Last Days in Vietnam

The years of Vietnam were way before my year of birth and it's always proved to be a war I knew nothing about, not being a part of the history syllabus here in the UK. The 98min film opened with some truly overwhelming archive reels of ships completely overcrowded with Vietnamese refugees and desperate victims sprinting alongside planes on runways trying to grab a hold of the tiny hand reaching out from the hold to grab them.

Overcrowded ships fleeing Vietnam

Before I even knew what they were running from, the sheer desperation reflected within those opening moments and throughout the rest of the film, was something I felt extremely overwhelmed by.

I do have to say that with the strong American accents of the more elderly contributors, it was sometimes quite hard to follow what was being said, as archive reels covered our opportunity to lip-read. As such for the first 20mins of the film I found myself drifting off and thinking about the festival, rather than being captivated by what I was seeing. However, as the story picked up, and the contributors came thick and fast, I soon fell right back to where I'd been at the beginning and couldn't tear my attention away. 

The fuel-lacking chinook preparing to throw refugees onto deck

The extraction of the refugees became exciting as we willed the Americans to continue their mission, sometimes acting without orders, to help those in need. The interviews with the servicemen were ones that told of heroic stories that seem almost too Hollywood to be true. From servicemen stealing trucks and filling them with innocents, to helicopter pilots flying around the clock to maximise the numbers they could save. A particularly stunning example, were the efforts made my a Vietnamese soldier and helicopter pilot to rescue his family and anyone else who could make it onto his helicopter. As he flew out over the ocean the fuel gauge dropped dramatically. He finally stumbled across the USS Kirk whose flight deck was far too small to land his chinook. The crew made it clear that he could not land but in desperation the pilot indicated that one by one they would jump from the helicopter to the landing deck. Sure enough, one by one they jumped aboard, caught by the crew of the USS Kirk. After the safe retrieval of men, women and children including a 6month old baby, it became apparent that the pilot would not be able to do the same. And yet, against the odds, flying the chinook with one hand and undressing from his flight suit with the other the Vietnamese father prepared to jump. With a dramatic turn of the helicopter to the right, the pilot jumped from the left window into the ocean below. With no fuel left in the tank, all survived. The crew's recollections brought joy to my heart that I didn't know I could feel for someone I had never met. Who needs Hollywood?! I've never cried so much!



n-magazine.com

What followed was a well-edited collage of accounts creating a vivid picture of panic and adrenaline among archive footage from the ground. We heard moving accounts from military personnel who had to leave and evacuate themselves, in order for the ambassador himself to agree to leave the compound, leaving those they'd promised refuge behind. Right down to the last nail biting second, as we share in the devastation at flying away and leaving some behind, we re-lived the torment with them. What a fantastic piece of American history, that no-one seems to know about.

Edited brilliantly, and with music by Gary Lionelli that truly added to both the energy and emotion of the film, I left the cinema with a sense of justice and of pride in humanity. Documentaries are things that constantly remind me of the reasons I believe in humanity and Rory Kennedy's 'Last Days in Vietnam' was a first-class example of how that is possible. To think that many of these military men returned home to jaunts and people spitting in their faces. We may never all agree with the war, but there is absolutely no way we can forget the courage, heroism and humanity of those involved in the evacuation of so many.

I really do hope this comes out on DVD as I'd love to watch this again, particularly as I want my career to follow the world affairs documentary circuit and this is one of the best examples I have seen. If you're Amaerican then you can see the film here: http://www.lastdaysinvietnam.com/ - us Brits will just have to wait.

“A prime example of how documentaries can illuminate our shared memory’s gaps, and how nonfiction can frequently outdo the best thrills Hollywood has to offer.”
—NonFics

Watch the trailer here for a taste of the adrenaline:

Images via: geocities.ws, hollywoodreporter.com