FRONTLINE

Australia, 1979, 56 minutes, Colour.
Neil Davis.
Directed by David Bradbury.

Frontline is a multi-award winning documentary directed by journalist David Bradbury. It concerns the Tasmanian war correspondent Neil Davis, a cameraman-reporter who worked on the front line in Vietnam between 1964 and 1975. Her worked for a British based television syndicate Viznews. In the film Davis is interviewed and Bradbury has gone through archival material to match Davis' words with action shots. The result is an interesting portrait of a daring war correspondent as well as a visual impression of the Vietnam war. The film highlights the role of the news journalist in the first media war. It highlights the risks and the dangers as well as the daring of the particular reporters.

Davis was wounded several times, and once severely. The footage from the war is well chosen. It highlights the involvement of the soldiers and other groups within the war; it does not touch on the political background of the war. Davis worked generally with the Vietnamese themselves rather than with European or American correspondents. It is hard to tell his sympathies. He is said to have sympathised with the Viet Cong - the film does seem to indicate some sympathy for the South Vietnam cause. within its short running time, the film gives a vivid portrait of Davis as well as a substantial impression of the war and its effects in South East Asia.

1. The quality of the film? Its winning many awards? The purpose of the film - documentary about the war, about Neil Davis. about journalists involved in frontline reporting? The role of the journalist, the television journalist? For what audiences was it made? Its impact in the late '70s in the aftermath of the war, American reconsideration of '60s and '70s. the award-winning films about Vietnam, especially The Deerhunter and Apocalypse Now?

2. The importance of the use of archival footage? The criteria for select-ion? The direction and editing of the archive material? The interviews with Davis? His reflections on the war, on his experience in the east, the footage showing him involved in the war? The overall history of the war by mans of communications media? The contribution of the musical score?

3. The importance of the media for informing the world about the war? The war that was reported in the world's living room? The American audience and its response? Non-Americans? The violence and the killings within the living room - and audiences getting used to such news and footage day by day? The points of view of the reporters? The attempts at objectivity, of commitment? The background of American involvement, the '60s and technical advisers? The status of the war when Davis began reporting in 1965? American allies' involvement e.g. Australia? The Tet invasions? The picture of the Vietnamese, the Viet Cong? The American Embassy in Saigon? The invasion of Cambodia? The vivid shots of military officials killing e.g. the colonel killing in the street? The end of the war and Davis' presence at the American Embassy? The use of the footage for information, shaping of attitudes?

4. The audience response to the various points of view presented? The pros of the American involvement? The background of Indo-China? and French involvement? The place of Vietnam and Cambodia and Laos? Johnson and his decisions? The Chiefs of Staff and the waging of the war? Nixon and his change of attitude, the decisions about the bombing of Cambodia? The build-up to the cease-fire? The withdrawal of the Americans and the panic, the atmosphere of defeat? American expectations of winning?

5. The background of anti-war attitudes in 1965 the protests especially of '68? The changes of attitude under the Nixon administration e.g. 1970? The changes of attitude from 1973 to the surrender of Saigon 1975?

6. The film's portrayal of jungle warfare and its style? Weapons, soldiering, statistics? The war in Cambodia and its old styles? Defeat? Subversive agents? The ordinary people and their involvement?

7. How well did the film present the moral issues of war. violence, killing, reporting? Davis' own attitudes?

8. The sense of comradeship between the soldiers? The bonds of Davis with the Vietnamese? The various reporters and Davis electing to move with the Vietnamese and the Cambodians?

9. The battles, the experience of the front line, the fields, the bombings, companions being shot, death and wounding? Schools, children, the accidents of war?

10. The personality of Davis as it appeared through the interviews? His reflections on his role as a reporter? His living through the eleven years and the effect of what he saw? His own wounding? His presence at the fall of Saigon?

11. The comparison of this kind of documentary material with the cinema films as The Deerhunter and Apocalypse Now? Their realism and their contrived stylising presentation of the war and its issues compared with this glimpse of the reality? The need for this kind of documentary to remind audiences of such wars?