The War at Home (1979)

Academy Awards, USA 1980

Nominated Oscar

Best Documentary, Features Glenn Silber Barry Alexander Brown

New Front Films
Directed by Glenn Silber and  Barry Alexander Brown
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, First Run Features)

A history of the anti-Vietnam War movement is presented from the perspective of students and faculty at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. It starts in the early 60s when American bombings spark impromptu demonstrations and speeches on campus. As the war becomes more organized so does the anti-war movement. Eventually the peaceful sit-ins and picketing are met with violent police resistance. The filmmakers do a good job of synthesizing an overwhelming amount of material. Fifty years later, though, the material has lost some of its power. Ironically, none of the lessons have been learned, as the country continues to lurch from one foreign war to another, though without a forced draft hardly anyone is marching in the streets in protest.