This review, by David Kehr, was published by the New York Times, Februuary 22, 2009
FTA was the slogan adapted by a group of self-styled political vaudevillians — including Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, Holly Near and Len Chandler — who toured United States bases in the Pacific in 1970, presenting antiwar songs and sketches to servicemen. This documentary record of the tour, directed by Francine Parker, played briefly in theaters in 1972 (released by American-International, youth-exploitation specialists) and then disappeared. Seen today, it is a fascinating period piece: the counterculture answer to Bob Hope’s U.S.O. tours, filmed at a moment when peace signs were giving way to power salutes. There is a self-congratulatory air to some of the proceedings, but Ms. Fonda’s antiwar speech before the Foreign Correspondents Club in Tokyo may be one of the most powerful performances of her distinguished career. (Docurama Films, $26.95, not rated)
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