My Lai

Annotation — My Lai & Lt. William Calley Songs

The soundtrack to Tom Laughlin's 1974 sequel The Trial of Billy Jack contained the instrumental song "My Lai Massacre", composed by Elmer Bernstein. The other films in the series were The Born Losers (1967), Billy Jack (1971), and Billy Jack Goes to Washington (1977). The main character, Billy Jack (with a native American heritage), fought with the Green Berets in Vietnam. In the second film Billy Jack, he defended a hippie themed freedom school from people who did not like those influenced by the counter-culture. After the son of a corrupt police officer raped his girlfriend, and murdered an Indian student, Billy Jack kills him, resulting in his arrest. The story thus continued in The Trial of Billy Jack - which contained two scenes similar to contemporary events related to the Vietnam War. Firstly, during Billy Jack's trial, he mentioned the My Lai massacre, and then recalled witnessing a similar incident - a flashback showed the killing of Vietnamese civilians. Secondly, students hold a parade, protesting about native rights and child abuse. The Governor called up the National Guard, who shot and killed four of the students - thus reminiscent of the Kent State killings. The New Yorker magazine reviewed the film 25 November 1974: "Billy Jack was the only counter-culture movie to provide a positive hero. Billy Jack was a counterculture savior, a mystical, selfless protector who, coming to the aid of children and Indians, personified the good. Billy Jack tapped an emerging mood - the transition of the flower children into the Jesus people. And now, in The Trial of Billy Jack, the Laughlins...have gone all the way into messianic, tent show movie-making. This film probably represents the most extraordinary display of sanctimonious self-aggrandizement the screen has ever known...A Vietnam veteran, Billy Jack is the man who blew the lid off My Lai". (1)

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

About the artist

American film composer, born 4 April 1922 in New York City; died 18 August 2004 in Ojai, California. [Source: Wikipedia]

Themes

My Lai

In collections

Jazz Songs · My Lai & Lt. William Calley Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years]