Berkeley in the Sixties

Dramatic documentary highlighting the new awareness of the young, middle class white kids, blacks, and women. Lots of good footage showing of the happenings during the sixties, including excerpts from several speeches given by both radicals and politicos. A lot of this program I remembered from back then, but much of it was new to me. Very enjoyable look back.

This documentary, focuses on the turbulence of the Berkeley student demonstrations, during the volatile 60s. There's plenty of interviews, with former Berkeley student radicals. Also included, is commentary from members of the Black Panthers, the Berkeley Mayor, local police, and concerned Bay area citizens. Berkeley, and the San Francisco Bay area in general, were the epicenter of political and social unrest, for young people in the 60s. The chaos of the student movement that began at Berkeley, spread to other campuses throughout the nation. Never before, had college students in America been so thoroughly dedicated to positive change, as they were during the 60s.

I lived in the Bay area, just two years ago. And it's undergone a 280-degree turn from its enlightened, progressive character, that was its signature zeitgeist in the 60s. It's become positively inhumane! It's been overtaken by affluent Yuppie WASPs, who have driven the price of housing to astronomical levels. As a result, homelessness is at epidemic levels there. So is unemployment. Even the most highly educated people, have to beg for low-wage jobs there. Racism, and even gay-bashing, now plague the once warm and tolerant Bay area too. High tech geeks are the new gods of the Bay area, and everyone else there is regarded as useless. Bohemians of all stripes, are no longer welcome there. They can't afford to live there anymore, anyhow.

This film is very informative, about how Berkeley students fought valiant battles for social justice in the 60s. It's a real shame, that the Bay area has become a haven for the Capitalist pigs, that the Berkeley students railed against over 40 years ago.

'I was there as a student - this film is a '10' in explaining the era and what was going on in the Berkeley arena during this time frame. I teach at CAL now, and have used it as a 'primer' to show the way things should be. As a social (2xPh.D.) scientist (and as a Canadian) it seems Americans have lost the drive and initiative to make a change. In many ways the nameless people in this film are heroes, standing up for what they believe should be at any cost. Many who see this film have no idea what the students who were part of this movement went through, it was far from a 'walk in the park' - their sacrifices of family, friends and the indignities they suffered cannot be explained. These are your lost heroes America, learn from them and rise to the occasion again before it is too late.'

This film provides an interesting look at the major issues of the 60s on one of the most liberal campuses in the country. Similar to the War at Home (based on the anti- war protests in Madison), the film interviews leaders of the different political movements to get their perspective of what was happening at the time. Good variety of people, if not ideologies. Especially enjoyed the ending that was a "where are they now" update. Glad to see that a number of them didn't stick their beliefs in their back pocket and become part of the "Hippie Beemer" set after they finished college.

The recent anti-Bush/war demonstrations sparks deja-vu in anybody over forty, anybody who can clearly remember the similar Vietnam era anti-war demonstrations three decades ago. Mark Kitchell's documentary, BERKELEY IN THE SIXTIES, vividly brings the 1960's sit-in's, marches and riots home. There's plenty of archival footage of student demonstrations on California's Berkeley campus, footage so clear, it seem they were lensed only an hour ago. We begin with Berkeley students protesting the HUAC witch-hunts, battling with fire-hose wielding police in 1960, years before marches and sit-ins became commonplace.