That iconic footage of the lines up to the helipad in Saigon. I remember seeing that when it happened and just feeling sick to my stomach. Even an 11-year old could get a dim sense of the desperation of those left behind and what that meant in term's of America's failure.
The discussion of The Wall, from inception and controversy to the reality and the impact it has on those who visit it. In particular, Bill Musgrave and how it just unleashed all of the tears he'd been holding back -- and the anti-war protester's sorrow at how she treated returning vets.
The Wall (II). I was in my mid and late teens when it was built and very aware of the debate going on at the time. I think it is hard to overstate the impact that monument has had on this country's perceptions about Vietnam. And while it is not universally embraced, it is hard for me to think of another monument that has had such a real impact on our country. That Wall and the discussions, catharses, and emotions it sparked had a very real, healing impact on our country. Up until it was built, it was if -- for many -- Vietnam was that alcoholic relative that we didn't talk about. When The Wall went up, that relative came back into the family.
The Wall (III). Coupling that segment with "Bridge Over Troubled Water" brought tears to my eyes. Brilliant film-making.
"Let it Be." Again, closing the documentary out with stories about the veterans on both sides and their efforts to achieve some peace and heal Vietnam -- and then cutting to pictures of that beautiful country with the Beatles singing that beautiful song? It gave me chills.
I still don't think we have the distance needed to fully understand what happened during the war and why, but I think time will prove that the documentary is an important milestone in our collective ability to understand those issues. And as with all of Burns' and Novick's work, they try to help us to understand that history may not repeat, but it sure as hell rhymes.
