The war is now on over Henry Kissinger's place in history. His detractors argue he's nothing short of a war criminal, a man who oversaw and authorized kidnappings and assassinations. The man himself has emerged in his own defence, working to challenge every possible charge that's been made against him. It's made him one very busy senior citizen.

The charges are made quite clear in The Trials of Henry Kissinger, Alex Gibney and Eugene Jarecki's telling doc about the man and the myths surrounding him. Certainly, he's a bizarre socio-political figure; a boy who fled the Nazis would grow up to become a prominent Jew in the administration of an avowed anti-Semite, Richard Nixon. A man who won the Nobel Peace Prize, but was widely seen as a war monger. Gibney and Jarecki clearly think Kissinger is questionable, but to their credit, they give voice to a number of his defenders, among them Alexander Haig, William Safire and Brent Scowcroft. Trials is a superb and fascinating doc, especially recommended for those with a penchant for politics and/or grandiose conspiracies.

» Matthew Hays