Sir! No Sir!Documentary about a defiant anti-war movement that spread among soldiers fighting in the Vietnam War. Directed by David Zeiger (1:24). Not rated: Language, mature themes. At the IFC Center.
A vital new chapter in the book of protest, documentarian David Zeiger's "Sir! No Sir!" is a revealing account of the anti-war activities of soldiers on the ground in Vietnam.
Though their political defiance was eclipsed by civilian protests, thousands of American soldiers risked their careers - and, in some cases, their lives - to expose the truths of the campaigns they were ordered to fight.
Learning that their reality was far different from the one being presented to the American public, many G.I.s began contributing to underground newspapers, planning demonstrations and refusing to continue in battle. Toward the end of the conflict, some even turned on their own officers, tossing grenades into their tents as they slept.
Melding historical footage with dozens of contemporary interviews from veterans (and a regrettably self-righteous Jane Fonda), Zeiger builds a poignant history of young men transformed from loyal soldiers to bitter activists nearly overnight.
Today, many of these men remain haunted, still unable to escape a war they never understood. This is powerful stuff, offering us not only a new look at the past, but to the unavoidably relevant insights into the present.