In the Year of the Pig
Director: Emile de Antonio
Year Released: 1968
Rating: 3.0
Chilling agit-prop made during the Vietnam War fervor here in the States, questioning our very role in the region (domino theory my ass) and making a point to cover some of the history of the country itself. Having a little knowledge of the details certainly helps, although spot-on interviews with various journalists (David Halberstam, who I've always admired, is particularly lucid) and politicians fill in the gaps. Peter Davis' Hearts and Minds is more intense and memorable - and, despite its faults (and, like de Antonio, he has a clear bias), a haunting experience - but this picture's methodical construction suggests extensive research on behalf of its makers, and one of the more cutting critiques I've seen of America's political "issues."
