Two Days In October

Documentary shows how people from all walks of life found themselves on opposing sides in the USA during the 1960's and 1970's as a result of the Vietnam war. This documentary is different from others in the way it connects facts and individuals who on first sight seem to have little in common. It also manages to bring sincere, moving testimony from first-hand witnesses. Basically, the documentary focuses on two different events in 1967, and investigates how these events were connected with each other, and how people reacted to them. On the one hand there are the students who oppose their university's policy (allowing a napalm manufacturer to recruit at the campus) and on the other hand there are the military who suffer losses in Vietnam (Black Lions ambushed by Vietcong). The drama -not just of the war, but also of the harsh division in society- is still being felt so many years later, as the participants on both sides still feel very strong about the righteousness of their actions. In Vietnam the draftees feel betrayed by their military commanders; back home the students feel betrayed by their university and the authorities who send in the police to force them from the campus site. The fundamental question all these people (draftees, military commanders, student protesters, policemen) struggle with is: "Was I right?" This documentary is recommended watching for everybody with even the slightest interest in USA history. At the end, the conclusion one can draw is that war, no matter why or where or when or by whom it is fought, always leaves behind deep scars. And the scars never cure.