The Movement and the "Madman": Difference between revisions
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{{AFC comment|1=Please also address COI concerns. Also, are there any additional reviews by mainstream publications? [[User:S0091|S0091]] ([[User talk:S0091|talk]]) 16:17, 1 November 2023 (UTC)}} |
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{{Short description|Feature documentary film}} |
{{Short description|Feature documentary film}} |
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| ⚫ | '''The Movement and the "Madman"''' (2023) is a feature documentary directed by Stephen Talbot about a showdown over the war in Vietnam between the peace movement in the United States and President Richard Nixon.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.movementandthemadman.com/|title=The Movement and The "Madman" - Official Film Site|website=The Movement and The "Madman"}}</ref> Based on interviews with antiwar activists, historians, and former aides to National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger, the film shows how two enormous demonstrations in the Fall of 1969 pressured Nixon to cancel what he called his “madman” plans to drastically escalate the war, including threats to use nuclear weapons.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 1, 2023 |title=New Vietnam War Documentary Affirms Power of Activism |url=https://www.ncronline.org/culture/new-vietnam-war-documentary-affirms-power-activism |website=National Catholic Reporter}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | '''The Movement and the "Madman"''' (2023) is a feature documentary directed by Stephen Talbot about a showdown over the war in Vietnam between the peace movement in the United States and President Richard Nixon.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.movementandthemadman.com/|title=The Movement and The "Madman" - Official Film Site|website=The Movement and The "Madman"}}</ref> Based on interviews with antiwar activists, historians, and former aides to National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger, the film shows how two enormous demonstrations in the Fall of 1969 pressured Nixon to cancel what he called his “madman” plans to drastically escalate the war, including threats to use nuclear weapons.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 1, 2023 |title=New Vietnam War Documentary Affirms Power of Activism |url=https://www.ncronline.org/culture/new-vietnam-war-documentary-affirms-power-activism |website=National Catholic Reporter}}</ref> |
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Nixon and Kissinger’s "madman" strategy and the various military options under consideration, including resumption of bombing of North Vietnam, the mining of Haiphong harbor, and the use of tactical nuclear weapons, are outlined in what was called Operation Duck Hook and other formerly classified documents shown in the film. Morton Halperin, Roger Morris and Anthony Lake, all of whom were aides to Kissinger in 1969, discuss the secret planning that took place, as well as the threats of escalation that were made to Anatoly Dobrynin, the Soviet ambassador to the United States and to North Vietnamese officials in Paris.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/movement-and-madman/|title=The Movement and the "Madman" | American Experience | PBS|website=www.pbs.org}}</ref> |
Nixon and Kissinger’s "madman" strategy and the various military options under consideration, including resumption of bombing of North Vietnam, the mining of Haiphong harbor, and the use of tactical nuclear weapons, are outlined in what was called Operation Duck Hook and other formerly classified documents shown in the film. Morton Halperin, Roger Morris and Anthony Lake, all of whom were aides to Kissinger in 1969, discuss the secret planning that took place, as well as the threats of escalation that were made to Anatoly Dobrynin, the Soviet ambassador to the United States and to North Vietnamese officials in Paris.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/movement-and-madman/|title=The Movement and the "Madman" | American Experience | PBS|website=www.pbs.org}}</ref> |
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Unaware of Nixon and Kissinger’s escalation threats, leaders of the antiwar movement organized two of the largest demonstrations the country had ever seen: a nationwide Moratorium on October 15, 1969 involving two to three million people and two enormous marches and rallies on November 15, 1969 in Washington, DC and San Francisco. The film shows how these peaceful protests were planned and how they checkmated Nixon’s war plans. Fearing that he would provoke even more antiwar sentiment in the country, Nixon decided to call off Operation Duck Hook at the last minute. |
Unaware of Nixon and Kissinger’s escalation threats, leaders of the antiwar movement organized two of the largest demonstrations the country had ever seen: a nationwide Moratorium on October 15, 1969 involving two to three million people and two enormous marches and rallies on November 15, 1969 in Washington, DC and San Francisco. The film shows how these peaceful protests were planned and how they checkmated Nixon’s war plans. Fearing that he would provoke even more antiwar sentiment in the country, Nixon decided to call off Operation Duck Hook at the last minute. |
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Concerned that backing down on his escalation threats might make him appear weak to Soviet leaders, Nixon called a secret worldwide nuclear alert as a show of force, which is described in the film by William Burr, a senior analyst of the National Security Archive at George Washington University.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/nuclear-vault-vietnam/2023-03-24/movement-and-madman?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=7362fa39-cc98-41ef-8ce8-aee10c792446 | title=The Movement and the "Madman" | National Security Archive }}</ref> |
