Selections and commentary by Pat Harrington.
This week’s viewing is rich in history, politics, and sharp reflection. PBS America continues its monumental series on Vietnam, tracing the war’s roots, escalation, and legacy with a depth that few broadcasters could match. These documentaries are more than history lessons; they are meditations on power, pride, and human cost. Alongside them runs Iron Curtain: Living Under Soviet Occupation, which brings to light the daily realities of those trapped under Moscow’s grip. These are stories that force us to reckon with systems of control and the courage of resistance.
Film lovers are in for something equally profound. Bong Joon-ho’s Snowpiercer (2013) offers a blistering allegory of class divides. Its train, circling endlessly in a frozen wasteland, becomes a stage for rebellion, inequality, and survival. It is as much a parable as it is a thriller, and one that resonates in a world still scarred by division. Alongside The Godfather trilogy, Atonement, and Just Mercy, the week balances classics with films that confront our collective conscience.
Culture Vulture exists to pick out the programmes that matter — for people who are political and socially engaged, who want to think as well as be entertained. We take an alternative stance, unafraid to highlight where art and politics meet, whilst also celebrating the very best in high standard entertainment.
Saturday 23rd August
Dark Hearts — BBC Four, 9:00pm
This taut French thriller focuses on a team of soldiers in Mali caught in the crossfire of war and morality. It captures not only the tension of battlefield missions but the shadows cast on the human spirit. The directing is tight, the atmosphere claustrophobic, and the moral dilemmas real.
The series shows how war is rarely straightforward. Soldiers are forced into impossible choices, and the lines between duty and humanity blur. This is drama rooted in reality, which makes it all the more unsettling.
It is also visually striking, making full use of the desert landscape. There is a beauty to the stillness which contrasts starkly with the violence of the action. It leaves you asking whether victory is ever possible in wars of this kind.
The Vietnam War: Déjà Vu, 1858–1961 / Riding the Tiger, 1961–63 / The River Styx, 1964–65 — PBS America, 3:20pm / 7:05pm / 9:30pm
These episodes lay the groundwork for America’s involvement in Vietnam, tracing roots deep into colonial history. The series excels at showing how decisions taken in faraway capitals lead to suffering on the ground. The combination of archive footage and testimony makes the story both sweeping and intimate.
What emerges is a tale of misjudgments, stubborn pride, and human cost. The sense of inevitability builds as each step leads further into the quagmire. Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s work remains a monumental achievement.
This is not easy viewing, but it is vital. For those who want to understand how history repeats itself, this series provides both the facts and the emotions.
Sunday 24th August
The Vietnam War: The Veneer of Civilisation, June 1968 – May 1969 — PBS America, 7:10pm
This episode looks at a year when the war dragged on and the divisions at home grew sharper. The title points to the thin cover of order that masks brutality. Soldiers fought battles in the jungle while politicians fought battles in Washington. Neither side found resolution.
The programme makes clear how the Tet Offensive shattered illusions of victory. Violence abroad was matched by unrest on American streets. It was a time when trust in government collapsed, and protest became a defining feature of the era.
The strength of the series is in its voices. Veterans, families, and leaders all speak, giving human depth to what might otherwise be abstract. It’s a reminder that war corrodes not just lives but the very idea of civilisation itself.
The History of the World, April 1969 – May 1970 — PBS America, 9:35pm
This chapter continues the story, showing how the conflict ground on even as the world seemed to spin apart. From campuses in the United States to jungles in Southeast Asia, the war’s reach was global. Nixon’s promises of “peace with honour” rang hollow as the bombing spread.
The programme explores a year marked by contradictions: talk of withdrawal on one hand, escalation on the other. It shows how Vietnam was not an isolated struggle but part of a wider Cold War chess game. The title reminds us that these events shaped the course of the world, not just one nation.
It is a sombre watch. Yet it is vital, because it captures the sense of a society under strain, and a war that refused to end. The footage and testimony remind us how quickly hope can turn to despair when leaders cannot or will not change course.
The Godfather (1972) — BBC Two, 10:00pm
Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece needs little introduction. This is cinema at its richest, from the opening wedding to the closing door. It remains a haunting meditation on family, power, and corruption.
The performances are as magnetic as ever. Marlon Brando dominates as Vito, but Al Pacino’s transformation from reluctant son to ruthless Don is the film’s true arc. The dialogue, the pacing, and the moral weight never lose their grip.
