When Hollywood Goes to War

Résumé du document

In 2003, when Paul Haggis started thinking about the script of ?In the Valley of Elah', President Bush had an eighty percent approval rating and the war in Iraq was supported by most of the country. Four years later, this was no longer the case and the war has become the new topic in Hollywood. Hollywood's coverage of the war in Iraq is a clear departure from earlier war films. From World War II to the Gulf War, patriotism and caution prevailed. Generally speaking, the war was not criticized before the fighting had stopped. The few war films released during wartime, such as The Battle of Britain (1943) or The Green Berets (1968), depicted military heroes. Moreover, many Hollywood stars were actively involved in supporting the troops, especially during the Second World War after Pearl Harbor. Even the increasingly skeptical public opinion during the Vietnam War did not reverse this trend. When Coppola tried to film Apocalypse in 1972, he met with strong opposition from Hollywood producers and actors. The Vietnam-related movies we remember, such as Coppola's, Stone's Platoon and Kubrick's ?Full Metal Jacket' were all released between the end of the seventies and the mid-eighties.

Extraits

[...] When Coppola tried to film Apocalypse Now in 1972, he met with strong opposition from Hollywood producers and actors. The Vietnam-related movies we remember, such as Coppola's film, Stone's Platoon and Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket were all released between the end of the seventies and the mid-eighties. By the time of the release of those critical movies, a popular wave of revisionism of the conflict in Vietnam emerged, such as the Rambo series and Missing in Action, restaging the war with Americans triumphing this time. [...]

[...] Redacted, a very controversial film based on the true story of a14-year-old Iraqi girl who was raped and killed by U.S. soldiers, had a million budget, which is approximately the cost of one day of shooting by Hollywood standards. Such directors as Paul Haggis, Paul Greengrass, Brian DePalma, and Clint Eastwood are clearly trying to convey a political message, even if they do not present themselves that way. On the actors' side, George Clooney, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, and Sean Penn are also taking sides. However, one can wonder whether anything has really changed under the Bush Junior administration. [...]

[...] Revisionism is fostered by the long-term co-operation between Hollywood and the Pentagon. For the filming of the 1962 movie The Longest Day troops were supplied by the U.S., Britain and France, and The Green Berets was made thanks to President Johnson and the military co-operation. In 1986, the Navy signed a contract with the producers of Top Gun. Nothing really changed in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. When Michael Moore vociferously criticized President Bush during his acceptance speech at the 2003 Academy Awards, shortly after the beginning of the war in Iraq, he was both cheered and booed. [...]

[...] In Grace is Gone, it is the war's impact through a family which is portrayed a film much more digestible and enjoyable at an emotional level for the American audience than the politically dense Syriana, according to John Cusack. But if filmmakers have to take even less risk to make more money, there is a chance that their movies will totally lose their criticism. To conclude, one cannot say that Hollywood changed radically under the Bush Junior administration. Still, the current wave of activism at Hollywood fosters hope that for the upcoming conflicts, films arousing political awareness will appear earlier and earlier during wartime. [...]

[...] Most of them also adopt an emotional approach and avoid the political issue, so as to get round the wariness of producers and to transcend divisions. Why is there a sudden flood of Iraq-related movies? There is a double explanation to this new phenomenon. First, there is a larger demand for this kind of film, due to a change in both politics and public opinion. Obviously, the Congressional elections of 2006 were a sign that the triumphalist mission-accomplished mood had irrevocably dissipated. Bush is now seen as a lame-duck president. [...]