US War Propaganda in Film: Patriotism and the Politics

A New College of California Activism & Social Change and Media Studies Film Festival

US War Propaganda in Film: Patriotism and the Politics
of Otherness

In the course of the last century, the 'enemies' of the US have donned many different masks -- Nazi, Japanese, communist, Vietnamese, Korean, Arab . . Aimed to educate and mobilize popular support for military actions against the "other", war propaganda has taken many forms. Through the medium of film, it has often imagined futuristic dystopias of the battle between good (us) and evil (them), inspiring fear and racism under the guise of promoting a stable national identity and patriotic duty. This film festival offers a sample of recent Hollywood war propaganda, as well as a selection of films aiming to critique it.



FRIDAY, SEPT. 10, 4-9
4pm
The Siege (1998)
After the abduction by the US military of a Muslim religion leader, New York City becomes a target of escalating terrorist attacks. The head of the FBI/NYPD Terrorism Task Force teams up with CIA to capture the organization responsible. As bomb attacks continue, the US government declares martial law and sends the army into the NYC streets. Eerie foreshadowing to events of 9/11 and US war against terrorism.

Shown with two shorts produced by members of the Whispered Media Collective

Iraq and I Roll & Words of War




7:00 pm
Red Dawn (1984)
United States is invaded by communist forces from Nicaragua and Russia. It is up to Midwestern high school students (including Patrick Swayze) to turn back the invasion. Often used as supportive evidence by citizens militias and patriot groups about the theoretical possibility of a U.N. takeover of the U.S., Red Dawn offers a glimpse into the feared New World Order, including arrest of gun owners and a citizen force that strikes back.

shown with

Red Nightmare
Two of Hollywood's most conservative forces, Jack Webb and Jack Warner, joined to make this anti-Communist propaganda film for the Department of Defense. Baby boomers may remember seeing this film in school as part of the standard curriculum in civics, history, etc. It's now sometimes shown as "The Commies are Coming! . . ." in classes about the anti-Communist excesses of the 1950's.