;

Berkeley in the Sixties

1990

Action / Documentary / History

3
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 100% · 6 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 76% · 500 ratings
IMDb Rating 7.5/10 10 795 795

Plot summary

A documentary about militant student political activity at the University of California, Berkeley in the 1960s.

Director

Top cast

Nancy Reagan as Self
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU 720p.WEB 1080p.WEB
1.05 GB
968*720
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 57 min
Seeds ...
1.95 GB
1440*1072
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 57 min
Seeds ...
1.05 GB
968*720
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 57 min
Seeds ...
1.95 GB
1440*1072
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 57 min
Seeds ...

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by Redscare-2

Documentary mostly emphasizes 60s Movement's limitations as remembered by former activists.

Berkeley in the Sixties is an historical documentary that alternates between 1980s oral history and actual period photo-journalism.So it is composed largely of apparently network-sponsored news footage of the street politics and culture wars of the time. Reflecting an irony of the period, most of this footage of revolution was presumably shot and edited by the action-seeking network video journalists (employed by 1960s Fortune 500 corporations) who recorded the street politics and culture wars of the time.One reviewer imagines "hypothetical" conservative viewers "talking back to the screen". But the only controversy of this film comes from giving any voice at all to the memories of today's teachers, social workers and businessfolk who (after all) mostly IN THEIR YOUTH had been involved with organizing and direct action in Berkeley. And this social history and oral history ("Heavens!") may be what one conservative reviewer calls "bias". The personal memories of these movements' various opponents (often unavailable anyway by 1990) are mostly not recorded. (Rather only their statements at the time are represented.)History, like life, necessitates a particular perspective and position. And this one is admittedly not Ronald Reagan's or Ed Meese's or J. Edgar Hoover's history. But the film could by no stretch be called either Leftist or nostalgic or romanticized history of the 60s in the U.S. or abroad.In the oral history testimonies, the "lessons" attested to are pretty darned mixed. Hardly sentimental, approximately two former activists' testimonials emphasize the MISTAKES and excesses of the period for every one that recalls a success or virtuous result, by my count. In other words, if this is propaganda, it is clearly NOT Leftist propaganda. Neither is this a Sunday a.m. tv pundit debate among major party-allied think tank representatives. The film is an attempt to probe the experience of folks who, like the rest of us, shaped human history both deliberately and inadvertently.Moreover this is as much another worthwhile film about boomers recalling their hyper-televised, activist youth as it is an attempt at serious history. and yet in the end Berkeley in the 60s does an excellent job of both tasks. It is among the most . thought-provoking films I have seen. --Todd from Brooklyn
Reviewed by

Reviewed by LawnBoy-4 9 / 10

A fine, but decidedly slanted documentary

For many people, the great protests of the 60s began somewhere around 1966. "Berkeley In the 60s" dispels this notion, delving into the roots of the radical protest movements which began in Berkeley as early as 1960.

Overall, the film is a fantastic historical perspective of the 1960s, providing info about such revolutionaries as Mario Savio and Huey Newton. It is focused almost entirely on Berkeley, California and its magnetic subculture which attracted potential activists from all parts of the country.

Several interviews provide insight into the various causes and allow one to see the events through the eyes of those which played an integral part. Included in the interviews are moving testimonies about the "establishment" which make one wonder how society could have been so restrictive to free speech, especially given the climate of today's college campuses.

It must be noted, however, that the film is decidedly slanted, offering an anti-establishment view complete with taped press conferences of then-Governor Ronald Reagan ("the mess in Berkeley"). Those who are staunch conservatives may find themselves actually arguing with the TV screen as a result of some of the ways facts are presented. I would offer, however, that everyone should view the film as a historical perspective because there were many events which are depicted which have shaped present-day society.

Read more IMDb reviews

2 Comments

Be the first to leave a comment