THE FORGOTTEN
US, 1989, 90 minutes, Colour.
Keith Carradine, Steve Railsback, Pepe Serna.
Directed by James Keach.
The Forgotten is a telemovie about Vietnam prisoners of war and their return in 1989 with consequent interrogations, discovery of cover-up, and a battle between themselves and American authorities. The foundation might seem realistic, but the development of the film becomes somewhat hysterical and violently farfetched.
The executive producers are the stars Keith Carradine and Sieve Railsback, who also had a hand in the writing of the story. Stacey Keach also stars and his brother James Keach is producer and director.
The film is set in Germany (filmed in Yugoslavia) and is an attempt to prod the conscience of the American public about the prisoners of war in Vietnam.
1. The Vietnam war, background, the waging of the war, prisoners, torture? Politics? Transition from the '70s into the '80s? American relationships with Vietnam?
2. The Yugoslav settings for Germany? The castle, the village, the streets? The setting between the U.S. and Vietnam? Musical score?
3. The credibility of the plot: the prisoners of war, 17 years, the timing of their release, the memory of their mission, political and economic ramifications, the Pentagon? The credibility of the final melodramatics?
4. The title, the fact of the prisoners of war, their experience, torture, fidelity under torture, release, families thinking then dead? The attitude of the Vietnamese? American authorities and debriefing?
5. The portrait of the group, their cohesion, shared experience, the introduction to each character, leaving Vietnam, arriving in Germany? The atmosphere of Germany and the West in 1989 - Madonna posters, talk of Oliver North, etc? The contrast with Westwood and his years working in the army?
6. Roth and his interrogations, severity, C.I.A. background, connections with the State Department? Hostile attitudes, the vigour of his questioning? His high contact? The decision to hypnotise Brady, the effect? The prisoner who hanged himself? Confining the group to base? His phone calls? The murder of Westford? The chase, the confrontation, his shooting Pearce and standing to be arrested, the complete self-giving and cover-up? The values he stood for?
7. Westford and the passing of the years, his friendship, concern, phone calls about Roth, his orders to stop the inquiry, his being scratched in the street and poisoned, his death? His woman assistant, her opposition to the hypnosis, her concern?
8. The techniques of the interrogations: the American questions and the same questions from the Vietnamese, the continued linking of the two interrogations, contrast and comparison? The importance of the use of hypnosis? Ton and his tapping and forcing Brady to remember? The nature of the mission, the betrayal by Pearce, the cover-up for 17 years, the motivation, the trade deals?
9. Ton as leader, strong, helping the men together, his straightforward answers to questions? Morale and planning? Brady, shell-shocked, selective memory, his being beaten, the mystery of his mission, the tapping and his gradually remembering? Doe and his part in the team, the Vietnamese using the fact that he was black to interrogate him? Peter, his torture, his death? The Catholic man, the talk about his family, his wife's prostitution? His desperation, hanging himself?
10. The effect of the interrogations, drawing the men together, the effect of the hanging, Brady's reaction with the knife, the plan for the breakout, their skills in getting out, the danger, being pursued and shadowed?
11. Peter finding Claude and his daughter, her new husband, the helplessness about the situation, their needing to help, Peter and his consideration? Claudia and her husband going to the Vietnamese official, his explanation that he was the target, the revelation of the villain?
12. Battles in the street, deaths? Going to Pearce, taking him, the arrest?
13. The purpose of the film, its comment on Vietnam and its waste, America, its use of its politics and big money, cover-ups, C.I.A. loyalties? As relevant to the late 80s?