Half a century later, the film still feels alive. It’s not nostalgia but timeless storytelling that makes The Godfather stand out this week.
California Dreaming: The Songs of The Mamas and The Papas — Sky Arts, 8:00pm
The Mamas and The Papas gave the 1960s its harmonies and heartbreaks. This programme looks at the group’s music and the bittersweet story behind it. Their songs capture both the lightness of Californian dreams and the sadness that lay beneath.
Hearing “California Dreamin’” or “Monday, Monday” again is to hear the 1960s in full colour. Yet behind the harmonies were tangled relationships and personal struggles. This show reminds us of how beauty and pain can live together in music.
The nostalgia is warm, but there’s a poignancy too. It’s a celebration that doesn’t flinch from the truth.
Monday 25th August (Bank Holiday)
The Vietnam War: Disrespectful Loyalty, May 1970 – March 1973 — PBS America, 6:10pm
This episode covers the final years of American combat in Vietnam, a time when loyalty between leaders, soldiers, and citizens frayed beyond repair. Nixon escalated the war into Cambodia and Laos, sparking fury at home. The Kent State shootings revealed how deep the divisions ran.
The title is apt: loyalty was demanded but rarely returned. Soldiers questioned why they were there, while families questioned why their children had to die. Politicians spoke of peace, yet the killing continued.
The programme captures the chaos of a country at war with itself as much as with Vietnam. It shows how betrayal, both real and perceived, eats away at the bonds that hold societies together.
The Vietnam War: The Weight of Memory, March 1973 onward — PBS America, 8:30pm
The final episode looks at the end of direct U.S. involvement and the long shadow that followed. American troops left, but the war did not end for Vietnam. South Vietnam collapsed, and the images of helicopters lifting from rooftops remain etched in history.
At home, the memory of the war proved just as heavy. Veterans returned to a nation unsure how to receive them, and the country struggled to process a defeat that many refused to name as such. The documentary gives space to these voices, which are too often overlooked.
This is not a story of triumph but of reckoning. The “weight of memory” lingers in every shot, reminding us that wars do not end when soldiers come home. They echo in politics, in culture, and in the lives of those who lived through them.
Snowpiercer (2013) — ITV4, 9:00pm
This film from Bong Joon-ho is a ferocious allegory of class and survival. The train circles endlessly, a closed system where the poor are crushed at the back and the elites thrive at the front. The story unfolds as a revolt, carriage by carriage.
It is brutal but also inventive. The imagery lingers, from frozen landscapes outside to the shocking excess inside. The tone is part thriller, part parable, part grotesque comedy.
Chris Evans leads a strong cast, but the real star is the concept. Few films capture inequality so vividly or so memorably.
The Godfather Part II (1974) — BBC Two, 10:00pm
Many sequels fall short. This one surpasses. Coppola delivers not just a continuation but a deepening. Pacino now owns the screen as Michael Corleone, his face colder and harder with each scene.
The film moves between Michael’s reign and Vito’s early life, played with delicate brilliance by Robert De Niro. The contrasts of past and present give the film its weight. This is not just crime drama but family tragedy.
It closes with an emptiness that chills. The Corleones gain power but lose their souls. It is one of the most powerful films in American cinema.
Tuesday 26th August
Iron Curtain: Living Under Soviet Occupation, Part One – The Hand of Moscow — PBS America, 8:40pm
The series begins with the immediate post-war years, when Eastern Europe fell under Soviet control. This episode shows how Moscow’s hand reached into every aspect of life, from politics to culture to family homes. It is chilling to see how quickly freedoms disappeared once the occupation set in.
Archive material and eyewitness accounts give weight to the story. We hear not only from leaders but from ordinary people forced to live under suspicion and fear. It’s a reminder of how fragile democracy can be, and how quickly it can be lost.
The programme is more than history — it’s a warning. What happened then is a lesson for our own age about the dangers of authoritarian power unchecked.
The Hurt Locker (2008) — BBC Three, 10:00pm
Kathryn Bigelow’s Oscar-winner is a tense and exhausting ride. It follows a bomb disposal team in Iraq, and every scene pulses with risk. The dangers are real, the explosions sudden, and the nerves fray.