Concerned that backing down on his escalation threats might make him appear weak to Soviet leaders, Nixon called a secret worldwide nuclear alert as a show of force, which is described in the film by William Burr, a senior analyst of the National Security Archive at George Washington University.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/nuclear-vault-vietnam/2023-03-24/movement-and-madman?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=7362fa39-cc98-41ef-8ce8-aee10c792446 | title=The Movement and the "Madman" | National Security Archive }}</ref> |
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Some in the film, including Nixon’s personal aide Stephen Bull, argue that Nixon’s threats to use nuclear weapons in Vietnam were only a bluff meant to intimidate his adversaries, but former RAND analyst and nuclear war planner Daniel Ellsberg states, “The bottom line is I believe we would have had the first nuclear attacks since Nagasaki in 1969 had it not been for the October 15th demonstrations and the demonstrations in November.” |
Some in the film, including Nixon’s personal aide Stephen Bull, argue that Nixon’s threats to use nuclear weapons in Vietnam were only a bluff meant to intimidate his adversaries, but former RAND analyst and nuclear war planner Daniel Ellsberg states, “The bottom line is I believe we would have had the first nuclear attacks since Nagasaki in 1969 had it not been for the October 15th demonstrations and the demonstrations in November.” |
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==Production== |
==Production== |
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Directed and produced by Stephen Talbot, The Movement and the “Madman” and is a co-production of PBS and Glen Park Films LLC. It was a special presentation of the American Experience series during Season 35, Episode 4.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/movement-and-madman/ | title=The Movement and the "Madman" | American Experience | PBS | website=[[PBS]] }}</ref> |
Directed and produced by Stephen Talbot, The Movement and the “Madman” and is a co-production of PBS and Glen Park Films LLC. It was a special presentation of the American Experience series during Season 35, Episode 4.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/movement-and-madman/ | title=The Movement and the "Madman" | American Experience | PBS | website=[[PBS]] }}</ref> |
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The 83-min. film is entirely composed of archival footage and photos with a soundtrack of audio-only interviews, an original score by Osei Essed, and songs from the 1960s performed by John Lennon, Pete Seeger Phil Ochs, Credence Clearwater Revival, Judy Collins, Crosby, Stills & Nash, the Jefferson Airplane, the Byrds, Richie Havens, Peter, Paul & Mary, Jimi Hendrix, and Country Joe McDonald.<ref name="auto1">{{cite web | url=https://progressive.org/latest/the-movement-and-the-madman-rampell-22323/ | title=Film Review: The Movement and the 'Madman' | date=22 March 2023 }}</ref> |
The 83-min. film is entirely composed of archival footage and photos with a soundtrack of audio-only interviews, an original score by Osei Essed, and songs from the 1960s performed by John Lennon, Pete Seeger Phil Ochs, Credence Clearwater Revival, Judy Collins, Crosby, Stills & Nash, the Jefferson Airplane, the Byrds, Richie Havens, Peter, Paul & Mary, Jimi Hendrix, and Country Joe McDonald.<ref name="auto1">{{cite web | url=https://progressive.org/latest/the-movement-and-the-madman-rampell-22323/ | title=Film Review: The Movement and the 'Madman' | date=22 March 2023 }}</ref> |
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* [https://www.movementandthemadman.com/ The Movement and The "Madman" - Official Film Site] |
* [https://www.movementandthemadman.com/ The Movement and The "Madman" - Official Film Site] |
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* [https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/movement-and-madman/ The Movement and the “Madman” | American Experience | PBS] |
* [https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/movement-and-madman/ The Movement and the “Madman” | American Experience | PBS] |
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{{uncategorised|date=June 2023}} |
{{uncategorised|date=June 2023}} |
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Revision as of 16:17, 1 November 2023
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Comment: Please also address COI concerns. Also, are there any additional reviews by mainstream publications? S0091 (talk) 16:17, 1 November 2023 (UTC)
The Movement and the "Madman" (2023) is a feature documentary directed by Stephen Talbot about a showdown over the war in Vietnam between the peace movement in the United States and President Richard Nixon.[1] Based on interviews with antiwar activists, historians, and former aides to National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger, the film shows how two enormous demonstrations in the Fall of 1969 pressured Nixon to cancel what he called his “madman” plans to drastically escalate the war, including threats to use nuclear weapons.[2]
Nixon and Kissinger’s "madman" strategy and the various military options under consideration, including resumption of bombing of North Vietnam, the mining of Haiphong harbor, and the use of tactical nuclear weapons, are outlined in what was called Operation Duck Hook and other formerly classified documents shown in the film. Morton Halperin, Roger Morris and Anthony Lake, all of whom were aides to Kissinger in 1969, discuss the secret planning that took place, as well as the threats of escalation that were made to Anatoly Dobrynin, the Soviet ambassador to the United States and to North Vietnamese officials in Paris.[3]
Unaware of Nixon and Kissinger’s escalation threats, leaders of the antiwar movement organized two of the largest demonstrations the country had ever seen: a nationwide Moratorium on October 15, 1969 involving two to three million people and two enormous marches and rallies on November 15, 1969 in Washington, DC and San Francisco. The film shows how these peaceful protests were planned and how they checkmated Nixon’s war plans. Fearing that he would provoke even more antiwar sentiment in the country, Nixon decided to call off Operation Duck Hook at the last minute.
