First Kill - Vietnam War Documentary 2/8

What is the psychology of war? Do soldiers become murderers when they enjoy killing? Is war beautiful? Are all humans capable of monstrous acts? FIRST KILL examines these and other questions, as it explores what war does to the human mind and soul.

Interviews with several Vietnam veterans evoke the contradictory feelings that killing produces - fear, hate, seduction and pleasure. FIRST KILL also includes a discussion with Michael Herr, the former war correspondent who wrote the screenplays to Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket, and wrote Dispatches, the best and most important book about the experiences of the combat soldier in the Vietnam War.

For the last ten years Herr has refused to give any interviews, but in FIRST KILL he descends into his own dark experiences one more time. "If war was hell and only hell and there were no other colors in the palate... I don't think people would continue to make war," he says.

For other people war is just work. Immediately after taking his well-known photograph of a Vietnamese general shooting a Vietcong soldier in the head, Eddie Adams went out to lunch. Other Vietnam veterans talk about similar numbing experiences, many of them continuing to suffer nightmares and are still struggling with their traumas. On the other hand, former "tunnelrat" Billy Heflin openly admits that, despite his aversion to war, he is addicted to killing, and longingly recalls his wartime experiences.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• vietnam
• war
• documentary
• psychology
• killing

[J4NN3K]

unfortunately this is way tooo silent,... where's this documentary taken from?

[GisSlicknSmooth]

i wouldn't be surprised if that soft spoken guy is a serial killer.... he just gives me that vibe, lol

[LUGTrekGM]

@GisSlicknSmooth He's a combat photo journalist, and screenwriter.

[piscolabis16]

lol "its not boring, one is never bored".

[GarlicPrawnz]

I thought this was an incredible doco, very interesting as well as brutal, i really enjoyed watching it

[northernsoul44]

@J4NN3K Use headphones and its fine... improvise, adapt, overcome !!

[smallpotatoes989]

@sheilarph what do you mean by that? which guy?

[werobanks]

so this jewish k-boy did not fight himself but was a reporter?

[globe255]

He is totally right Vietnam will of course give the soldier a lot excitement namely that kind of excitement you are looking for in your daily life in town. Not because you wanna kill but because of the adrenalin rush it gives you to be in dangerous environments all the time. When the soldier are back in the normal environments again he will miss the rush and will try to find something that can replace it. The choice is unfortunately many times narcotic stuff.

[HebusxJebus]

@HebusxJebus Dick.What country is your heritage , you spell like a non american.Being in the National Guard does not impress me ,.I am from a peaceful country; New Zealand ,only registered gun collectors and illegal nutters like you hoard weapons. Don't need guns here buddy, we argue without guns.Heil Hitler was to press your button.I am of white english birth, cock head.If the National Guard knows more about you than you do, you are a sad retard.Vietnam and Iraq finished really well ay mate

[dekota94]

@HebusxJebus What violence? what's wrong with weapons everything is a weapon even youtube, I like to collect guns it is not a crime but my right. I'm being watched Lol yea Im in the National Guard if you missed that Im pretty shore they know me more then I know my self Lol. you most be a liberal by hateing guns and my page supporting America and our Military. Go get a life and wroship your idle Hitler since you salute him dumbass. Fuck you!