Steven Jay Rubin. Combat Films: American Realism, 1945-2010. Second edition. Jeferson: McFarland, 2011. 312 pp. $45.00, paper, ISBN 978-0-7864-5892-9.

Reviewed by Robert Morley

Published on H-War (February, 2012)

Commissioned by Margaret Sankey (Air University)

Steven Jay Rubin’s Combat Films is the second tails on the production of each flm, from the ear‐ edition of a book frst published in 1981. It is an liest conception, script writing, casting, flming, overview of ffteen Hollywood war flms, from A and postproduction. The result is a unique insid‐ Walk in the Sun (1946) to the 2009 Oscar winner er’s perspective into the rigorous care and atten‐ for best picture, The Hurt Locker. Also included in tion to detail put into war flm production. This is his discussion are classics, like Twelve O’clock undoubtedly the book’s strength and its key at‐ High (1949), Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), The traction. Longest Day (1962), and The Great Escape (1963), Personal interviews also highlight that many along with lesser-known flms like Hell Is for He‐ of these flms were written or produced by men roes (1962) and Gettysburg (1993). The common who had served in the military and in some cases theme of these flms, and the book itself, is their those who were directly involved in the conficts attempt to realistically portray the combat experi‐ (or even the battles) they have chosen to put on ence of American servicemen. Rubin’s excellent the screen; examples include such flmmakers as narrative of each flm’s production is mostly Darryl F. Zanuck, who produced The Longest Day; based on his access to Hollywood flmmakers, ac‐ Robert Pirosh who wrote Battleground (1949); tors, and producers (he is a flm producer). He and Sy Bartlett who helped write Twelve O’clock uses interviews with flmmakers and actors, like High. In other cases, men like Joe Clemons, in John Sturges, Richard Attenborough, , Pork Chop Hill (1959), or Lord Lovat, in The Long‐ John C. McGinley, Ronald F. Maxwell, Dale Dye, est Day, served as technical advisors for flms in , and , to great efect, which they were actually portrayed. Rubin should blending the broader production narrative with be commended for drawing these direct and often unique, insightful, and sometimes humorous forgotten connections between combat veterans anecdotes. These interviews provide minute de‐ and Hollywood war flms. More important, Rubin H-Net Reviews points to a camaraderie between the war veteran cally portray their war, without actually proving technical advisors, writers, and directors, and the that they did. Combat Films certainly would have actors. On the one hand, veterans who worked on benefted from more primary source research or flms were sincerely interested in the success of interviews with actual combatants. At the same the actors they were advising or directing. On the time, each of the subjects broached by these flms other hand, actors were very respectful of veter‐ has generated vast historical writing (both in and ans and aspired to stay as true to the real stories out of the academy) that could have been consult‐ and characters as they possibly could. This coop‐ ed to loan credibility to Rubin’s claims that these erative relationship was especially clear in Ru‐ flms are realistic. Still, engagement with historio‐ bin’s discussion of the production of Blackhawk graphic issues is not the book’s objective and aca‐ Down (2001). The relative recency of the flm’s demics are clearly not the intended audience. Ru‐ events (the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu) motivated bin is primarily concerned with telling the stories the actors to respect and faithfully tell the stories of how these flms were made to flm bufs within of the soldiers who had died in action. the general public. In this regard, the book suc‐ Rubin also narrates the more recent use of ceeds. boot camps to prepare actors for their roles as sol‐ Another concern is the selection of flms and diers. Rubin goes into great detail in explaining what qualifes as realistic combat pictures. The how this tactic was efectively used in such flms parameters of what qualifes as a realistic combat as Platoon (1986), (1998), and picture are not outlined, beyond the involvement Blackhawk Down. There is no doubt that each of and dedication of servicemen. Surely, Edward these flms has a grittiness and a realism that can Zwick’s Glory (1989) could have warranted treat‐ be attributed to the drilling of principle actors. Re‐ ment. Conversely, The Great Escape may be a real‐ garding Saving Private Ryan, Rubin’s discussion istic portrayal of the 1944 escape from Stalag Luft of the flm’s memorable opening sequence (the D- III, but it has little to do with combat. Rubin is also Day landing) is particularly interesting because it quick to dismiss more surreal pictures, like Apoc‐ provides a solid explanation of how (arguably) alypse Now (1979), Full Metal Jacket (1987), or The the most realistic portrayal combat in cinema his‐ Thin Red Line (1998), without truly paying credit tory was put on the screen. to the efective ways those flms examine the hor‐ However, what the book possesses in primary rors of war, the deeper efects of war on the hu‐ source utilization, it lacks in engagement with man psyche, and the unique existential challenges other secondary sources dealing with either mili‐ to serving in wartime. Those emotional efects tary history or flm studies. This creates problems surely feel just as real to veterans as their combat with Rubin’s claims about the realism of these pic‐ experiences. tures. Surely, Stone’s take on the Vietnam War, Though the book lacks any engagement with Platoon, was highly realistic vis-à-vis his own ex‐ current historiographic issues surrounding mili‐ perience, but would it be considered realistic to tary history or flm history, it can still be recom‐ those who experienced the war diferently? With‐ mended to those interested in military history or out an in-depth analysis of what actually hap‐ war flms. It provides a readable, well-illustrated, pened in each of the engagements or units depict‐ and interesting take on the process and dedica‐ ed in the flms the reader has no opportunity to tion required to put war flms on the screen. compare and confrm Rubin’s claims regarding realism. Ultimately, this leaves the book only ar‐ : American Realism, 1945-2010 (2011) guing that the flmmakers endeavored to realisti‐

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Citation: Robert Morley. Review of Rubin, Steven Jay. Combat Films: American Realism, 1945-2010. H- War, H-Net Reviews. February, 2012.

URL: https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=34473

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