How Hollywood has depicted US soldiers and war from late 20th centruy onwards

1. Supporting the Troops:
Hollywood’s representation of U.S.
Soldiers and Patriotism.

2. What(or who) are we Fighting For?
• The 1990s continued to see films in which
soldiers fought for their country and each other.
• Saving Private Ryan, Thin Red Line, We Were
Soldiers, Pearl Harbour. These films share an
uncertain cause. No-one is sure who to fight for,
so they fight for each other.
• This is seen again in Three Kings, Black Hawk
Down, Behind Enemy Lines, Courage Under Fire,
when war is given a contemporary setting.

3. What(or who) are we Fighting For?
cont
• In making the soldiers fight for each other (or
someone back home), war is Romanticised.
• An appeal is made for the audience to
empathize with the Soldiers i.e. Support the
Troops

4. Soldiers as Heroes – Three Kings
• Archie Gates’ (Clooney) need to help civilians
• Conrad Vig’s (Jonze) character growth
• Troy’s (Wahlberg) humanity in not killing his
torturer.
• Chief’s (Ice-Cube) continued resilient faith

5. Soldiers as Heroes – Black Hawk Down
• The ordeal of pain and endurance
characterizing an atmosphere of continuous
combat is emphasized throughout.
• The fight for each other is stressed, “Leave no
man behind”
• Bonding of Soldiers both before and during
combat.

6. Soldiers as Heroes – Behind Enemy
Lines & Courage under Fire
• The extremes to which troops will go to save
another’s life
• The respect reserved for fallen combatants.
Both films reiterate much the same sentiment,
portraying the Soldier as hero and invoking
feelings of Patriotism and pride.
• Significantly, each of these films were quite
successful either critically or at the box-office.

7. Who needs heroes?
• "A true war story is never moral. It does not instruct, it
does not encourage virtue, nor suggest models of proper
human behavior. Do not believe it. If at the end of a war
story, you feel uplifted, or if you feel that some small bit
of rectitude has been salvaged from the larger waste,
then you have been made the victim of a very old lie.
There is no rectitude whatsoever. There is no virtue. As a
first rule of thumb, therefore, you can tell a true war
story by its absolute and uncompromising allegiance to
obscenity and evil.” – The Things they Carried

8. • Redacted (2007, d. Brian De
Palma)
• Based mostly on the Mahmudiya
killings in March 2006
• Filmed from a number of
perspectives in order to give an
authenticity to it.
→ Soldiers’ (predominantly)
→French media
→Anti-War video blogger
→ ‘Fly-on-the wall’ security
cameras
• Attempts to tell the stories of the
Soldiers’ experiences in war.

9. Story behind Redacted
• Al-Mahmudiyah killings occurred on March 12, 2006.
• Five United States soldiers with the 502nd Infantry
Regiment, SGT Paul E. Cortez, SPC James P. Barker, PFC
Jesse V. Spielman, PFC Brian L. Howard, and PFC Steven
D. Green, gang-raped and murdered a 14-year-old Iraqi,
after murdering her mother, her father and her sister.
• Three of the five are serving life-sentences, one is
awaiting trial.
• July 11, 2006: A video depict 2 soldiers from the same
unit being killed was released. This was a retaliation from
the Mujahideen Shura Council.

10. Reaction to Redacted
• The film had a mixed critical and public reception.
• Initially received critical acclaim, including a
number of prestigious awards. Later featured on
numerous ‘Top 10’ lists for 2007
• Quickly generated criticism for its depiction of
U.S. Soldiers.
• Internet campaigns set up to boycott the film.
• Worldwide gross of US$498,343, only $65,388
domestically. (Yet to be released in UK & Ireland)

11. Other critical films
• In the Valley of Elah (2007, Paul Haggis)
• Rendition (2007,Gavin Hood)
Both portray brutality of U.S. Military, either
on one another or on captives.
Both were largely commercial flops.

12. Conclusion
• The larger public does not want to see its
soldiers portrayed negatively. Some form of
redemption is needed, patriotism needs to be
stirred somehow.
• People need to see the human side of war,
regardless if they agree with it.
• Criticism should be reserved for the
politicians, military leaders who are not
involved in combat.