Jeremy Renner plays Sergeant James, addicted to the thrill of defusing bombs. His recklessness makes him both heroic and frightening. The film asks if war is a drug, and whether those who fight can ever return home whole.
It is both intimate and overwhelming. The camera takes you inside the helmet, into the dust, and into the fear. Few war films have done it better.
Wednesday 27th August
Iron Curtain: Living Under Soviet Occupation, Part Two – The Reign of Stalin — PBS America, 8:20pm
This episode focuses on the brutal years when Stalin’s authority was absolute. The violence, purges, and forced conformity spread deep into the satellite states. It shows how terror was used not only to silence dissent but to reshape society itself.
The stories here are stark. Families torn apart, careers ended, lives erased for a careless word. The regime demanded loyalty but offered little in return beyond fear. Watching it, you understand how trauma can linger across generations.
The programme makes clear that Stalin’s reach was not limited to Russia — it was felt across Europe. For those living under his shadow, even small acts of resistance became acts of enormous courage.
Just Mercy (2019) — BBC One, 11:30pm
This moving film tells the true story of Bryan Stevenson, a lawyer who defends death row prisoners in the American South. Michael B. Jordan plays Stevenson with quiet determination, and Jamie Foxx gives a deeply affecting performance as a man wrongly condemned.
The story exposes not just one injustice but a system poisoned by racism and indifference. Yet it is also a tale of courage and hope, showing how perseverance can bend the arc of history.
It’s a courtroom drama, but one that cuts to the heart. By the end, you feel the weight of injustice but also the power of redemption.
Thursday 28th August
Iron Curtain: Living Under Soviet Occupation, Part Three – The Time of Rebellions — PBS America, 8:25pm
The final part moves into the 1950s and beyond, when cracks began to appear in the Soviet grip. From the Hungarian uprising of 1956 to the Prague Spring of 1968, people demanded freedom despite knowing the risks. The courage of these rebellions still inspires today.
The programme shows how moments of defiance were crushed with tanks and violence. Yet it also shows that hope never fully disappeared. Even in the darkest times, voices of resistance kept alive the possibility of change.
It ends with a sense of unfinished business. The rebellions were suppressed, but they planted seeds that would grow in the years to come. The lesson is clear: oppression can delay freedom, but it cannot destroy the human desire for it.
Douglas Adams: The Man Who Imagined Our Future — Sky Arts, 10:00pm
Douglas Adams made us laugh at the absurdity of existence. This affectionate documentary looks at his life and work, from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to his environmental activism. He was both a joker and a visionary.
The programme explores his wit, his imagination, and the enduring impact of his writing. Science fiction was never the same after him, because he made it playful, profound, and unpredictable.
Fans will smile in recognition, and newcomers will understand why Adams matters. He was a writer who made the future feel strange and funny — and still does.
Friday 29th August
Atonement (2007) — BBC Two, 11:00pm
Joe Wright’s adaptation of Ian McEwan’s novel is a story of love, lies, and memory. Keira Knightley and James McAvoy give luminous performances, but it is Saoirse Ronan’s turn as the young Briony that haunts.
The Dunkirk sequence is unforgettable, a long unbroken shot that captures chaos and despair. The film moves from summer lawns to wartime ruins, always with an eye on what is lost.
It is beautiful, tragic, and devastating. A film about stories we tell ourselves and the truths we cannot escape.
Streaming Choices
Babygirl — Prime Video, available now Vice Is Broke — MUBI, streaming from Friday 29th August
Two new streaming releases offer sharply contrasting but equally urgent reflections on power, desire, and collapse.
Babygirl is a provocative drama from Halina Reijn, starring Nicole Kidman as a high-powered CEO whose affair with a younger intern threatens to unravel both her career and her family. It’s a film of psychological tension and emotional risk, exploring the cost of ambition and intimacy in a world built on control. Stylish, unsettling, and emotionally raw, it refuses easy moral judgments.
Vice Is Broke, directed by Eddie Huang, is a documentary that charts the rise and fall of Vice Media—from its punk zine origins in 1990s Montreal to its billion-dollar implosion. Huang blends insider interviews with cultural critique, revealing how a movement built on rebellion was ultimately sold off piece by piece. It’s sharp, personal, and politically charged—a cautionary tale about selling out and the price of cultural capital.
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