A pair of excellent television shows recently available on Blu-ray offers the horrors of war and exploits of a brilliant criminal mastermind.
The Vietnam War (PBS Home Entertainment, rated TV-MA, 1,009 minutes, 1.78:1 aspect ratio, $129.99) — Legendary documentarians Ken Burns and Lynn Novick offer an emotionally powerful retrospective on one of the most divisive conflicts in the history of the United States.
Ten years in the making, this 10-part, 18-hour-long series arrives in high definition on 10 Blu-ray discs to dissect, question and remember a conflict that escalated over a decade and literally decimated Vietnam.
Call it what you will — a police action, conflict or war — it took the lives of more than 58,000 Americans and 2 million Vietnamese as over 500,000 U.S. soldiers and personnel were sent into the southern regions of Vietnam to prevent the spread of communism from revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh’s forces in the North.
However, it also ended up pitting American versus American on U.S. soil and threatened to tear the country apart as anti-war protests exploded while politicians and military strategists could not figure out the illusive enemy and any possible path to victory.
Through testimony from over 100 witnesses including compelling interview segments with former U.S., South and North Vietnamese soldiers and Viet Cong guerillas, the series traces the history of Vietnam from its French occupation in the 1800s through the escalation of American forces in the 1960s, peace talks and the fall of Saigon in the 1970s and the modern reconciliation by both sides.
The series makes an unforgettable impact on the viewer.
It is supplemented by digitally remastered archival footage, hundreds of photographs, historic television broadcasts, home movies, and audio recordings from the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations.
Especially hitting nerves is the examination of over two-dozen battles, often dissected through graphic footage, giving viewers an overview of the conflict and the hopelessness of many of the missions.
Segments often explore the toll on humans and atrocities committed by both sides as well as offering an intimate, often heartbreaking, look at the lives of the soldiers and families.
Among the most memorable segments, viewers learn about teenager Denton “Mogie” Croker Jr., a gung-ho student demanding that his parents allow him to sign up for the armed services with the goal of going to Vietnam. He eventually takes part in the fighting and his tragic journey offers a painful reminder of the tragedies of war.
As having no personal ties to the Vietnam War, I was still furious watching the U.S. casualties increase. I was flabbergasted that our soldiers were put in the field with unreliable weapons. I was sickened by the toll the conflict took on the Vietnamese civilians, and was shocked by the hubris and indecisiveness of the men in power.
Still, the documentary delivers only one creative team’s evaluation of history.
Depending on a viewer’s perspective and politics, the series may or may not have accurately captured America’s attempts to contain communism during the Cold War.
Though, Mr. Burns and Miss Novick have still brilliantly defined the madness, showcasing the best and worst of humanity associated with an unwinnable conflict.
Notable extras: First, a 40-minute promotional overview on the project pulls some of the most memorable scenes and talking points of the interviewees and intersperses them with behind-the-scenes segments.
The segments cover the research, writing, music, editing, sound mixing, location shooting and even present a glimpse into test screenings viewed by historians.
Additional interviews with Mr. Burns, Miss Novick and numerous producers supplement the featurettes. However, it is not long enough for my tastes and could have gone deeper into the process of taking on such an ambitious project.
Viewers also get a collection of 11 deleted scenes that were all worthy of inclusion of the series. Of the roughly 60 minutes of segments, especially hard to watch was a soldier deciding to go to Vietnam and fight rather than stay stateside so he could visit parents and deliver the news that their sons had died.
I would have loved a commentary track from the creators on why the scenes were cut.
The Blacklist: The Complete Fourth Season (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, rated R, 90 minutes, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, $29.99) — The FBI’s favorite international criminal and informant Raymond “Red” Reddington (James Spader) still has yet to gain the trust of his handler Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone) but manages to stay intrinsically in the middle of her personal life and mysterious history in NBC’s popular action drama.
This season finds Mr. Reddington’s continued involvement in the clandestine task force assigned to find the world’s most dangerous criminals, and he also deals with the crumbling of his illegal business empire at the hands of former associate Kathryn Nemec aka Mr. Kaplan (Susan Blommaert).
The 5-disc Blu-ray set offers the entire 22-episode run of the series in high-definition glory and highlights Mr. Spader’s obvious scene-munching relish of playing the nearly unrepentant and dangerous Red.
The actor’s twisted delivery of dialogue in the most nerve-wracking moments on the shows makes him one of the most fun and quirkiest characters on television today.
Notable extras: Viewers first get commentary tracks on the episodes “The Lindquist Concern” (with series creator Jon Bokenkamp and director Kurt Kuenne); “The Thrushes” (with producer Zee Hatley and editor Emily E. Greene; and “Requiem” (with Mr. Bokenkamp and writer Daniel Cerone).
Next, a pair of featurettes offers an eight-minute perspective from the creators and cast at Mr. Reddington’s predicaments in season four and a 10-minute look at the complex life of Mr. Kaplan (featuring plenty of interview time with Miss Blommaert).
Finally, over two dozen deleted or extended scenes are scattered among the discs as well as a silly gag reel, and a humorous look at Mr. Reddington’s rambling stories and love of food.
• Joseph Szadkowski can be reached at jszadkowski@washingtontimes.com.
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