to me (and I am no expert on the ‘60s), and the soundtrack, comprised of a handful of faux-‘60s music clips, was not only disappointing, but downright annoying for anyone familiar with the rich musical legacy of the period. Even so, as a primer The Sixties covers all of the major bases—albeit superficially—and would therefore serve as a decent introduction. Plus, no one watching can ignore the pointed parallels between the progression/perception of the Vietnam War and the war in Iraq (and there's no doubt that the filmmakers wanted the audience to make this connection). A strong optional purchase. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Pitman)