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World War 2 and how it affected the film industry
American Involvement In Ww2
American Involvement In Ww2
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The film industry during World War II played a big role in the war. German Filmmakers were constantly showing false propaganda and films about the United States to make America look like they were the bad people. Meanwhile, American filmmakers slowly realized the type of films German filmmakers were putting out. Sergeant York and The Great Dictator were films that were put out before Pearl Harbor since Americans were still blind to what was really happening overseas. However, when America did get involved in the war many films were shown how females weren’t frail but they played an important role in the war just like the men. The American government wanted play a role in the film industry because they really wanted to show the American people
During the Great Depression, people went to the movies to get their mind off things and to forget about things temporarily. Life was portrayed a few different ways during the Great Depression. Different genres of film gave different perspectives on what life was like. The three genres compared are comedy, gangster, and musical films. Room Service and Modern Times are two films in the comedy genre and they portrayed a worry-free lifestyle. The Public Enemy is a gangster film and it had a dangerous lifestyle. Last, but not least, is Gold Diggers of 1933 and it is a pretty happy film. These films all had one thing in common though; the characters all had problems with money, which greatly relates to the Great Depression.
Movies in the 1940s, like everything else at the time, were dominated by the war. However, instead of facing shortages like most people, the industry was well supported by the government thanks to its morale boosting qualities. The 1940's brought about new advancements in the film industry. Film makers introduced new ideas such as sound recording, special effects, color use, and lighting, that made movies more popular and enjoyable to watch. Horror films used techniques such as fog and stop motion to capture their audience and pull them into the terror. In order for the film producers to successfully do stop motion, the actor would have to sit still for hours, upon hours while the makeup was gradually applied. They used this in films such as
I think that the movies that portrayed World War I and World War II were different because in these films we had more pride. We knew what we fought for. People at the time supported their country and soldiers. It today the movies are all about blood and blowing things up. There is very little pride in our country. We don’t stand up for our soldiers the way that we should. We blame them when our government sends us to war. Our movies of resent wars have just been action movies and have lost the loyalty and pride we once had.
Slowly she asked "Is anyone there?" as she walked down the dark deserted road. When she heard a loud sound she turned abruptly trying again "Hello?" Met with only silence she picked up here pace almost running down the dirt road. Her nerves had just began to calm when she heard "WRRRREEENNNNNRRRRRRR" as a chainsaw started behind her. Running she started looking behind her hoping that whoever it was, wouldn’t catch her. With her lack of concentration she tripped over her high heels and face plants into the dirt, giving the murderer a chance to catch up. Slowly he lowered the chainsaw and began cutting --CUT -- This is a common plot used in horror movies today. Movies have changed over the years. They were different five years ago, fifty years ago, and even a almost a century ago. Technologies have unthinkable things possible. They have allowed us to re-sink "the unsinkable ship." They have allowed us to see dinosaurs in all their brutal glory. We have seen imaginary creatures, only ever mentioned in stories brought to life. Movies have moved so far from the 1920's and 1930's. They have developed ideals, rules and even standards; but where did they begin? Did movies just fall out of the sky? Did they just come into being? No they began slowly, silently moving towards a new era, the era we today call "Pre-code Hollywood"
The Walt Disney Company, a prominent contemporary entertainment company, served an important role in United States' 1940s history. Its effort on the world-wide war with Germany and American's livelihood at the wartime could not be ignored. The impact of Disney company through propaganda cartoons, posters, and films were influential to the United States, both front line and home front, during World War II.
On December 7, 1941, American citizens stretched over the country were shocked at the horrific devastation of the Pearl Harbor attack from the Japanese. Because of the bombing in Hawaii, 2,600 citizens were killed ,8 naval ships were destroyed, and more than 100 planes were brought down without a warning. This incident had urged both men and women to put a foot in the door and join the war effort of World War II. When war had begun with the other countries The U.S. wished to remain neutral however Pearl Harbor had a devastating impact that we pursued the fight against our enemies. Many men that had joined the war effort were major and minor league baseball players, leaving room open for women to play baseball professionally
Kane, Kathryn. Visions of War: Hollywood Combat Films of World War II. Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press, 1982.
Before 1939, women were looked at as weak, incompetent and incapable of doing a man’s job. However, when World War II broke out, women were called to maintain the jobs that the men once occupied and t became evident that America’s best chance for success in World War II would have to include the efforts of American females. Women played a key role during World War II in the U.S. More than six million women took wartime jobs in factories, three million volunteered with the Red Cross, and over 200,000 served in the military. Through these jobs women were able to show society that they were capable of doing bigger and better things. Women also realized that they enjoyed this taste of freedom and wanted to continue this lifestyle even after the war. World War II sparked the women’s movement, as the major role they played and the contributions they made helped to change the way women were viewed by society and create new opportunities for them.
