The Trials of Henry Kissinger

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Even as it preaches to those who will relish its witch-hunting zeal, The Trials of Henry Kissinger makes a potent assertion that the legendary diplomat and former Secretary of State is guilty of crimes against humanity. Produced for the BBC, seductively narrated by actor Brian Cox, and based on the scathing book by Christopher Hitchens (a Kissinger-bashing journalist featured heavily here in talking-head interviews), this film is clearly biased against its target, but there's ample documentation to support its claims that Kissinger prolonged the Vietnam war and orchestrated the illegal and indiscriminate bombing of Cambodia; supervised the 1973 coup against democratically elected Chilean president Allende; and played a role in U.S.-backed atrocities in East Timor. Expert interviews on both sides of the political fence (but mostly damning Kissinger) make this a compelling, information-packed example of situational ethics in action; additional viewings simultaneously deepen the film's conviction and reveal the weakness of its one-sided embrace of Hitchens. Either way, this is essential viewing for anyone interested in the labyrinthine machinations of international power. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

One of many American war criminals.......2007-01-08

I don't think that Kissinger's viciousness can be rationalized by saying his decisions were a matter of making "hard choices in war time." I'm sure the Nazis, Saddam's regime and every other tyranny used lines like that. Kissinger's positions, like those of other killers, had to do with money and power and an utter disregard for the lives of other people. He also enjoyed the sex that came with his position, stating that "power is the ultimate aphrodisiac." Like the Bible says, the prostitutes of Babylon will make themselves available to blood-soaked war mongers with plenty of wealth. John Perkins makes a similar point in his book "Confessions of an Economic Hit Men" about the powerful addiction of sex that kept him and others in a profession that was doing incalculable harm to people across the globe.

Ford just died, and amid all the praising of him as a "healer" of this nation, there has been little said about how Ford and Kissinger destroyed another nation, East Timor. "The Trials of Henry Kissinger" includes a section on how our masters of war supported the Indonesian invasion of East Timor, supplying 90% of the weapons that killed a third of that nation's people. In fact, Ford and Kissinger were clinking champagne glasses with General Suharto the night before Indonesian forces charged into East Timor. Amy Goodman (the host of Democracy Now! radio) was almost beaten to death while she was in East Timor, and appears in this film. More details of the destruction of East Timor can be found in the film "Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media."

The "threat of communism" and now the "threat of terrorism" is a convenient cover for the harm America's power elite bring to people throughout the world, including the domestic population. Our nation's aggressors utilize an ounce of truth to extract a pound of deception to deflect attention away from the threat our corporatists pose to the entire global South. The list of our victims, oppressed via our tax dollars and lack of opposition, is long - Guatemala, Vietnam, Iran, Laos, Nicaragua, Cambodia, Haiti, El Salvador, Chile, Angola, and many others. After a while, one would hope we would begin to laugh in disgust when we hear about the threats others pose to us, and instead could look ourselves in the mirror and see the blood on our own hands.
Jarecki has a more recent documentary that explains our pathological violence, it's called "Why We Fight," and includes clips of Eisenhower's famous speech about our military industrial complex.

Maybe an International Criminal Court will bring people like Kissinger to justice some day, and America's "good Germans" will stop making excuses for the barbarity that calls itself "realpolitik."

Hard choices have to be made in wartime. It's easy to criticize. Well done but one sided........2005-10-09

This documentary is skillfully made, using newsreel footage, interviews, talk show excerpts and TV comedic satires. There's also some newly declassified information and lots of opinion by the filmmaker, Eugene Jarecki, who adapted his material from a book by Christopher Hichens. It's all tied up in a neat little package, and builds to the conclusion that Henry Kissinger should be tried as a war criminal.

A war criminal? And this film is the trial? Funny, I thought that a trial was supposed to present two sides.

I wish I knew more about Henry Kissinger. But all I can remember is recognizing his face on newscasts throughout my adult life. He's a diplomat and has held some important positions in the government. And, if I would believe what this film says, he alone was responsible for extending the Vietnam War an extra seven years, bringing Pol Pot to power in Cambodia, assassinating the democratically elected communist president of Chile, and murdering thousands of people in East Timor.

