Though a bit dated, The Trials of Henry Kissinger provides a brief summary of the controversial career of one of America's most (in)famous diplomats. Based on the book, the film covers both sides of the debates against Kissinger. Presented in a trial format, the film allows the viewers to develop their own opinions. Whether Kissinger was a war criminal or a pragmatic realpolitik apparatchik, we decide. The film also delves a bit into Kissinger's personal life to help us understand his evolution. Viewers can emphasize why Kissinger adopts his own brand of amoral realpolitik over dogmatic idealism. As the film progresses, we see the adoption of Kissinger's rise to power/fame/infamy. 3.5 or 4/5. A bit dated, but a solid introduction to the career and life of Henry Kissinger.

Lauding and riveting. This sheds light on the war crimes of former secretary of state Henry Kissinger.

on sided but good. makes you ask if the ends justify the means. him and nixon were doing lots of dirty stuff against a dirty enemy. Hes undeniably smart and believes in his causes

Hitchens, Gibney, and Jarecki make a great case against Kissinger, and you feel compelled to believe their impressions of the controversial figure. It's not quite as interesting as you'd think, but it's a good first outing for Eugene Jarecki and shows promise for his future career as a documentary filmmaker.

A film that raises the important points about the two faces of international peace prizes and courts by showing how Kissinger manages to contradict them both. One sided, but informative.

Gotta love the Hitch.

It makes a strong (if pretty one sided) case against Kissinger, who has maintained a strangely high degree of respect and admiration in many circles. I'm glad someone is willing to point out that giving him the Nobel Peace Prize was just a terrible idea.

Shocking to hear a politician using his postion for personal gain....shocking!

Infuriating... but not surprising.

A persuasive argument of Kissinger as a war criminal and devious manipulator.

interesting but its not balanced but what else is new.

Great movie based on a great book!

Very thorough, interesting take on Kissinger. Does a nice job of trying to present both sides of the argument. So few docs do that these days.

A one-sided (and admitted by the crew in the bonus features as such) look at a man who has been almost universally admired as a foreign policy expert. The film does an excellent job of showing how skewed this portrayal is, exposing the many instances of diplomatic deception and outright slaughter of innocent lives, when peace was available. I would be curious to hear Kissinger's response to this film's claims, but he has made a reputation for ignoring all criticisms.

one sided doc but very effective and to the point. I learned much from watching it but what i took from it more than anything is that statesmen often have to decide between two evils.. it is how they deal with that is what separates them...this doc is a good one check it out!

A great victory for truth, thank god for the freedom of information act. Just wish more of these documentaries would be made in a timely fashion when the information is needed to make critical decisions.

Like all good muckraker documentaries, it's infuriating, not only in Kissinger's actions but the way this country's foreign policy in general has needlessly killed civilians, assassinated leaders, and set up puppet governments due to some perceived moral superiority all around the world. The film's based on a book Christopher Hitchens (I like him) wrote a year before, and I hope to read it soon. It does a really thorough job of building up an argument against Kissinger, accusing him of war crimes and other atrocities. Alex Gibney and Eugene Jarecki give it to you straight, pulling no punches and delivering an uninterrupted stream of accusations, shocking revelations, and interesting factoids. Their ruthless attack results in a documentary that I wished was a bit longer than it is (80 minutes) but it's amazingly concise and razor sharp in its execution. See it.

an entryway into things you never knew about Vietnam, the bombing of Cambodia, and various US sponsored coups. The man deserves no respect--only jail time

In November 1974, on a brief tour in Bangladesh, Kissinger gave a three-minute press conference in which he refused to say why he had sent the USS Enterprise into the Bay of Bengal during the independance war against Pakistan. Within a few weeks of his departure, a faction at the US embassy in Dhaka began covertly meeting with a group of army officers who were planning a coup against Mujib (democratically elected Prime Minister). On 15 August 1975, Mujib and forty members of his family were murdered in a military takeover. His closest former political associates were bayoneted to death in their prison cells a few months after that. This film is an exact portrait of Henry Kissinger.

I can't see how the American people can stand by and not insist on the prosecution of this monstrous man. Every genocidal act, every criminal enterprise, is backed by a substantial paper trial that supports what many have known for decades - that this man is responsible for many of the late 20th century's murderous campaigns against innocent people and democratically-elected politicians. I find myself uneasy with my country's support of this fascistic regime whose current president has overwhelmingly validated the arrogance of the USA. A great documentary and an invaluable history lesson even if it is depressingly familiar that he got away with it.