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199 of 205 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A scathing modern history, 8 Oct 2006
Brilliant campaigning journalist John Pilger has made some of the most revealing and fascinating television documentaries ever seen on British screens. This three disc set has collated 12 of these from 1970 onwards and acts as a useful, if rather random world history as well as bringing the revelations of little known truths and acting a blistering expose of various Governments and States mendacity and greed.
The 12 documentaries are: Vietnam -The Quiet Mutiny (1970), Year Zero-The Silent Death of Cambodia (1979), Burp! Pepsi v Coke In The Ice Cold War(1982), Nicaragua-A Nations Right To Survive(1983), Death Of A Nation -The Timor Conspiracy (1994), Flying The Flag-Arming The World(1995), Inside Burma, Land of Fear(1996), Welcome To Australia(1999),Paying The Price -Killing The Children Of Iraq(2000), Palestine Is Still The Issue(2002),Breaking The Silence -Truth And Lies In The War On Terror(2003),Stealing A Nation(2004).
There is little doubt that the more contemporary documentaries have more resonance, especially the one covering the fraudulent war on terror, which is also incredibly prescient. However they are all compelling in their own way , although I would suggest that "Welcome To Australia " is really of interest to Australians only and does come across as unnecessarily sour.
A lot may depend on how you view Pilger. He is articulate, passionate, courageous and fearsomely determined and his heart is absolutely plugged into the right place. However he can be pompous, sanctimonious, holier than thou and is resolutely humourless. You may think humour has no place regarding the subjects covered here and you may well be right but I feel that a touch of satire or black sarcasm often makes a point far more effectively than anything else. It's not Pilgers thing though .He sticks to what he is good at- finding out the empirical truth behind all the subterfuge, defamation and propaganda and telling it like it is.
It would take a truly single-minded hardy soul to sit through all three discs in one sitting, not to mention a very large cushion but taken in single sittings these are some of the most powerful exposes ever filmed for TV and show that exponents of a similar vein plying their trade in film (Michael Moore for instance) have worshipped at his altar more than once. It,s debatable whether any of these actually changed the world either as the continuing need for them proves.
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42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
should be compulsory viewing in schools, 21 July 2007
I saw most of these when they were broadcast on ITV in the 70's/80's (anybody remember when ITV used to screen material other than pop idol and x factor?), they made me really angry then and most of them make me angry again on rewatching. Everything about this box set is top class except perhaps the title but I'll forgive that, Pilger's docu about the arms trade is worth the price on it's own. Watch them, get angry and do something about it because history just repeats itself, look at Iraq today and the threats toward Hugo Chaves and others in Latin America.
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102 of 107 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Journalism like it's supposed to be, 5 Mar 2007
Don't be deterred by the bombastic-sounding title of this DVD compilation and the somewhat cheesy-looking packaging: This is first-rate journalism like it is supposed to be. Although I had certainly known of John Pilger and seen his books at the bookstore, I hadn't taken the time to sit down and watch his television documentary work in any great depth. This DVD compilation was, in essence, my introduction to Pilger's video work and I tended to view it with a critical eye. After watching all four disks, I have to say I'm impressed.
Sure, Pilger has his own opinion on things (don't we all?) and he makes his views known clearly in these reports, backed up by solid facts. But in the end, the real test for a journalist is whether he or she seeks honest answers from those in power and does not shy away from investigating sensitive, even dangerous, areas. To my mind, Pilger's work passes the test. I even found myself standing up after particular reports on this DVD and applauding Pilger's efforts to get at the truth. Every single report stands on its own high quality -- quality that we no longer get (or even expect, tragically) in the mainstream corporate-dominated mass media.
For me, Pilger's reports on Cambodia, Nicaragua, Vietnam, Burma and the "war on terror" were most impressive. It's a shame that Pilger's South Africa reportage was not included in this compilation, as I hear it is equally good. In any case, this DVD set was money well-spent and I'll watch these reports again and again in the future. For better or worse, the best journalistic reporting, obviously, does not take place in mainstream news corporations anymore (if it ever did); the best journalistic work is today being done by independents around the world like John Pilger. Buy this DVD and find out what you're *really* missing in those watered-down news reports we watch and listen to every day.
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