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Johns Hopkins University | AS.450.635

How the War Was Remembered: the Film and Literature of the Vietnam War

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The Vietnam War continues to be one of the most controversial and deeply divisive events in U.S. history. The seeds for the war began early in the 20th century, intensified within the Cold War emerging in the years after 1945, and tore the country apart when boots hit the ground in 1965 to fight a war with no clear objectives or enemies. The legacy of Vietnam is difficult to understand but it is clear that the lessons of the war have been most “remembered” through the films and the powerful perspective of the veteran’s voice in the literature of the war. We will ask how writers and film makers presented the experience of those on the battlefield and the home front; how very public and symbolic battles were fought over how the war should be interpreted and remembered; and how these artifacts help to illustrate the construction of a mediated cultural memory of the war. Particular attention will be paid to the "veteran's voice" and the role of autobiography. The course will consider the war from both liberal and conservative perspectives, and we will add an often-missing voice from the story; that of the Vietnamese. Ken Burn's new documentary series, The Vietnam War will anchor the class. Other films to be considered may include The Quiet American, The Green Berets, Apocalypse Now, Rambo, The Deer Hunter and Platoon, The Little Girl of Hanoi _(_Em bé Hà Noi) as well as other documentaries including Why Vietnam, Peter Davis' Hearts and Minds, and Four Hours in My Lai. Important literary works by veterans of the war may include those by Michael Herr, Philip Caputo, Bao Ninh, Le Ly Hayslip, Tim O’Brien and Ron Kovic among others. Please note that most of the films are readily available from multiple streaming sources (e.g. Netflix, Amazon Prime, Public Library, etc..). Students will be required to have watched a particular film in advance of class as noted in the syllabus.

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