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Dominant Theme Of US Militarism In Modern American Cinema

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A Film Analysis of the Dominant Theme of U.S. Militarism in Modern American Cinema

This film study will define the dominant theme of militarism that is found the propagandistic filmmaking methods in the modern American cinema. The films Argos (2012) and Zero Dark Thirty (2012) present a new form of militarism in the War o Terror that glorifies an supports the American government’s war against Islam. Argos defines the actual cooperation between Hollywood, the CIA, and the U.S. government in perpetuating heroic films about American military prowess throughout the world. This form of wartime propagandistic model is historical based on the postwar era in which war was propagandized as glorified use of American military force. In the 2000s and …show more content…

The films Zero Dark Thirty (2012) and Argo (2012) are films that promote an American justification for torture and militarism to attacks Muslims and other people deemed to be “terrorist” in this type of propaganda war. In Argo (2012) been Affleck plays Tony Mendez, a CIA infiltration specialist designated to free the hostages during the Iranian hostage crisis of 1979. In the film, Hollywood make up artists and producers are seen making a propaganda film to deceive the hostage takers. This type militarism is based on the more abstract methods of warfare, which have been defined in the current War on Terror. This aspect of filmmaking is an important clue in revealing the theme of militarism, which has taken on a more terrorist method of wartime propaganda. After this performance, Affleck won an Oscar for best movie by the First …show more content…

These aspects of the modern film industry define ht theme of American militarism as the most dominant aspect of filmmaking through the use of violence, weaponry, uniforms, and other aspects of institutional warfare promoted in these types of propaganda films. Argo is one example of the popularity of films that replicate American heroism and military might in the post-WWII era through this type of covert combat against terrorism in the 2010s. The War on terror is a popular means of cinematic replication of American militarism and the justification for war that arises in these modern

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As the United States continues to participate in wars across the globe, more secrecy is prone to show up when people begin to wonder if what they see is truly what meets the eye. In the documentary Dirty Wars, directed by Richard Rowley and produced by Jeremy Scahill, a war reporter who is one of the many that tries to investigate the hidden warfare fought overseas. The documentary follows Scahill as he indulges into these cases as he begins to learn about the JSOC (Joint Specialization Operations Command) covert operations in which innocent men, women and children are eliminated with brutal force but for no reason at all. Throughout the film the viewer follows Scahill’s case about the dark side of wars due to the way the United States does not play by the rules. In the film Dirty Wars, Jason Scahill uses a wide variety of rhetorical appeals to inform the public of how every day JSOC forces eliminate the lives of the innocent while enacting a hidden war that goes against all that is right in terms of war, changing the perception of warfare.

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In the film American Sniper directed by Clint Eastwood and the novel Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, both works exhibit depiction of war through the protagonist. However, each work is portrayed differently as they each show a representation with opposite depiction of war. While one decides to promote war, the other diminish it. In Eastwood’s adaptation of American Sniper, his insight appears as a promotion for pro-war propaganda, in contrast, Slaughterhouse Five depicts ideas that portray the war in a poor light. American Sniper retells the story of Chris Kyle, a Navy Seal who was reported to have 160 confirmed kills.

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As an extremely well known writer, columnist, reporter and foreign correspondent, Chris Hedges write on America, its government, people, and military in his article “The Real Enemy Is Within”. Hedges gets straight to his thesis as to the destruction on the war machine society that America has developed to be under fear and racism. He claims an extraordinary amount of evidence for to back his claim such as quotes from many well-known intellectuals, past history, and from his own experience. Hedges claims that the militarists and profiteers of the war machine use fear and racism to force their ideas and concepts of the perfect working state, without counter opinion, and without the ability to change unless it is to the benefit of those running

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Fighting till the end was a much more glorified action rather than obeying the commands from the enemy. This mindset remained throughout the Pacific War, resulting in millions of deaths, especially with the Japanese. In addition to the violent war strategies, the use of propaganda began to flourish during the war. Chapter 2, “Know Your Enemy”, allows the reader to further understand what the films, booklets, and other forms of publicity were composed of.

