Going Upriver: Kerry Does 'Nam
John Kerry in Vietnam.
John Kerry gives a speech at a 1972 peace rally in Bryant Park, NYC.
George Butler
Correspondent Bruce Morton interviews Kerry during the Vietnam Veterans Against the War protests in Washington, DC. April 1971.
George Butler
The title is deceiving. Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry isn’t really about John Kerry. The Vietnam War and late ’60s culture, yes, but Kerry, no, not so much. Little is said about his upbringing, his opinions or his current interests. Kerry, instead, becomes the everyman through whom viewers learn about the Vietnam War and the counterculture movement.
The movie opens with peaceful shots of Vietnam, dwelling on images of lush landscapes, winding rivers and Vietnamese faces. Then viewers rocket-ship through Kerry’s younger days. While he’s always had that long face and protruding chin, “Scary Kerry” (as he’s been nicknamed by his opposition) looks much less frightening as a young boy in a Robin Hood costume or an awkward teenager in a hockey jersey. We hear from his buddies at Yale about how he was involved with every organization on campus and how he worked at the grocery store to keep change in his pocket. Then the film delves into his involvement with the Vietnam War.
A voiceover tells viewers that it was patriotic of Kerry to fight in the war and patriotic of him to speak out about it when he returned home. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Like how Kerry initially supported the war in Iraq, but now calls it the “wrong war, the wrong time, and the wrong place.” President Johnson’s face, from a grainy, black-and-white television broadcast, fills the screen. He tells viewers that the U.S. will “use our power with restraint” and “wisdom” in Vietnam. Without saying so, the film draws obvious parallels between LBJ and Dubya, who were both responsible for wars that Kerry questioned.
Recently interviewed veterans praise Kerry throughout the film for his intelligence and intrepidity. We’re told that during his years of service Kerry earned a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart with two clusters (meaning that he had been injured more than once while serving his country). Old photos of him proudly standing with these awards flash on screen. Without a single word from Kerry, viewers are guaranteed that he is smart, trustworthy and operates well in times of extreme stress.
The men that fought in Vietnam with Kerry lay the accolades on thick (and very convincingly). In effect, director George Butler, who has been friends with Kerry for over 40 years, acts as a cheerleader without ever cheering at all.
After audiences become confident that Kerry was a committed, good soldier, viewers learn of his return home where, as one man put it, “Nobody wanted anything to do with a Vietnam vet.” Images of protestors, usually long-haired kids with beards and bell bottoms, dominate the film from this point on to remind viewers of the socially turbulent times. They testify about the atrocities committed in Vietnam and flash peace signs at the camera. Protest rally footage comprises so much of the film that it resembles a cheesy made-for-TV-movie more than a documentary.
But back to Kerry. Viewers learn of his leadership role in an activist organization called Vietnam Veterans Against the War, and fellow protesters comment on his “serious, purposeful, mature” and “soothing” nature. He was “the one who the establishment listened to,” and a born public leader, said a friend. If this doesn’t sound like a campaign pitch, I don’t know what does.
After leading the march on Washington, Kerry had the chance to address the leaders that sent him to Vietnam when he delivered a Vietnam Veterans Against the War speech to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Footage shows Kerry fielding questions from the panel in a packed courtroom. He is persuasive and well-spoken, and even President Nixon (heard on a staticky audio tape) remarks on Kerry’s exceptional speaking abilities. He gained instant notoriety when his address was given four minutes of airtime on the national TV news.
Viewers are then reminded of his soft-spoken, yet powerful manner as veterans throw their medals back toward the Capitol. Dozens of young men throw their awards away angrily. Then Kerry steps up, among the last of the men to do so. The footage of Kerry calmly tossing his Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Hearts over the fence is incredibly poignant. One of Kerry’s colleagues explains to viewers that unlike some of the other men who forcefully returned their medals, Kerry “lobbed” his in an understated, yet powerful manner.
The inclusion of this highly effective and moving scene is another calculated move by the director. Kerry is painted as a thinking man—and powerful leader—who not only did his part in the war by fighting, but also did his part to stop it and change social consciousness.
A clip from one of Kerry’s speeches is heard, explaining how the Vietnam War has impacted every aspect of his life, including his political aspirations. Viewers then see a recent photograph of the senator making a rubbing of a friend’s name at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. At this point the screen fades to black and the end credits roll.
During the credits, Kerry changes from a shaggy-haired, 27-year-old social activist into a gray-haired family man and senator. Just as the movie zipped through the first 20 years of his life, it now zips the through the last 30. Viewers gain insight only into the Vietnam years and none of that insight comes from interviews or commentary from Kerry himself. Although the film claims to be about Kerry, he is largely absent, and the resulting disconnect is filled with anti-war footage and interviews with veterans.
Although the film is touching and relevant given this country’s current situation in Iraq, Going Upriver would have been better suited for a History Channel special or a (very long) campaign ad, not a feature-length documentary. But for those wondering if John Kerry is capable of leading during wartime, the director’s answer is a resounding yes.
Christy Boldenow can be reached at .
