Dear America

I really enjoyed this documentary. It was different than the other texts that we have covered because it is all non-fictitious material. The only thing that wasn't real were the voices reading the letters. Having real actors read the letters really adds a nice touch. I really like the transition from the beginning to the end. In the beginning, there is optimism for the war, and towards the end, it turns towards bitterness. I found it really interesting that this documentary was made in 1987. The scenes from Khe Sanh are really useful in the reading of Dispatches. These scenes definitely helped with the visualization of Michael Herr's experiences on the hill tops. Dear America is a very emotionally powerful film. Most of the letters that are read are from soldiers that were KIA, which makes it even more touching. The soundtrack to this movie was top notch. From "Fortunate Son" to "Are You Experienced," the director chose the right music for the right generation. I do feel that it's pretty hard to screw up on a soundtrack for a Vietnam movie. Every movie that we have seen thus far has had a great soundtrack, but Dear America stands above the others.