Concerned that backing down on his escalation threats might make him appear weak to Soviet leaders, Nixon called a secret worldwide nuclear alert as a show of force, which is described in the film by William Burr, a senior analyst of the National Security Archive at George Washington University.[4]
Some in the film, including Nixon’s personal aide Stephen Bull, argue that Nixon’s threats to use nuclear weapons in Vietnam were only a bluff meant to intimidate his adversaries, but former RAND analyst and nuclear war planner Daniel Ellsberg states, “The bottom line is I believe we would have had the first nuclear attacks since Nagasaki in 1969 had it not been for the October 15th demonstrations and the demonstrations in November.”
Production
Directed and produced by Stephen Talbot, The Movement and the “Madman” and is a co-production of PBS and Glen Park Films LLC. It was a special presentation of the American Experience series during Season 35, Episode 4.[5]
The 83-min. film is entirely composed of archival footage and photos with a soundtrack of audio-only interviews, an original score by Osei Essed, and songs from the 1960s performed by John Lennon, Pete Seeger Phil Ochs, Credence Clearwater Revival, Judy Collins, Crosby, Stills & Nash, the Jefferson Airplane, the Byrds, Richie Havens, Peter, Paul & Mary, Jimi Hendrix, and Country Joe McDonald.[6]
The film was edited by Stephanie Mechura and executive produced by Robert Levering. Blanche Chase did the archival research.[1]
Reception
The film was widely and positively reviewed in a range of publications and radio programs. The National Catholic Reporter called it “a fascinating look at an important chapter in 20th century U.S. history and a celebration of activism’s power.”[7] The Progressive Magazine declared: “A cast of millions—including Daniel Ellsberg, John and Yoko, Country Joe and the Fish, students, trade unionists, housewives—star in this stand-up-and-cheer documentary about peace crusaders versus a president pleading insanity.”[6]
A review in the Guardian said the film “evokes a peak moment of 1960s activism...[director] Talbot’s sure eye for searing images is matched by a perfect ear for songs,” but noted "what the documentary does not do is provide any convincing evidence that the demonstrations prevented the use of nuclear weapon."[8]
References
- ^ a b "The Movement and The "Madman" - Official Film Site". The Movement and The "Madman".
- ^ "New Vietnam War Documentary Affirms Power of Activism". National Catholic Reporter. April 1, 2023.
- ^ "The Movement and the "Madman" | American Experience | PBS". www.pbs.org.
- ^ "The Movement and the "Madman" | National Security Archive".
- ^ "The Movement and the "Madman" | American Experience | PBS". PBS.
- ^ a b "Film Review: The Movement and the 'Madman'". 22 March 2023.
- ^ "New Vietnam War documentary affirms the power of activism".
- ^ Kaiser, Charles (28 March 2023). "Did Vietnam peace protests stop Nixon using nuclear weapons?". The Guardian.
- ^ "Dramatic Showdown Between Protesters and Nixon".
- ^ "Stephen Talbot: What I Saw at the Demonstration". 23 March 2023.
- ^ "Wesleyan Alumnus to Release PBS Documentary on Anti-War Protests".
- ^ "PBS documentary looks back on protesting and its impact on the Vietnam War". 24 March 2023.
- ^ "San Francisco filmmaker goes back to roots as Vietnam War protester in PBS documentary".
External links
- The Movement and The "Madman" - Official Film Site
- The Movement and the “Madman” | American Experience | PBS
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