Film Review: F.T.A.

The U.S. has a sad history of involvement in other countries’ wars. The most memorable one for those of us who were, or were around the flower children of the 1960s was U.S. involvement in  Vietnam, which took some 58,000 American lives and solved no problems.

That war inspired noisy opposition at home and resulted in something much worse: anger at those not responsible – the draftees and volunteers who fought and survived – when they returned home.

Now comes a remnant of that struggle – a film called “F.T.A.” (“F*** The Army”), a documentary of a 1972 U.S. tour made by Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland and several other entertainers who performed a satirical show designed to spark opposition to U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

Now it’s been restored and is playing on demand along with a short preliminary interview with Fonda, who explains why they went and what they wanted to accomplish.

This wasn’t a polished show. The disorganized “hey, kids, let’s put on a show” troupe featured 10 actors (Fonda, Sutherland, Michael Alaimo, Peter Boyle, Len Chandler, Pamela Donegan, Steve Jaffe, Rita Martinson, Paul Mooney and Holly Near) and played near U.S. military bases.  The only base that gave them permission to perform was Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.

The show featured off-the-cuff comedy, goofy (or angry) songs, a bit of dance and whatever came to mind at any given moment. The point was the opposite of Bob Hope’s intent with his USO tours. The FTA gang wanted to sow opposition to a war they regarded as misguided at best.

This isn’t a real movie as we think of them; it’s a 4-K restoration of a black-and-white tape designed to amuse and infuriate its audience. I remember those days well, so for me this is nostalgia and a sad reminder that mankind hasn’t advanced much.

I never saw the show, because it was pulled a week after its U.S. release. That was the week Fonda made her controversial trip to Hanoi. Speculation is that calls from high up in Washington caused its disappearance. Sound familiar?

“F.T.A.” should be seen, if only to make sure our indignation genes are still intact. “The masses are asses,” they sing, and “The masses have been led by the asses too long.”

Because, after all, “They don’t have answer. They have a rule book.”

“F.T.A.” opens in virtual cinemas through Kino Marquee on March 5.