Vietnam: The Ten Thousand Day War

The earliest large-scale broadcast attempt to cover the history of the Vietnam War, this 26-episode Canadian series (1980-81) appeared three years before the monumental PBS-aired Vietnam: A Television History (VL-10/87). Written by Peter Arnett, who covered the war for CNN, Vietnam: The Ten Thousand Day War begins with an overview of U.S. involvement before reverting to a basically chronological approach to detailing events—from the last days of French colonial presence in Indochina through the American withdrawal and the final fall of Saigon. But some of the episodes take a more topical tack, dealing with particular aspects of the subject, such as POWs or the anti-war movement back home. Narrated by actor Richard Basehart (at his most sonorous), Arnett's script is sober and free of easy judgments, but the great strength of this series lies in the archival film footage, including material from North Vietnamese sources acquired by producer Michael Maclear during his visits to the region. Excerpts from interviews with direct participants—including politicians, presidential advisors, members of the North and South Vietnamese governments, and combat soldiers—are interwoven, especially during the final episode, in which the retrospective comments offered by major decision-makers have a slightly defensive air while those from ordinary veterans strike a decidedly poignant note. Information about the war has, of course, vastly increased in the more than three decades since this series aired, but it remains indispensable not only for its breadth of coverage but also for insights into how the war was perceived in the years immediately following its end. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)