This incisive documentary offers a sobering portrait of statesman Henry Kissinger, quite possibly the most powerful and influential diplomat in U.S. government in the latter half of the 20th century. Based on the book of nearly the same name by journalist and critic Christopher Hitchens (the slender volume goes with the singularized Trial), the movie takes on the form of a legal argument, bringing forward case studies that aim to illuminate Hitchens' claims against Kissinger. Among the significant events in Kissinger's career that the movie tackles are his purported secret diplomacy during the 1968 peace talks to end the Vietnam War, the secret bombing of Cambodia in the early '70s without congressional authorization, and an alleged U.S.-backed plot to overthrow the leftist government of Chilean leader Salvador Allende. The movie features numerous interviews with legal experts, journalists, and high-ranking diplomats, such as Alexander Haig, Walter Isaacson, Roger Morris, and Hitchens himself; predictably, Kissinger did not participate in the making of the picture. ~ Elbert Ventura, All Movie Guide
Review by All Movie Guide
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The Trials of Henry Kissinger is a scathing documentary that methodically dissects the diplomatic career of Henry Kissinger, making a compelling case that the self-styled media celebrity is guilty of war crimes. Audiences should be forewarned that the film presents a great wealth of information, coming fast and furious, and it would be helpful to have some knowledge of U.S. foreign policy during and just after the Vietnam War going into the film. While there's plenty of damning evidence on display against Kissinger, the filmmakers don't make the case that he was the sole architect of, for example, the scuttling of Lyndon Johnson's peace talks with the North Vietnamese. While it's true that Kissinger had tremendous influence over some of the more tainted actions of U.S. forces overseas during this time, Nixon and others surely played a larger role than they're given credit for here. Still, Kissinger's unconvincing denials of his own foreknowledge of Indonesia's invasion of East Timor and of the kidnapping/assassination of a prominent Chilean general who supported Allende help the filmmakers' case. Eugene Jarecki and Alex Gibney deserve tremendous credit for adapting Christopher Hitchens' book into a fast-paced documentary that entertains as it informs. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide