Introduction

Hearts and Minds is a 1974 American documentary film about the Vietnam War directed by Peter Davis.

The film’s title is based on a quote from President Lyndon B. Johnson: “the ultimate victory will depend on the hearts and minds of the people who actually live out there”.

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Outline

The documentary is an examination of the conflicting attitudes of the opponents of the Vietnam War.

Many times during his presidency, Lyndon B. Johnson said that ultimate victory in the Vietnam War depended upon the US military winning the “hearts and minds” of the Vietnamese people.

Filmmaker Peter Davis uses Johnson’s phrase in an ironic context in this anti-war documentary, filmed and released while the Vietnam War was still under way, juxtaposing interviews with military figures like US Army Chief of Staff William C. Westmoreland with shocking scenes of violence and brutality.

Trivia

• The movie was chosen as the winner of the Oscar for Best Documentary at the 47th Academy Awards presented in 1975.
• The film premiered at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival.
• Commercial distribution was delayed in the United States due to legal issues, including a temporary restraining order obtained by one of the interviewees, former National Security Advisor Walt Rostow who had claimed through his attorney that the film was “somewhat misleading” and “not representative” and that he had not been given the opportunity to approve the results of his interview.
• Columbia Pictures refused to distribute the picture, which forced the producers to purchase back the rights and release it by other means.
• The film was shown in Los Angeles for the one week it needed to be eligible for consideration in the 1974 Academy Awards.
• In 2018, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

Production & Filming Details

• Director(s): Peter Davis.
• Producer(s): Tom Cohen, Richard Pearce, Mike Burns, Henry Lange, Bert Schneider and Peter Davis.
• Cinematography: Richard Pearce and Lennart Malmer (uncredited).
• Editor(s): Lynzee Klingman and Susan Martin.
• Production: BBS Productions.
• Distributor(s): Rainbow Releasing and Warner Bros.
• Release Date: 16 May 1974 (Cannes International Critics’ Week), 17 October 1974 (San Francisco Film Festival), and 20 December 1974 (Los Angeles).
• Running Time: 112 minutes.
• Country: US.
• Language: English.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRsZHX57dio