‘The Deer Hunter.’ ‘Apocalypse Now.’ ‘First Blood.’ ‘Platoon.’ They’re among the hit films dealing with the Vietnam War—a conflict that divided moviegoers and inspired filmmakers. For decades, Hollywood released countless films about the war and its fallout—from action flicks to combat tales to sweeping dramas. Through exclusive new interviews, ‘Do We Get to Win This Time?’ chronicles the making of Hollywood’s most ambitious and controversial Vietnam movies. Along the way, we also learn how these films reflected and shaped moviegoers’ feelings toward the war—and toward each other. Host: Brian Raftery Producers: Devon Manze, Mike Wargon, Amanda Dobbins, and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Bobby Wagner Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hello, Big Picture listeners.
For the next few weeks, Sean and I are handing the feed over to a narrative podcast about Vietnam movies.
It's called Do we get to Win this Time?
And it's hosted by longtime Ringer contributor Brian Raftery, who you might remember from our other narrative podcast, Gene and Roger.
I think you'll like it.
Sean and I will see you in a few weeks.
What's the first image that comes to mind when you think about the Vietnam War?
If you were old enough to watch the nightly news in the late 60s and early 70s, as more and more US troops were being pulled into the conflict between north and South Vietnam, your first images may be of the chaos playing out on TV, like this haunting battlefield scene from 1970.
I looked up and spotted it was an NVA, had a green uniform at an AK, and it was like a quick draw thing.
I opened up in him, he opened up in me.
He's lying up there on the trail.
The Vietnam War claimed the lives of more than 58,000Americans and led to the.
Deaths of millions in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia combined.
It was cruel and complicated, a war that engulfed multiple countries and stymied five U.S.
presidents before ending on April 30, 1975.
That's the day Communist forces rolled into Saigon and Americans raced out.
That infamous moment was captured in this CBS report and repeated in documentaries for decades to come.
Inside the building, the evacuees were broken into groups of 50.
And then it was a mad dash out the door into the parking lot for the waiting helicopter.
And then it was farewell to Vietnam.