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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great experience and a great movie, February 25, 2005
This review is from: Kent State [VHS] (VHS Tape)
I had the pleasure of being in this movie. I had just graduated highschool. I didn't really know anything. Not about Kent State, not about movie making. My eyes were opened to both.
One has to realize, this is a Docu-Drama, not a documentary. Liberties have to be taken to present a story. I wasn't in Kent so I can't say what, if any, liberties were taken. However, I can tell you that looking at photos of Kent State and being on the campus of Gadsden State Junior College, the two campuses were similar. And since the Kent State officials would not let them film there, I think they did an excellent job in recreating that campus. Also remember, no one has ever been convicted or even charged for anything that happened that day. No one really knows what happened. This movie is based on piecing together all of the eyewitness accounts.
The scenes in which I took part were during that final bloody confrontation. And I tell you what, the emotions ran high during the filming of those scences. We may not have been in Kent 10 years earlier, but it sure feel like it. It was truly an experience of a lifetime. However, we all walked away alive, unlike those 4 young souls who were cut down seemingly at random.
This movie depicts a time in our history that we should never forget....and never let happen again.
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hit maybe too close to home, April 22, 2000
This review is from: Kent State [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Having attended SUNY-New Paltz during the 70's, I know first hand what demonstrations are all about: why they start; how they're organized; how they're conducted; what the results are; and how they are perceived by the citizens and by the media. When I saw this on TV in 1981, I was deeply moved like many viewers....but for reasons beyond the usual. My first reaction was 'This will never be rerun on network TV; it hit too close to home in it's condemnation of the real forces behind the tragedy that happened there'. It was one of the very few TV movies that actually told some real truths and didn't sugarcoat the hard realities. It is not without its flaws, but watch it to see what happened at KSU and watch it to see how, though VERY rare, mainstream TV movies can occasionally hit home....and the fact it was not rerun and is basically out of print...maybe too close to home.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Yes, it DID happen here - 4 & 1/2 stars, January 29, 2012
This review is from: Kent State [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Some 30+ years later, I'm still amazed that this film ever ran on network TV ... though I'm not amazed that it's gone out of print & is unavailable on DVD, even made-to-order DVD. Given the current temper of the times, the ugly truth is not welcome in America, whether about the recent past or the present. As previous reviewers have noted, some small liberties have been taken in the name of dramatic licence. Such is the nature of the docudrama, which strives to present a strong & smooth narrative, while remaining faithful to the essence of the facts. That said, this is an honest attempt to portray the events at Kent State, and it largely succeeds. Younger viewers may think there's too much dramatic exaggeration & believe that such things couldn't really happen. I direct them to the fine documentary "Kent State: The Day the War Came Home" for further proof that, for all intents & purposes, the state-sanctioned murder of dissenting citizens was allowed to go unpunished. This film is desperately in need of a DVD release. Still, if more people could see it, what would they think? I'm afraid that too many would cheer on the actions of the National Guard, or at the very least make feeble excuses for their crimes. In a country where any citizen can now be accused of terrorism & held indefinitely without trial or any legal rights, the killing of a few protestors would probably be considered well-deserved. Highly recommended!
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