History

The Vietnam War

The Vietnam War is a ten-part, 18-hour documentary film series directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick. In an immersive 360-degree narrative, Burns and Novick tell the epic story of the Vietnam War as it has never before been told on film. The Vietnam War features testimony from nearly 100 witnesses.

The Weight of Memory (Explicit Language Version)

1h 51m

While the Watergate scandal rivets Americans’ attention and forces President Nixon to resign, the Vietnamese continue to savage one another in a brutal civil war. When hundreds of thousands of North Vietnamese troops pour into the south, Saigon descends rapidly into chaos and collapses. For the next 40 years, Americans and Vietnamese from all sides search for healing and reconciliation.

Episodes

  • Things Fall Apart (Explicit Language Version): asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Things Fall Apart (Explicit Language Version)

    S1 E26 - 1h 28m

    On the eve of the Tet holiday, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces launch surprise attacks on cities and military bases throughout the south, suffering devastating losses but casting grave doubt on Johnson’s promise that there is “light at the end of the tunnel.” The president decides not to run again and the country is staggered by assassinations and unrest.

  • Things Fall Apart (Vietnamese Subtitles): asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Things Fall Apart (Vietnamese Subtitles)

    S1 E16 - 1h 27m

    On the eve of the Tet holiday, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces launch surprise attacks on cities and military bases throughout the south, suffering devastating losses but casting grave doubt on Johnson’s promise that there is “light at the end of the tunnel.” The president decides not to run again and the country is staggered by assassinations and unrest.

  • Things Fall Apart (January 1968-July 1968): asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Things Fall Apart (January 1968-July 1968)

    S1 E6 - 1h 27m

    On the eve of the Tet holiday, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces launch surprise attacks on cities and military bases throughout the south, suffering devastating losses but casting grave doubt on Johnson’s promise that there is “light at the end of the tunnel.” The president decides not to run again and the country is staggered by assassinations and unrest.

  • This Is What We Do (Explicit Language Version): asset-mezzanine-16x9

    This Is What We Do (Explicit Language Version)

    S1 E25 - 1h 28m

    American casualties and enemy body counts mount as Marines face deadly North Vietnamese ambushes and artillery south of the DMZ and Army units chase an elusive enemy in the central highlands. Hanoi lays plans for a massive surprise offensive, and the Johnson Administration reassures the American public that victory is in sight.

  • This Is What We Do (Vietnamese Subtitles): asset-mezzanine-16x9

    This Is What We Do (Vietnamese Subtitles)

    S1 E15 - 1h 27m

    American casualties and enemy body counts mount as Marines face deadly North Vietnamese ambushes and artillery south of the DMZ and Army units chase an elusive enemy in the central highlands. Hanoi lays plans for a massive surprise offensive, and the Johnson Administration reassures the American public that victory is in sight.

  • This Is What We Do (July 1967-December 1967): asset-mezzanine-16x9

    This Is What We Do (July 1967-December 1967)

    S1 E5 - 1h 28m

    American casualties and enemy body counts mount as Marines face deadly North Vietnamese ambushes and artillery south of the DMZ and Army units chase an elusive enemy in the central highlands. Hanoi lays plans for a massive surprise offensive, and the Johnson Administration reassures the American public that victory is in sight.

  • Resolve (Explicit Language Version): asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Resolve (Explicit Language Version)

    S1 E24 - 1h 57m

    Defying American airpower, North Vietnamese troops and materiel stream down the Ho Chi Minh Trail into the south, while Saigon struggles to “pacify the countryside.” As an antiwar movement builds back home, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and Marines discover that the war they are being asked to fight in Vietnam is nothing like their fathers’ war.

  • Resolve (Vietnamese Subtitles): asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Resolve (Vietnamese Subtitles)

    S1 E14 - 1h 56m

    Defying American airpower, North Vietnamese troops and materiel stream down the Ho Chi Minh Trail into the south, while Saigon struggles to “pacify the countryside.” As an antiwar movement builds back home, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and Marines discover that the war they are being asked to fight in Vietnam is nothing like their fathers’ war.

  • Resolve (January 1966-June 1967): asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Resolve (January 1966-June 1967)

    S1 E4 - 1h 57m

    Defying American airpower, North Vietnamese troops and materiel stream down the Ho Chi Minh Trail into the south, while Saigon struggles to “pacify the countryside.” As an antiwar movement builds back home, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and Marines discover that the war they are being asked to fight in Vietnam is nothing like their fathers’ war.

  • The River Styx (Explicit Language Version): asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The River Styx (Explicit Language Version)

    S1 E23 - 1h 58m

    With South Vietnam in chaos, hardliners in Hanoi seize the initiative and send combat troops to the south, accelerating the insurgency. Fearing Saigon’s collapse, President Johnson escalates America’s military commitment, authorizing sustained bombing of the north and deploying ground troops in the south.

  • The River Styx (Vietnamese Subtitles): asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The River Styx (Vietnamese Subtitles)

    S1 E13 - 1h 57m

    With South Vietnam in chaos, hardliners in Hanoi seize the initiative and send combat troops to the south, accelerating the insurgency. Fearing Saigon’s collapse, President Johnson escalates America’s military commitment, authorizing sustained bombing of the north and deploying ground troops in the south.

  • The River Styx (January 1964-December 1965): asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The River Styx (January 1964-December 1965)

    S1 E3 - 1h 57m

    With South Vietnam in chaos, hardliners in Hanoi seize the initiative and send combat troops to the south, accelerating the insurgency. Fearing Saigon’s collapse, President Johnson escalates America’s military commitment, authorizing sustained bombing of the north and deploying ground troops in the south.

Extras + Features

  • Not Since The Civil War | First Look: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Not Since The Civil War | First Look

    S1 - 30s

    A GI recalls how the Vietnam War divided American society. One of many perspectives on The Vietnam War: An Epic Event from Ken Burns and Lynn Novick. #VietnamWarPBS

  • How Am I Doing This? | First Look: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    How Am I Doing This? | First Look

    S1 - 30s

    A GI talks about his fear of land mines, and the courage it took just to walk in Vietnam. One of many perspectives on The Vietnam War: An Epic Event from Ken Burns and Lynn Novick. #VietnamWarPBS

  • Christmas Bombing: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Christmas Bombing

    S1 - 1m 59s

    President Nixon authorizes U.S. forces to launch airstrikes on North Vietnam in December, 1972. #VietnamWarPBS

  • Finishing School: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Finishing School

    S1 E5 - 1m 1s

    A Marine contends that a dark side of human nature may be in us and that we are capable of tremendous violence.

  • Extended Look: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Extended Look

    S1 - 2m

    Ken Burns & Lynn Novick tell the story behind their most ambitious film to date.

  • Save Us | First Look: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Save Us | First Look

    S1 - 30s

    A Vietnamese woman learns that the powerful American military is coming to her country. One of many perspectives in The Vietnam War: An Epic Event from Ken Burns and Lynn Novick. #VietnamWarPBS

  • Shot Right Here | First Look: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Shot Right Here | First Look

    S1 - 30s

    A South Vietnamese soldier is shot but fights on. One of many perspectives on The Vietnam War: An Epic Event from Ken Burns and Lynn Novick. #VietnamWarPBS

  • Everybody's Special | First Look: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Everybody's Special | First Look

    S1 - 30s

    A Marine phones his mother when he doesn't think he'll make it out of Vietnam alive. One of many perspectives in The Vietnam War: An Epic Event from Ken Burns and Lynn Novick. #VietnamWarPBS

  • A Mother's Worry | First Look: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    A Mother's Worry | First Look

    S1 - 30s

    A mother wonders how she'll be informed if her son is injured in combat. One of many perspectives in The Vietnam War: An Epic Event from Ken Burns and Lynn Novick. #VietnamWarPBS

  • At Great Cost | First Look: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    At Great Cost | First Look

    S1 - 30s

    A N. Vietnamese citizen remembers the slogans inspiring how his the people to sacrifice - at great cost. One of many perspectives in The Vietnam War: An Epic Event from Ken Burns and Lynn Novick. #VietnamWarPBS

Schedule

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