The Promotion of US Campaign of War on Terrorism in Indonesia through Hollywood Action and War Films: A Case Study of Indonesia – US Bilateral Relations (2006 – 2013) By Tommy Surya Pradana ID No. 016201100081 A Thesis presented to the Faculty of Humanities President University in partial fulfillment of the requirements of Bachelor Degree in International Relations Major in Diplomacy 2015 i ii iii Abstrak Industri perfilman Amerika Serikat (Hollywood) dipercaya berperngaruh besar terhadap pembentukan opini masyarakat dunia karena produk-produk filmnya yang tersebar luas secara global dengan jumlah yang berlimpah dan bahkan sudah menjadi standar hiburan tersendiri bagi khalayak luas, terutama di Indonesia. Banyaknya pengambilan tema tentang terorisme serta penggambaran eksplisit terkait isu-isu terorisme di dalam film-film Hollywood bergenre action dan war membuat penulis tertarik untuk melakukan penelitian tentang bagaimana film-film ini mempromosikan kampanye Amerika Serikat dalam perang melawan terorisme di Indonesia. Dalam melakukan studi ini, penulis menggunakan teori diplomasi publik sebagai kerangka teoretis. Penulis mengambil kasus-kasus terkait Hollywood, Indonesia, Amerika Serikat, dan terorisme yang terjadi pada tahun 2006-2013 sebagai ruang lingkup dan keterbatasan penelitian. Berdasarkan hasil yang didapat, bisa disimpulkan bahwa Hollywood berperan cukup besar dalam membentuk opini masyarakat Indonesia dengan menggambarkan kekejaman, kegilaan, dan kebrutalan para teroris yang tidak dapat dibenarkan oleh alasan apapun dalam menjalankan aksinya pada film-film Hollywood bergenre action dan war yang didistribusikan ke Indonesia. Ditemukan juga adanya implikasi ketergantungan masyarakat Indonesia terhadap film-film Hollywood serta kebijakan pemerintah yang mendukung penuh distribusi bahkan produksi film Hollywood di Indonesia. Penelitian ini signifikan untuk para pelajar bidang studi Hubungan Internasional, terutama bagi yang tertarik atau yang juga sedang melakukan penelitian terkait sektor diplomasi publik, diplomasi budaya, Hollywood, dan/atau terorisme. Kata Kunci: Hollywood, Action, War, Terrorism, Public Diplomacy, Indonesia, US. iv Abstract The United States film industry, or generally known as Hollywood, is considered as having a massive influence towards the creation of global public opinion because of their film products which globally prevail with an abundant amounts and have becoming the global public standard of entertainment, especially in Indonesia. The ample numbers of terrorism-theme and also explicit depiction regarding terrorism issues in Hollywood action and war films has making the writer interested to conduct a research on how these films promote US campaign in war on terrorism in Indonesia. In doing this study, the writer applied public diplomacy theory as theoretical framework. The writer studied Hollywood, Indonesia, US, and terrorism related case which happened in 2006-2013 as the scope and limitations of study. Based on the result of this study, it can be stated that Hollywood has fine role and contribution in shaping the opinion of Indonesian public by depicting ruthlessness, psychopathy, and savagery of terrorists in doing their action—which cannot be justified by any reasons—in Hollywood action and war films distributed to Indonesia. There is also some founding on the implication of Indonesian public dependencies towards Hollywood films and also Indonesian government policy which support the distribution and even the production of Hollywood films in Indonesia. This study is significant to the students of International Relations study program, especially for those who are interested or also doing researches in regards to public diplomacy, culture diplomacy, Hollywood, and/or terrorism. Keywords: Hollywood, Action, War, Terrorism, Public Diplomacy, Indonesia, US. v Acknowledgements In this great opportunity, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my thesis supervisors, Prof. Anak Agung Banyu Perwita Ph.D., Eric Hendra SIP., MA, and Isyana Adriani Arslan, BA, for their patient guidance, enthusiastic encouragement, and constructive critiques during the planning, development, and analysis of my study. My grateful thanks are also extended to Azalia Primadita Muchransyah, S.Psi., M.Si. for being my informal thesis advisor and providing me Hollywood scriptwriting formula materials and also Moja Nurkalam and Ade Farida for their helpful assistance by giving me access to the US Embassy Library to collect vital resources to complete my research. I would also like to thank my fellow students in President University International Relations batch 2011, especially Anna Indah Pratiwi, Hafiz Sandria, and Taris Hirzi Iman for their helpful contributions regarding the information of thesis formality requirements. I also wish to acknowledge the abundant support from my friends in CouchSurfing Writer’s Club and Premiere Filmmaking Club, especially Farida Susanty, Bagia Arif Saputra, Angga Permana, Ruby Astari, Monica Yohari, Pelita Yunanda Purnama, Nur Ulfanny Lukman, Nadya Kalya Komala, Yasika Ayudaning Puspita, Intan Faradila, Yohana Amelia Agustin, Michelle Ribka Prayogo, and Alief Syahru Ramdhani for frequently reminding me of how great I am and how I should always be confident of myself during my thesis development. In the end, I would like to thank my beloved parents for never giving up on me. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PANEL OF EXAMINERS APPROVAL SHEET……………………………………..…….........i THESIS ADVISER RECOMMENDATION LETTER ...………………………………………..ii DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY……………...……………………………………………iii ABSTRACT (INDONESIAN)……………….…………………………………………………..iv ABSTRACT (ENGLISH)…………………….…………………………………….......................v ACKNOWLEDGEMENT…………………………………………………………......................vi TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………..……………………………………vii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION…………………………………..……...……………………………1 – 20 1.1. Background of the Study…………………………………………………………………1 1.2. Problems Identified…….………………………………………………………………..10 1.3. Statement of The Problems.…………………………………………………………......11 1.4. Research Objectives……………………………………………………………………..12 1.5. Significance of Study……………………………………………………………………12 1.6. Theoretical and Conceptual Framework………………………………………………...13 1.7. Definitions of Terms………………………………………………………………….....16 vii 1.8. Scope and Limitations of Study…………………………………………………………19 1.9. Thesis Outline…………………………………………………………………………...19 II. ANTI-TERRORISM VALUES IN HOLLYWOOD ACTION AND WAR FILMS...……...21 2.1.The Western Values: The Messages inside Hollywood Action Film…………………....21 2.2. Understanding War Films and the Perspectives of War…………..…………………….33 2.3. Hollywood Films and People’s Mind: How it Works…………………………………..39 2.4. Hollywood Action and War Films & Terrorism after 9/11………………….………….45 III. US – INDONESIA BILATERAL RELATIONS BEFORE AND AFTER “WAR ON TERRORISM”………………………………………………………………………….........51 3.1. A Historical Overview of US – Indonesia Bilateral Relations……………….................51 3.1.1. Post-Independence Era…………………………………………………………...51 3.1.2. New Order Era…………………………………………………………………...52 3.1.3. Reformation Era………………………………………………………………….54 3.2. Hollywood Film Distributions in Indonesia after 9/11………………………………….57 3.3. US - Indonesia Strategic Partnership in Combating Terrorism…………………............60 IV. INDONESIAN ATTITUDE TOWARDS HOLLYWOOD AND TERRORISM: CASE STUDY (2006 – 2013)……………………………………………..………………………...65 4.1. ‘Java Heat’ Review: Cultural Cooperation of Campaigning Anti-Terrorism….……….66 4.2. Indonesian Government Perception and Policy towards Hollywood Action and War Film……………..…………………………………...…………………...………….....69 4.3. Indonesian Government Perception and Policy towards Terrorism..................……......70 4.4. Analysis and Interpretation of Data……………………………………………..............75 V. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION…………………………..……………...….78 VI. BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………..…………………....80 viii Chapter I Introduction 1.1. Background of Studies Since its term was first used as a distinct field of study in 1919 on the Woodrow Wilson Chair at Aberystwyth University, international relations always defined as a branch of political science which focuses on affairs, interactions, and relations between nations, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and multinational corporations (MNCs) within the frameworks of international system (About International Relations, n.d.). As it analyzes and formulates foreign policies of a given State and following the patterns of international affairs and historical background, IR is interdisciplinary field of study which keeps developing as time goes on. In its political discipline, to reach the fulfillment of mutual benefit from other countries, the established bond are formed by applying the art and practice of negotiation between representatives of state, generally known as ‘diplomacy’ (Merriam Webster Inc., n.d.). The history of diplomatic activities can be traced back in the early age when tribe leaders negotiated marriages and regulations of hunting and trade (Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., n.d.). Since then, traditional diplomacy studies mainly focused on diplomats as a government representatives to resolve the affairs among states and to negotiate the fulfillment of state interests by conducting foreign policies that is based on mutual agreements. The growth of interstate diplomatic relations and the nations’ power to in late 20th century has created historical occurrence called globalizations, which had been described by Jan Aarte Scholte, a professor of politics and