U.S.'s Influence on British Cinema Culture Between 1930 and 1980 Britain and America have always had a very close relationship that could have stemmed from a number of different things. The English discovered America, they both speak the same language and the fact that America helped Britain in the first World War may have played an important part in why the two countries are so close. Due to this close bond or the 'special relationship' between the countries, over time we have influenced each other endlessly but perhaps none more so than the influence that America has had over British cinema between the 1930's and 1980's. Since the late 1800's and early 1900's, Britain has made a great deal of films and continues to do so today. Britain has an impressive film industry
As stated on the website, Filmsite, “In the period following WWII when most of the films were idealized with conventional portrayals of men and women, young people wanted new and exciting symbols of rebellion” (Dirks 1). Films did just this as big actresses were more sexual and didn’t follow the traditional female roles. One being Marilyn Monroe, seen as a huge sex symbol even till this day. Monroe was an example of how the 1950s was about rebelling against the traditionally views. This was shown in the films created in that decade. The rebellious portrayal was shown through the films for the teens. As quoted in the website, Filmsite, “Hollywood soon realized that the affluent teenage population could be exploited, now more rebellious than happy-go-lucky - as they had been previously portrayed in films (such as the Andy Hardy character played by Mickey Rooney)” (Dirks 1). This quote shows the shift the movies had as before the films were about friendly teen but now they had shifted to insubordinate teens. The 1950s was the beginning of the rebellious stage in
The film titled, “The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter”, looks at the roles of women during and after World War II within the U.S. The film interviews five women who had experienced the World War II effects in the U.S, two who were Caucasian and three who were African American. These five women, who were among the millions of women recruited into skilled male-oriented jobs during World War II, shared insight into how women were treated, viewed and mainly controlled. Along with the interviews are clips from U.S. government propaganda films, news reports from the media, March of Time films, and newspaper stories, all depicting how women are to take "the men’s" places to keep up with industrial production, while reassured that their duties were fulfilling the patriotic and feminine role. After the war the government and media had changed their message as women were to resume the role of the housewife, maid and mother to stay out of the way of returning soldiers. Thus the patriotic and feminine role was nothing but a mystified tactic the government used to maintain the American economic structure during the world war period. It is the contention of this paper to explore how several groups of women were treated as mindless individuals that could be controlled and disposed of through the government arranging social institutions, media manipulation and propaganda, and assumptions behind women’s tendencies which forced “Rosie the Riveter” to become a male dominated concept.
Films have always reflected the society we live in or one we wish we could live in. Throughout the 1940’s, America was not only facing pivotal moments that was reflected through films, but film itself was evolving as well. The 40’s was an era of change and challenge for entertainment. The film industry was not at its peak until it rebounded when the nation responded to World War II, thus creating many war movies that would become classics. Many films included themes of patriotism, sacrifice, and heroism which was all meant to be propaganda. Films like Casablanca and Hollywood Canteen reflect this genre trend that occurred during the 1940’s. Films during this decade also elicited the racism in America by using predominately white actors, while
These movies allowed female characters to embody all the contradictions that could make them a woman. They were portrayed as the “femme fatale” and also “mother,” the “seductress” and at the same time the “saint,” (Newsom, 2011). Female characters were multi-faceted during this time and had much more complexity and interesting qualities than in the movies we watch today. Today, only 16% of protagonists in movies are female, and the portrayal of these women is one of sexualization and dependence rather than complexity (Newsom, 2011).
The Great Depression was a time full of fear and uncertainty in the U.S. The unemployment rate was above 20% and hundreds of banks had failed resulting in a delicate and arduous economic situation. While many industries suffered greatly through this time, one industry seemed to do just fine: film. Film was a relatively new industry without many regulations which had become the most exciting and influential form of media that existed. During the Depression, this importance was identified by both private and government organizations, film technology advanced, and stories were tailored to the needs of a suffering population. As a result, film during The Great Depression was characterized by innovation, censorship, and escapism.
Women have made progress in the film industry in terms of the type of role they play in action films, although they are still portrayed as sex objects. The beginning of “a new type of female character” (Hirschman, 1993, pg. 1). 41-47) in the world of action films began in 1976 with Sigourney Weaver, who played the leading role in the blockbuster film ‘Aliens’ as Lt. Ellen Ripley. She was the captain of her own spaceship, plus she was the one who gave out all the orders. Until then, men had always been the ones giving the orders; to see a woman in that type of role was outlandish.