Genre of the Month - War Movies

06 October 2008

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War movies have always been a major part of cinema with countries all over the world wanting to tell their side of the wars in which they fought.

American studios in particular have produced many movies depicting World War I and the Second World War and of course Vietnam producing some classics of modern cinema including Platoon, Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan.

Throughout the 1920 and 1930s films based on the First World War aimed to depict a realistic and harrowing account of warfare with The Big Parade, What Price Glory? and All Quiet on the Western Front being released and are now considered some of the finest movies in the genre.

While the forties brought documentary style movies about the Second World War from Germany and the UK the fifties saw patriotic movies such as The Dam Busters, which drew on real life stories and events, while all aspects of the war were explored from the battle of Iwo Jima, D-Day and Pearl Harbour.

But by the sixties fictional stories set during the war were becoming common place with the likes of Where Eagles Dare which allowed studios to produce big budget action films inside the military movie genre.

By the sentries it was Vietnam that was the topic of most American war movies, but it was a topic that found critical, commercial and Oscar success with the likes of Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter, Platoon and Apocalypse Now all being recognised by the Academy.

The Deer Hunter and Platoon in particular both went on to scoop best Picture in 1978 and 1986.

Into a new century brought a new breed of military movie as our war on terror was depicted from every angle on the big screen.

Movies like Stop Loss, Lions for Lambs, Redacted and Rendition, that have plagued the cinema over the past eighteen months, have broken with Hollywood tradition, as this is the first time that films have been shot and released while the war, that is taking place in the film, is still being waged.

During the Second World War and Vietnam the films that were produced were for propaganda purpose intended to rally the support of those back home, feature films were released when these conflicts came to an end.

However times are changing and reasons behind why America and Great Britain are at war has caused great unrest and these movies are attempting to tackle and highlight these issues. However Lions for Lambs and Redacted, despite high profile casts and directors have not been met well with cinema goers.

The movie industry has seen a disengagement that the public has with the war and the question 'why did we go to war?' still remains. But in the eyes of those whose confidence in the war effort is slowly ebbing away, or has disappeared altogether, their quintessential question of our time is why did we go to war? And was oil really a major factor?

Since the string of films covering 9/11 it seemed only a matter of time before movies surrounding the war on terror began to emerge. But what are the motives behind the making of these movies? Do they genuinely want to highlight the atrocities that are currently happening in Iraq and Afghanistan therefore igniting a new interest in the war?

Is it propaganda a way to bring the troops home? Or is it just all for personal gain, exploiting a topic that is current, on going and effecting many lives?

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw

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