Hey! That sure is a lot of power for one man. I can't buy it.

Henry Kissinger was a diplomat during a period in U.S. history where the biggest threat seemed to be communism. He was good at his job. In the cold light of history, there were many misdeeds done. But the filmmaker wasn't there behind the closed doors when the hard choices were made. And one thing I know is that these kinds of choices are always hard. Of course they'll be mistakes. And compromises made. But, hey, someone has to do it. And often that person was Henry Kissinger.

What is truth? I don't believe that's an easy answer either.

The film piqued my interest. I'd like to learn more about the man. Learn more facts. Only then can I judge the content of the film. I'm just an average person though. I can't debate the actual issues. But I do know when someone is subject to an attack.

I'm glad I live in a country where a film like this is possible. That's why I recommend it, and for that reason only. It shows the true character of Americans. We question everything.

Fine Line Between Greatness and Criminality.......2005-01-12

I remember growing up and having no qualms whatsoever about the greatness of Henry Kissinger. I mean, that's the popular mythology: a brilliant man devotes his life to public service, and helps to forge the tough, realist diplomacy that helped America win the Cold War. But as one gets older, and learns how to learn, the facade of many national myths slides to the floor, and what's left is often cruel and ugly. This film lays bare the disparity between what we want to believe about ourselves, and what is actually true. The brilliant German expatriate diplomat is actually a deluded, homicidal madman, drunk on the hooch of power. Kissinger is the perfect illustration of how secrecy and centralized power are the ultimate evils of a democracy, no matter how sincere the original intent. Buy this DVD, then share it with your friends.

DUBROOM.com Review.......2004-11-08

When George W. Bush wanted to appoint Henry Kissinger as chairman of the 911 Whitewash comittee, a lot of people stood up and protested over this blatant and arrogant choice of the elite.
After all, Henry Kissinger is the kind of guy who has to check out with his lawyers before he enters a certain country, because there are so many charges against him all over the world.

For those who wonder why, this movie could answer a lot of your questions. You will see what Henry Kissinger has done over the years, his involvement in world politics and the games he played behind the scene.

The cynicism of power.......2004-09-26

Inspired by Christopher Hitchens' magazine articles and book, THE TRIALS OF HENRY KISSINGER is a fascinating indictment of its title character. It's a fairly traditional documentary, following a rough chronology of events and employing a voice over narrator (Brian Cox.)
Understandably enough, Kissinger wanted no part of this project. His chief accusers are a pair of pit bull investigative journalists, Hitchens and Seymour Hersh. To their credit, the filmmakers follow each accusation with either an archived taped response of Kissinger answering the charge in another forum and/or a rebuttal by former aides and associates, including Alexander Haig, Brent Scowcroft, William Safire and Kissinger biographer Walter Isaacson. Indeed, given the high powered wordsmiths in this one it's Haig who delivers the best line when at one point he leans forward in his chair and calls Hitchens a "sewer pipe sucker."
Kissinger's major crimes, the actionable and the other, are all treated here. Included is his duplicitous behavior while negotiating a peace agreement with North Vietnam while a member of President Johnson's negotiating team - Kissinger funneled information to the Nixon campaign, which may well have tipped the close election to our last Quaker president. The complex story of Kissinger's involvement in Vietnam and the secret bombing of Cambodia are treated, as is his decision to wiretap his aides, the Indonesian invasion of East Timor and finally his involvement in events leading up to overthrow of Chilean President Salvador Allende.
I wouldn't say THE TRIALS OF HENRY KISSINGER is balanced (as director Eugene Jarecki and writer/producer Alex Gibney rightly claim in the "Making Of" special, Kissinger has had 25 years to burnish his image and bury the evidence; this is the other side of the story) nor is it entirely convincing. It deals with issues much too complex to develop in a mere 80 minutes.
I was a little surprised to note that this traditional documentary comes with a commentary track. It's already filled with talking heads and archive images, but I found the commentary just as interesting as the movie. Jarecki and Gibney know their subject and provide many insights into not only the issues involved, but background on material used and rejected.

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