The Strawberry Statement

The Strawberry Statement

A 1970 film about 1968 student anti-war protestors

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Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2011

A 1970 film about the 1968 takeover by student anti-war protestors of Columbia University’s administration building (but filmed in San Francisco). The apolitical central character (a young Bruce Davison) joins the protestors to pick up girls, but meets Kim Darby and finds himself starting to care. To me, a sixties guy (and veteran), this is a bit nostalgic. But I couldn’t help comparing the anti-war fervor of then with the dead-silent campuses now. We profess support for our armed services but are fine with them doing all the fighting. Why? Could it be because we no longer have a military draft? Think about it.