The Five Cities of June

Plot

This compelling documentary short captures five pivotal world events that occurred during June 1963, presenting a panoramic view of global tensions and transformations. The film begins in Vatican City, documenting the historic election and coronation of Pope Paul VI following the death of Pope John XXIII. It then shifts to the Soviet Union to showcase a rocket launch amid the intensifying Space Race between Cold War superpowers. The narrative moves to South Vietnam, where escalating fighting between Communist forces and South Vietnamese soldiers signals growing American involvement in the region. In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the film captures the dramatic racial integration of the University of Alabama, featuring Governor George Wallace's infamous stand in the schoolhouse door. The documentary culminates in Berlin with President John F. Kennedy's historic visit and his powerful 'Ich bin ein Berliner' speech at Rudolph Wilde Platz, symbolizing American solidarity with West Berliners during the Cold War.

Historical Background

June 1963 was a pivotal month in world history, occurring at the height of the Cold War between the United States and Soviet Union. The Space Race was in full swing, with both superpowers investing heavily in space exploration as a demonstration of technological and ideological superiority. In the United States, the Civil Rights Movement was reaching a critical juncture, with the integration of the University of Alabama representing a major confrontation between federal authority and states' rights. In Vietnam, American involvement was escalating, foreshadowing the larger conflict that would dominate American foreign policy throughout the decade. In Europe, Berlin remained a flashpoint of Cold War tension, with the Berlin Wall having been constructed less than two years earlier. Pope Paul VI's election signaled a continuation of the Catholic Church's modernization efforts begun under Pope John XXIII, including potential outreach to the Eastern Bloc. This film was created as part of America's soft power strategy to present a positive image of American values and leadership to international audiences during this turbulent period.

Making Of

The production of 'The Five Cities of June' was an ambitious undertaking that required unprecedented coordination between multiple film crews working simultaneously across five different countries during June 1963. The United States Information Agency had to negotiate filming permissions in each location, with the Soviet segment presenting particular challenges during the height of Cold War tensions. The production team worked under extreme time pressure to capture time-sensitive events as they occurred, particularly the political events in Alabama and Berlin. The film's editing process was equally challenging, as editors had to weave together footage from different sources, formats, and conditions into a cohesive narrative. Charlton Heston's narration was recorded after the footage was assembled, with his distinctive authoritative voice chosen to lend credibility and gravitas to the production. The film's score was composed to enhance the dramatic tension while maintaining a documentary feel, carefully balancing emotional impact with journalistic objectivity.

Visual Style

The cinematography of 'The Five Cities of June' combines newsreel footage, documentary coverage, and carefully composed shots to create a visual narrative spanning five distinct locations. The film employs a variety of cinematic techniques, from the grand, formal compositions of the papal coronation to the intimate, tense moments of the Alabama integration confrontation. The Soviet rocket launch sequence uses dramatic wide shots to emphasize the technological prowess and scale of the Space Race. The Vietnam segments feature gritty, handheld footage that conveys the chaos and danger of the conflict. The Berlin sequences capture the energy and emotion of Kennedy's visit through both wide crowd shots and intimate close-ups of individual faces. The cinematography successfully balances the epic scale of global events with human moments, using visual contrast to highlight the interconnected nature of the various crises and celebrations occurring simultaneously around the world.

Innovations

The film's primary technical achievement was its successful coordination of multiple film crews across five different countries during a single month, creating a cohesive narrative from footage shot in various formats and conditions. The editing process was particularly innovative for its time, seamlessly weaving together news footage, documentary coverage, and staged elements to create a unified narrative arc. The film's rapid production timeline - capturing events as they occurred and assembling them into a finished documentary within months - represented a significant achievement in documentary filmmaking logistics. The technical team also overcame challenges in synchronizing footage from different sources with varying quality and formats, creating a consistent visual style throughout the film. The use of Charlton Heston's narration as a unifying element across disparate footage was an effective technical solution to the challenge of creating narrative coherence in a global montage format.

Music

The musical score of 'The Five Cities of June' was composed to enhance the documentary's dramatic impact while maintaining a sense of journalistic objectivity. The soundtrack features orchestral arrangements that adapt to the tone of each segment - solemn and reverent music for the papal coronation, tense and dramatic themes for the Cold War elements, and hopeful, inspiring melodies for the civil rights and presidential visit sequences. The music avoids overt jingoism, instead using universal emotional themes to connect the disparate events. Charlton Heston's narration is carefully mixed with the musical score and ambient sound from the original footage, creating a layered audio experience that maintains the authenticity of the documentary format while providing narrative cohesion. The sound design also incorporates actual audio from the events, including Kennedy's speeches and the sounds of the rocket launch, to enhance the immediacy and realism of the documentary.

Memorable Scenes

• The dramatic confrontation at the University of Alabama where Governor George Wallace stands in the schoolhouse door, attempting to block the enrollment of African American students, creating one of the most iconic images of the Civil Rights struggle.
• President John F. Kennedy's powerful speech in Berlin, declaring 'Ich bin ein Berliner' before a massive crowd, symbolizing American solidarity with West Germans during the height of Cold War tensions.
• The solemn and majestic coronation ceremony of Pope Paul VI in St. Peter's Square, capturing the pageantry and religious significance of this pivotal moment in Catholic Church history.

What Critics Said

Contemporary critical reception of 'The Five Cities of June' was limited due to its restricted distribution to international audiences through USIA channels. However, its Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Short Subject in 1964 brought it recognition within the American film industry, where it was praised for its ambitious scope and timely subject matter. Critics who had access to the film noted its effective use of actual news footage and its skillful editing in creating a coherent narrative from disparate global events. Modern film historians and scholars have reevaluated the film as an important artifact of Cold War propaganda, appreciating both its technical merits and its historical value as a time capsule of a pivotal month in world history. The film is now studied as an example of how documentary forms were employed for diplomatic purposes during the Cold War era.

What Audiences Thought

Due to its status as a USIA production, 'The Five Cities of June' was not shown to American audiences until the Smith-Mundt Act was amended in 2013, making contemporary audience reception in the United States impossible to gauge. International audiences, particularly in allied countries, received the film through USIA screenings at American cultural centers, embassies, and international film festivals. Reports from USIA field offices suggested that audiences found the film's global perspective compelling, though its propagandistic elements were sometimes apparent to sophisticated viewers. The film's Academy Award nomination generated positive buzz in international film circles, enhancing its credibility as a serious documentary rather than pure propaganda. Modern audiences who have had access to the film since 2013 often view it primarily as a historical document, appreciating its unique window into June 1963 while recognizing its clear political messaging.

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