Revisiting Cold War Propaganda: Close Readings of Chinese and American Film Representations of the Korean War

Paul G. PICKOWICZ University of California, San Diego

Abstract

The Korean War was, of course, a Hot War not a Cold War. Once it ended, however, the Cold War resumed and the former Hot War combatants engaged in various types of non-lethal, cultural conflict and contestation. This paper looks at the ways in which popular post-Korean War propaganda films represented the Korean War. The paper will first consider Shanganling, a well-known state-sector Chinese film made in 1956 and co-directed by Lin Shan and Sha Meng at the Changchun Film Studio. This film examines the fate of Chinese forces during the bloody Battle of Sangkumryung (or the Battle of Triangle Hill) fought from October 14 to November 25, 1952. The paper will then discuss Pork Chop Hill, a popular private sector American film made in 1959 and directed by Lewis Milestone. This movie features the famous American actor Gregory Peck and examines the experiences of American forces during the violent and protracted Battle of Pork Chop Hill fought from March to July, 1953. The goal of the paper is to shed light on the nature of Cold War propaganda by comparing and contrasting these important Cold War era films. How did each side think about propaganda? Was Cold war propaganda primarily for domestic consumption or for international consumption? What were the main differences between Chinese and American Cold War propaganda efforts? More interestingly, what were the shared assumptions and similarities of approach adopted by American and Chinese Cold War propagandists?

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