Product Description

Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry is an extraordinary inside look at a politician, where he has come from, and how these roots have driven him forward in his public life. As a Vietnam War hero and subsequent activist, his story is a worthy subject for an important film about a defining era in America's past, and how it influenced a man and his dedication to the democratic process. This is, therefore, also the story of an American generation that came of age in the war-torn sixties, and has now come to prominence at the beginning of this century-when issues of war, and their historic resonance for a new generation of leaders, hold center stage. Acclaimed director George Butler has known Senator Kerry since 1964 and in 1969 began photographing him, in an effort to document his life and career. Using his unique collection of images, the film weaves together Butler's photography with archival materia, interviews with Kerry's closest associates as well as contemporary footage of him at home and abroad. As with his films Pumping Iron and The Endurance, the filmmaker prove himself as a master at portraying American men affected by and effective history.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #65297 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-10-19
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 87 minutes

Amazon.com
Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry begins by juxtaposing beautiful images of Vietnam with horrific images of the Vietnam War. But though its depiction of the war is vivid--and the accounts of 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry's heroism, told by the men who served with him, are plain and free of hyperbole--it's his actions after he came back to the U.S. that stand out in this documentary. Kerry's involvement with Vietnam Veterans Against the War, for whom he became an inadvertent but eloquent spokesperson, required as much courage as facing the Viet Cong. Going Upriver gives a clear sense of the emotional and social pressures of the anti-war protests, where speaking one's mind became as powerful as firing a gun. Going Upriver's emphasis on post-war activity makes it an excellent complement to the documentary Brothers in Arms, which focuses on Kerry's swift-boat experiences in Vietnam. Though Going Upriver suffers from some soundbites that seem too tailor-made for Kerry's presidential campaign, it doesn't make other veterans feel like political props, as Brothers in Arms started to do towards the end. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews

took me right back
I thought I was going to see a narrow, but pro-Kerry view of John Kerry's service. What I got was much more and much better. I was reminded so vividly of the times, moral struggles, and strong feelings many of us had in the late 60's and especially early 70's. The friendships that were strained or ended because of differences over the VietNam war came back to me as I watched this incredible movie. The footage was amazing. The context was carefully laid out. The result is a thoroughly engaging movie. I came away with an admiration for the courage of John Kerry to speak out and awe at his articulateness at such a young age. One could not doubt his sincerity and commitment even if one did not agree with his decision to speak out against the Viet Nam war. The gentle, yet solid, way the filmmaker and editor pulled together years of events and many voices is what makes this documentary so much more convincing than Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11. You should not feel afraid to invite your Republican friends to see this with you.

About More Than Kerry
I have not seen the DVD but caught this film in a theatre in my city. I was much more impressed with it than I expected to be. I had thought it would be little more than a testimonial to Kerry, and, while there is certainly that element in it, the film's focus actually goes well beyond that. It presents a compelling portrait of the veterans who returned home from the Vietnam War in the early 1970's, particularly those who felt they had to speak out against it. This is the first documentary treatment I've seen of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War movement, and it's a poignant reminder of the complexity of the issues and emotions that were current at the time. We have tended to forget and oversimplify what these men went through, both during their tours of duty in the war and upon their return to the States. Whatever your feelings about the issues, this film is a serious effort to present those issues in their historical context. Also, from a purely technical standpoint, it is a well-made film.

Going Upriver, was entertaining, surprising, well directed,
Last Friday I saw "Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry." I saw footage of things in Vietnam, including swiftboat battle footage, that I would have never understood. Same about the Vietnam vets first in the war and then against. I saw politicians delivering messages that have remained with us, and Nixon's "plumbers" watching the big Vietnam Vets Against the War demo from atop the White House. I heard entertaining excerpt's from Nixon's Watergate tapes, including the one where they retain Swift Boat Veterans for Lies leader John O'Neill to discredit Kerry. I heard Vietnam Vets describe how they lived the war, and heard Kerry wonder out loud in a letter about a Vietnamese fighter he had just shot. I saw Vets vote on whether to break the law by sleeping, and I heard them tell some of their stories. I saw some stunning photography in Vietnam, and some short, fuzzy, home movie clippings.

This is not an advertising film; it's a documentary - a personality study - by the man who wrote "Pumping Iron" about Arnold Schwarzeneggar. At the same time, it dispenses with the Swift Boat Veterans for Falsehood lies simply by talking to the folks who were in the boat with Kerry, whom he protected with personally painful and dangerous actions that really did earn him his medal. The mortality rate in those swift boats was 75% and up, but Kerry's crew members say his quick reactions kept them alive. You can't picture Kerry waiting dumbly 7 to 17 minutes while the Twin Towers are burning.

After going home, Young Kerry showed leadership and maturity as he organized Vietnam Vets Against the War, and helped fellow Vets overcome their trauma and anger to create a peaceful, articulate movement that helped bring the Vietnam War to an end.

I have never considered leadership qualities in choosing a candidate. That just changed.