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The influence of Hollywood can be seen increasing or decreasing the public’s perception of a person, group, or cause in the matter of moments. John Wayne is one that can be argued to have had am extremely large impact on the creation/influence of war films through personal views. In Allan Dwan’s film Sands of Iwo Jima, the most expensive film to date, he we give John Wayne the nod for the lead role of Sergeant Srkyer, whose job was to lead a group of inexperienced Marines into Iwo Jima. This would be Wayne’s first Academy Award nomination, thus solidifying his emerging influence in Hollywood. Though John Wayne had no military experience whatsoever, his political beliefs, and his portrayal of an American within his films helped him gain support from high national figures.

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James Fallows’ article, “The Tragedy of the American Military”, presents an argument on whether the military nowadays is cared or thought about as much as it used to be. Throughout the article, Fallows explains how different the military is treated today. He believed that the military was understood better in the past than in the present, and he provided examples, including some personal experiences, that shows Americans not valuing the military as they once did. Fallows had his own type of writing that enhances the audience’s reading experience. Through his examples and sources, Fallows makes a strong argument on why the military isn’t as close to the American public as it once was.

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“Pentagon Just Pledged Millions to Pay Media Companies to Wage a Massive Information War.” The Daily Sheeple, 2018, www.thedailysheeple.com/pentagon-just-pledged-millions-to-pay-media-companies-to-wage-a-massive-information-war_022018. Accessed 24 April 2018. Doerries, Bryan, Artistic Director. Theatre of War.

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He found that it was a demeaning, and was assured it would blow over eventually. But alas, he thought wrong. Columbia Industries turned his movie, “Death of a Salesman” into a fraud, by creating a short shown before his film called “Life of a Salesman.” Arthur Miller spoke about the creakiness of the floorboards in America, “ An ideological war is like a guerrilla war, since the enemy is an idea whose proponents are not in uniform but are disguised as ordinary citizens, a situation that can scare a lot of people.” In other words, what made this time most scary for America was the fact that your enemies look like everyone else and there is no actual factual evidence unless they go right out and say it.

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“Hollywood, too, did its part, portraying fighting units whose members, representing various regional, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, put aside group loyalties and prejudices for the

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Chris Hedges, a former war correspondent, has a memory overflowing with the horrors of many battlefields and the helplessness of those trapped within them. He applies this memory to write War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, where he tutors us in the misery of war. To accomplish this goal, Hedges uses impactful imagery, appeals to other dissidents of war and classic writers, and powerful exemplification. Throughout his book, Hedges batters the readers with painful and grotesque, often first-hand, imagery from wars around the globe. He begins the book with his experience in Sarajevo, 1995.

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Analyzing whether a text is objective or subjective can help improve your learning. Doing this helps your learning because it makes sure that the information you are gathering is reliable. The film techniques and language in the “Homefront USA” video are presented in a very subjective way aligned with the Allied forces point of view. Although this text is reliable, it is still subjective. The language in the video was presented in a subjective way because the words evoked emotions that reflected the American point of view.

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In the 1920s, movies became the most popular form of American entertainment. No one expected these films, that were once only a couple seconds long, to influence history as much as they did. This addition of technology to the American lifestyle had the rich and the poor lined up to see the newest showings. The movies reflected American culture and personalities. The film industry made an outstanding increase when it changed location, met competition, and when it began adding sound and color.

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They discuss these past wars while mentioning several spectacles that came along with those wars. It is explained that many people remember slogans, paintings, and pictures of the war but do not remember the war itself. Conrad Bean’s idea to create a fake war is generated through the idea of a spectacle. The entire film generates a huge spectacle for the viewers become distracted, forget about the President's misdeed and start believing in a war that they know nothing

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Hollywood movies affect national culture in various ways. In one sense, movies could be characterized as America’s storytellers. Hollywood movies „Americanize“ global values and beliefs ,therefore they in a way diminish national culture traits and adapt and reinforce American customs. People tend to copy the ideas,customs and culture of American people or in other words they tend to acculturate. So called „Americanization“ is

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