This document discusses how war films can be used to create both hegemony and counter-hegemony. It analyzes several films including Lion of the Desert (1981) which depicts resistance against Italian occupation in Libya and was funded by Gaddafi, Barefoot Gen (1983) which conveys an anti-war message about the bombing of Hiroshima, and Valley of the Wolves: Iraq (2006) which counters Hollywood portrayals of the Iraq war through fictionalized accounts of real events. The document examines how these films either promote or challenge dominant political narratives.

1. Hegemony and Counter-hegemony :
A study of selected war films
Course : Cultural Studies
August 31, 2014
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2. Hegemony and Counter-hegemony
Hegemony is the political, economic, ideological or cultural
power influenced by a dominant group over other groups.
Counter-hegemony refers to attempts to critique or dismantle
hegemonic power.
Hegemony and Counter-hegemony both work via
The Repressive State Apparatus (RSA) and
The Ideological State Apparatus (ISA)
War films are used as tool to create Hegemony and counter-hegemony
both at intra-national and international arena.
Often war films are created to serve the purpose of the dictators.
Same hegemonic tool can be used by dominant group and other
groups simultaneously to create hegemony and counter-hegemony .
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3. Hegemony and Counter-hegemony at war films
Between two worlds wars, a struggle for freedom took place in the
African desert, Libya.
Lion of the Desert (1981) is the historically accurate story about the
Libyan resistance leader, Omar Mukhtar, who led the Libyan resistance
against the Italian oppressors from 1911-1931.
Lion of the Desert (1981) was funded by the government under
Muammar Gaddafi
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4. Lion of the Desert (1981)
With the beginning of Libyan civil war in 2011 Omar Mukhtar again
became a symbol for a united, free Libya against Gaddafi.
Rebel forces named one of their brigades the "Omar Mukhtar brigade"
after him.
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5. Hegemony and Counter-hegemony at war films(Continued)
Barefoot Gen (1983) depicts World War II in Japan from a child's
point of view revolving around the events surrounding the bombing
of Hiroshima.
Barefoot Gen (1983) conveys a powerful statement against war,
Barefoot Gen is a disturbing story about the effect of the atomic
bomb on a boy's life and the lives of the Japanese people.
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6. Barefoot Gen (1983)
Barefoot Gen (1983) is a counter hegemonic film in contrast with
Hollywood films like Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) and Pearl Harbor (2001)
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7. Hegemony and Counter-hegemony at war films(Continued)
Born on the Fourth of July (1989) engraves The biography of Ron
Kovic. Paralyzed in the Vietnam war, he becomes an anti-war and
pro-human rights political activist after feeling betrayed by the
country he fought for.
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8. Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
Born on the Fourth of July (1989) portrays the hegemony at
intra-national arena.
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9. Hegemony and Counter-hegemony at war films(Continued)
Valley of the Wolves: Iraq (2006) covers through fiction real-life
events like the occupation of Iraq, the execution of Daniel Pearl,
the Hood event and the Abu Ghraib torture scandal.
It is a counter hegemonic film in contrast with Hollywood films like
Black Hawk Down (2001), Green Zone (2010),The Hurt Locker(2008)
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10. Valley of the Wolves: Iraq (2006)
Valley of the Wolves: Iraq (2006) shows how counter-hegemony promotes
micro narratives
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11. Hegemony and Counter-hegemony at war films(Continued)
Guerrilla is a 2011 Bangladeshi film based on the events of the
Liberation War of Bangladesh.
Guerrilla(2011) is an adaptation of the novel Nishiddho Loban by Syed
Shamsul Huq
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12. Guerrilla(2011)
Guerrilla(2011) portrays hegemonic amalgamation of ethnic or
territorial nationalism with religious nationalism and how
religion is used as a shield of Pakistani nationalism
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13. Hegemony vs. Counter-hegemony
Hegemony Counter-hegemony
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14. Thank You
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