War and the American Culture in Movies
The Vietnam War - no other war in America's history has caused discord among our society. With over 50,000 dead, the memories of this war far away in the Asian continent redefined our culture in the years to come. Even the way war-making policies related to the Middle Eastern conflicts of today is still overshadowed by the lessons learned or unlearned during the Vietnam War.Hollywood itself gave as a panacea of movies about this era and depending upon which decade a particular film was made, the thematic and cinematic presentations differ. The general substance remains the same but the outlook of a war of long ago varies depending upon the cultural outlook of the decade. A look at six Vietnam War movies made over a span of three decades will demonstrate the cultural and attitudinal change. The portrayal of each movie will give the viewer thoughts on how different generations perceive things differently."The controversy of the Vietnam War influenced the film industry the most during the late sixties and into the mid eighties (McBride, 2006)." The paper specifically "examines the shift from the pro-war to anti-war perspective in Hollywood films, and the common themes that emerged within them as a result of the war. (McBride, 200
But he gradually adapts and, as time goes by, begins to see that the platoon is divided into two groups. (Mapes, 2006)"The 80s is said to have been one of the best decades there is and Oliver Stone set the movie as a "tour de force" and "coming out" film since the American culture started finally accepting the lessons of the Vietnam War. Out of the studio, Cronauer teaches English to locals, befriends the regulars in a local bar, and even romances a pretty young thing in town. Aiding him is Tom Cruise, whose powerful performance as real-life veteran Ron Kovic earned him the right to never again be thought of as 'just a pretty face. involvement in the war continued to endure as a social construct into the latter half of the decade. In Apocalypse Now, much the same thing happens to Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) only now it isn't the late eighteen hundreds, it is the twentieth century and the Viet Nam War. It provided a glimpse of a "believer" in the guise of Ron Kovic and showed his transition to an anti-war activist after facing the harsh realities of war. " The open-mindedness of the American public also had to do with the Soviet Union's Afghan War and they started drawing parallel conclusions to the two events. Stone brilliantly portrays the nowhere-to-turn rage of the Vietnam Vet: angry at the war, angry at the military, yet often hated by those who feel the same way but have never worn a uniform. Let's make sure it is the kind of picture that will help our cause throughout the world .
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Acceptance Essays
