Review: Fully Restored 'F.T.A.' an Important Document of a Tumultous Moment in American History

The only Jane Fonda film that has proven impossible to find on any format, except via barely acceptable bootleg DVD versions, is "F.T.A." The movie received a one-week release back in 1972 and vanished. Until now. Thanks to Kino Lorber, this important work can be experienced and appreciated by everyone.

"F.T.A." - or "Free the Army" or "Fun, Travel, Adventure" or "Fuck the Army" (an expression coined by members of the armed forces) - chronicles the anti-war movement inside the military during the Vietnam conflict via a skit show designed to entertain the troops. Oddly, most Americans weren't even aware of the activities that began in G.I. coffeehouses in 1968 and became quite vast and organized and led to show tours in the U.S. and then abroad in the early '70s.

Fonda had just completed "Klute," which would win her an Oscar for Best Actress and, along with Donald Sutherland, was asked if she wanted to take part in these cabarets performing for veterans. These were specifically the kind of shows that were counter to Bob Hope's gung-ho, pro-war tours. Fonda says the G.I. were the first to challenge her towards seeing the war for what it truly was, setting her on her road to activism and notoriety.

Fonda, Sutherland and a host of singers and comics including Holly Near, Rita Martinson and Michael Alaimo, came together for a show that the Pentagon tried to stop. It certainly pissed off many men in the upper echelon of the military – oh, and President Nixon. In the winter of 1971 the F.T.A. gang traveled to Southeast Asia with it, and director Francine Parker captured it on film.

The tour was a big success among stationed soldiers, and featured satirical skits that delved into real G.I. issues and the class divide, as well as comedic and dramatic songs, some about American Imperialism. The group spent time in Okinawa, the Philippines and, eventually, Japan -- they were initially refused entry, but the high level of media attention forced Japan to reverse the decision.

"F.T.A." also explores how we put up bases in other countries, destroying their land and ways of life, and includes an intense centerpiece featuring Black men discussing their place as soldiers in the war.

The film was released on July 14, 1972, and pulled from circulation a week later by the distributors. Most reels were then destroyed.

Now fully restored in 4K by IndieCollect, with funding from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (see, they do good things, too), "F.T.A." can be seen for what it is: A fascinating, important, and educational filmic document of a tumultuous time in our history that manages to also be entertaining, and proves frighteningly timely as well.

The Special Features on the Blu-ray are fantastic, beginning with a 5-minute intro by Fonda, who provides historical context, followed by a super-honest 19-minute interview with Fonda from 2005, going into detail about the creation of the troupe, the tour itself, and her involvement. The trailer is also included, along with a booklet with essays by historians David Cortight and Dr. Mark Shiel.

But the best extra is a gem of a documentary, thoughtful and incisively directed by David Zeiger, that honestly should be seen by every American, titled, "SIR! NO SIR!" This incredible 83-minute film chronicles the G.I. anti-war movement in a way never before seen. And it goes into detail about why history was rewritten so no one would ever know about it.

The Blu-ray edition also includes Dolby Atmos audio.

I cannot recommend this Blu-ray enough, for its historic and entertainment value. And to see a controversial work that our government tried to destroy.

Fonda is an outspoken champion of film preservation, stating, "Perhaps we ought to invest as much money in saving films as we do in making them."

Amen.

"F.T.A." is available on DVD and Blu-ray.