Released in 1974, nearly a year before the Vietnam War was officially over, Hearts and Minds is more than just a documentary about the war. A landmark political action, director Peter Davis clearly meant to provoke and outrage. A systematic analysis of how the United States government over the course of five different administrations repeatedly lied to Americans and risked the lives of American troops to fight a war that had no moral or political purpose. Hearts and Minds also provides evidence of the ignorance that some Americans had about the reasons for being in Vietnam—from the trucker who admits to not knowing what side we are fighting for, to the shocking admission by a combat soldier that they had no idea who the enemy was or why the war was happening.

To be clear, Hearts and Minds is not, nor does it pretend to be objective. Abuses by the North , Vietnamese aren’t explored. American P.O.W. Lt. George Coker, U.S.N. is one of the few people in the movie that isn’t critical of the war. The film covers a parade in his honor in his hometown of Linden, New Jersey, where he tells the assembled crowd on the steps of city hall that if the need arose, that they must be ready to send him back to war. If Hearts and Minds is missing anything, it’s an exploration of Coker’s 6 ½ years of humiliation and torture.

That lapse in no way excuses the apparent falsehoods that were delivered to the American people in regards to the planning and execution of the war. The lack of compassion is astonishing, which is perhaps best encapsulated in a statement by Gen. William Westmoreland that, “The Oriental doesn’t put the same high price on life as does a Westerner. Life is plentiful. Life is cheap in the Orient.” This declaration comes just after a scene where the family of a slain Vietnamese soldier tearfully mourns over his coffin. There is also an older coffin maker who emotionally discusses burying several of his own children. One look at this man, and it’s clear that Gen. Westmoreland’s statement doesn’t hold water.

Some of the most interesting comments come from Senator J.W. Fulbright (Chairman Foreign Relations Committee), who explains how the United States missed an opportunity to engage Ho Chi Minh in talks, and potentially avoid the war all together. For anyone who thinks that lying for the sake of war is a fairly new phenomenon, when talking about President Lyndon Johnson and the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, Fulbright says flatly, “He lied.” In 1974, no further explanation was needed.

No matter how many years pass, Hearts and Minds isn’t for the squeamish. There is uncut footage of two famous still images—the point-blank execution of a Viet Cong captive by a South Vietnamese police officer in the street, and a naked Vietnamese girl, running from a napalm attack, her body a collage of burns; the baby in her arms suffering from the same injuries, skin hanging off its body. Also controversial is footage of two soldiers serviced by Vietnamese prostitutes. While this situation may be common in any war, their comments seem to reinforce the general feeling that, despite the fact that we are defending them, the Vietnamese are dirty, and subhuman.

Though you could accuse the film of being to obviously anti-war, it’s impossible not to feel its heavy, emotional punch. Wisely, Peter Davis never interrupts anyone; he’s never seen or heard. The words of others and the harrowing images speak for themselves. Some forty years after its release, Hearts and Minds still makes a powerful statement about the mental and physical cost of war.

Presented in the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Criterion’s 1080p transfer—a ‘High-definition digital restoration, supervised by director Peter Davis and cinematographer Richard Pearce’—has a nice film-like grain throughout. The image surface has been cleaned of nearly all debris, and there are notable improvements to both color and resolution.

The uncompressed mono soundtrack is as clean and clear as the source and production limitations will allow. Everything sounds even, and well put together.

English SDH subtitles are included.

The following extras are available:

  • Audio Commentary with Director Peter Davis: Recorded in 2001, Davisexplains his motivation for doing the film, and provides useful information on the various interview subjects who appear in the documentary.
  • Uncut Video Interviews/Outtakes: Phillippe Devillers” (French historian/political scientist – 10:53), “George Ball” (former US Undersecretary of State – 19:30), “Tony Russo” (Pentagon Papers leaker – 34:21), “David Brinkley” (TV newscaster – 23:49), “General William Westmoreland” (Commanding General Vietnam 1964-68 – 26:14), “Walt Rostow” (aide to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson – 24:22), “Quang Nam Funeral” (5:23) and “Cong Hoa Hospital” (2:52) It’s nice to get even more insight from Davis’ unused interviews.
  • DVDs: Two DVDs featuring the film and the extras.
  • Booklet: A 44-page illustrated booklet featuring: “Vietnam and Memory” by Peter Davis; “The Right Side of History” by Judith Crist; “The Human Connection” by Robert K. Brigham; “A Historical Context” by George C. Herring; “Moving the People” by Ngo Vinh Long; and technical credits.