Disappearance of McKinley Nolan is probably one of the most intriguing I've
seen in a while due to the mystery of McKinley Nolan's disappearance. I went in
not knowing much about the subject and with only spotty knowledge of the
Vietnam War. Interestingly, I left not knowing much more. My initial thought,
that the progression of the documentary is complicated, is likely due to my lack
of understanding about the history of the era. I think having a better
understanding "“ not just about Vietnam
but also Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge "“ would be extremely helpful when viewing
this documentary just to provide greater context. Situationally, I don't think
it's the filmmaker's job to educate because that would make this documentary into
more of a History Channel special than the story of a family trying to find one
of their own. Interestingly, the filmmakers never try to force their viewpoints
or ideas on the viewers; they try to present the facts and allow the viewer to
draw his or her own conclusion.
McKinley Nolan's disappearance is a mystery, and that
feeling is kept throughout the entirety of the documentary. Henry Corra used
both current footage and archived film footage to piece together his
documentary. The story is highly interesting, particularly given the emotional
element of Michael Nolan, McKinley's brother, traveling to Vietnam and actively
seeking evidence of his brother's life there. He interviews people who claim to
have been friends with McKinley and seeks to find out more about his brother's
life in Vietnam and Cambodia. Michael doesn't seem to avoid confronting the
difficulties of his brother's life and clearly tries to come to terms with the
information he finds. Whatever I may have missed from the history side of the
documentary was more than made up by watching Michael Nolan's dogged
persistence to find out the truth.
