Despite the fact that President Richard Nixon hated Jews and intellectuals, Henry Kissinger became one of his most trusted advisors, as his Secretary of State. In his prime, Kissinger was one of the most celebrated of political figures and an unlikely sex symbol, notoriously seen in the most exclusive events with beautiful women at his side—Zsa Zsa Gabor, Jill St. John, and many others. What was the secret to his sex appeal? He wasn't a classic Robert Redford model, but he had power, and according to Kissinger, “Power is the world's greatest aphrodisiac.”

Some twenty-five years have passed, and the luster has worn off Kissinger's 1973 Nobel Peace Prize. Kissinger bashing is now acceptable, and no one has taken more direct aim than writer Christopher Hitchens, whose book The Trials of Henry Kissinger form the basis for a new eighty-minute documentary directed by Eugene Jarecki and written by Alex Gibney. Ironically, on September 11, 2001, Kissinger was named a defendant in a civil lawsuit that charges he gave the order for assassinating Chilean general Rene Schneider. Ordinarily that would have been plastered on every headline in the United States, but the media had a much larger story to cover that fateful day.

A charmed life Kissinger may be leading. Now declassified U.S. government public records clearly indicate that Kissinger was involved in the death of Chile's democratically elected Salvador Allende, as he called for the C.I.A. to forge ahead with a military coup and to "remove" the uncooperative Schneider, who wanted no part in overturning their elected leader. This led to the disastrous reign of the U.S. supported Pinocet, who has since been indicted for crimes against humanity. Add to that Kissinger's insistence on bombing Cambodia and other shady Vietnam strategies, and Hitchens' claims that Kissinger is one of the most notorious war criminals of the 20th century takes on substance. The Trials of Henry Kissinger presents a devastating case against the complex diplomat, but not many are watching.

Jarecki's film is no crowd pleaser. Stylistically the film consists mostly of talking heads, a few archive clips, and Brian Cox's narration—a very ordinary PBS format, designed to convey information for intellectuals. But what devastating evidence! Of course, it's not intended to give a balanced view; Kissinger supporters are cut short and get little screen time. Think instead of the film as presenting the case for the prosecution.

Not even Johnny Cochran can save Kissinger from the Chilean documentation (looks like the gloves fit this time, Henry). Despite several paragraphs being blacked out on the C.I.A. papers, Kissinger's words very bluntly demand operatives continue the military coup, and remove all obstacles. More difficult to prove, but even more damaging to Kissinger's legacy, are the charges that he hawkishly prolonged the Vietnam War needlessly and convinced Nixon to escalate the war into Cambodia, dropping more bomb tonnage on that hapless country than the U.S. used on Japan in WWII. According to the film, so egotistically drawn to power and recognition was Kissinger (knowing that he'd be the foreign affairs advisor under either Humphrey or Nixon) that he sent secret envoys to North Vietnamese officials on the brink of signing a peace accord to inform them that they'd get a better deal if Nixon was elected. Thus, the peace treaty was left unsigned, and all war casualties from 1969 to 1975 can be directly attributed to Henry Kissinger, ranking him among the leading war criminals of the 20th century.

The Trials of Henry Kissinger isn't particularly creative or entertaining as a documentary, but it's a provocative study that should interest people concerned about government and politics. The witnesses and documents provide credible evidence that all was not right with American foreign policy during Kissinger's reign. I wasn't aware of our dealings in Argentina in 1975, but remember well the anger I felt in 1970 when the bombings in Cambodia commenced, and the paranoia and fear we felt after Kent State. As a college student that year, we primarily blamed Nixon for the hypocrisy and never believed his shallow promise of "peace with honor." We should have realized that the brains behind the operation belonged to the intellectual foreign affairs warmonger that stood at his side.

More balanced views of Henry Kissinger will doubtless arise, but the attacks levied against him by this film and by Hitchens's book now provide balance to the prevailing positive reputation he's maintained for twenty-five years. Kissinger has attempted to establish his legacy through four books himself, so consider Hitchens' book and Jarecki's film as opening volleys for the prosecution, as recent history struggles to establish the truth. Since the film plays much like sharklike Mike Wallace with blood in the water, Kissinger and his supporters would love for people to ignore this film—which is precisely why it should be seen.