Masaryk University Faculty of Arts Department of English and American Studies English Language and Literature Adam Tušer Depiction of Japanese Soldiers in American War Films Bachelor’s Diploma Thesis Supervisor: doc. PhDr. Tomáš Pospíšil, Ph.D. 2015 I declare that I have worked on this thesis independently, using only the primary and secondary sources listed in the bibliography. ..................................................... Adam Tušer Acknowledgement I would like to thank my supervisor doc. PhDr. Tomáš Pospíšil, Ph.D. for his valuable comments and feedback. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction.................................................................................1 2. Propaganda and Film...................................................................4 3. Guadalcanal Diary........................................................................6 3.1. Film Overview.............................................................................6 3.2. Plot Summary..............................................................................7 3.3. The Japanese Inferiority and Animal-like Nature...........................10 3.4. The Tactics of the Japanese Soldiers Shown in the Films...............16 3.5. The Savagery and Cruelty of the Japanese..................................20 3.6. The Dangerous Snipers..............................................................24 3.7. Summary...................................................................................25 4. Letters from Iwo Jima................................................................26 4.1. Film Overview............................................................................26 4.2. Plot Summary............................................................................27 4.3. Japanese Soldiers as Equals to the Americans..............................29 4.4. Japanese Soldiers as Individual Human Beings.............................32 4.5. Japanese Soldiers and Fanaticism...............................................34 4.6. Summary...................................................................................36 5. Japanese-American Relations after WWII................................37 6. Conclusion..................................................................................38 7. Works Used and Cited................................................................41 8. Abstract......................................................................................44 9. Abstrakt.....................................................................................45 1. Introduction When two countries are at war, it is only natural that the people of those countries will come to dislike each other. This can happen without any intervention, or it can be enforced through propaganda, depicting the enemy as evil or inhuman, effectively turning one of the sides into a force fighting for the good of the world and the other into merciless killers with little redeeming qualities. The differences between the warring nations, whether racial or ideological, can be exaggerated and exploited to create distance between them, further pushing the idea that they are not "like us." The issue comes after the war itself ends. Some of the indoctrinated masses will still cling to the ideology forced upon them by the government and the hate of the particular enemy will become lodged in their culture. One example of this would be the Nazi regime. While the war has obviously been over for decades, Nazis are still one of the go to enemies in media, whether films, books or even video games. However, during the war, the United States media did make the ideological differentiation between Nazis and Germans. This was not the case with the Japanese. John Dower mentions that there was no Japanese equivalent to the "good German" in the wartime media (8). Hollywood's dehumanization of the Japanese in general supported the idea of the American national superiority. This utter dehumanization of the Japanese is unmatched in the media and ultimately lead to the two nuclear bombs being dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which even today remains as the only time nuclear weapons were ever used for warfare in history. 1 The aim of this thesis is to analyse American war films made during the 1940s, mostly focusing on the film Guadalcanal Diary (1943), and a film from the early 2000s, Letters from Iwo Jima (2006). The thesis will examine how "the enemy," that being the Japanese soldiers, are depicted in each period, in what ways they are similar and how they differ. Films made during the war with Japan are expected to be more influenced by propaganda and the Japanese should therefore be depicted in a more negative fashion. As to just how negative their depiction is and to what degree (if at all) does that change in the modern times will be discussed below. While the thesis does focus on the depiction of the Japanese soldiers, the accuracy of things such as weapons, uniforms or authenticity in general will not be discussed, as they are outside the point of the analysis, which aims to show the general image of the enemy. Whether things such as the weapons were not actually used in the particular combat scenario, or whether the Japanese were portrayed by Chinese- Americans actors, will therefore not be taken into account. In a way, the two films share a lot of similarities. They are both about American Marines landing on an island occupied by Japanese soldiers with a mission to drive them out, ultimately succeeding. The films were chosen for their high participation of the Japanese. They are seen rather often, especially in Letters, which is from their perspective. While films like Bataan do have a similar theme, the Japanese soldiers there rarely present themselves. Other films, however, might be mentioned if there are some useful points to be made, that are not present in the films that have been chosen for analysis. Both of 2 these films will be introduced with a short film overview, talking about the general information of the film, it's supposed location (Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima) and a plot summary, allowing for an easier orientation when certain scenes are discussed. The Japanese soldiers in the films made during the war are depicted as less than human, often compared to animals such as baboons. They are shown to be less intelligent, smaller and physically weaker than the Americans. In a direct engagement, they are quickly defeated and forced to retreat, or are simply mowed down by the superior American fire-power. They therefore rely on traps and ambushes, often striking American soldiers in the back, or taking shots from a jungle or a great distance, when the Marines have no chance of retaliating. They have no good qualities about them and are nothing but emotionless killers, who are utterly dedicated to their emperor and will not hesitate to kill and die for their country. Truly a unified, faceless horde of evil that will show no mercy and must be destroyed by the superior Americans to ensure peace. This is entirely different in Letters from Iwo Jima, where they are shown to be much more human, equal to the American soldiers they are fighting. They have wives and children waiting for them at home and would like nothing more than to return to them. They do not all fight for their emperor, but for their own survival. While some of them are influenced by the fanatical ideologies instilled upon them by the government, even to the point where some are willing to kill themselves rather than surrender, they are not unified in this belief. Most of them fight because they have to, some are recruited against 3 their will and do not at all embrace the idea of honour through self-sacrifice. Their daily lives in the war camps are also quite similar to those on the American side. All in all, both sides are depicted as human and equal to each other, completely negating any themes of good against evil. The image of the Japanese has been slowly improved after the war, as the focus shifted more of the damaging influence war has on soldiers of both sides. By analysing the various aspects of their depiction, the thesis hopes to inform the reader of the danger of propaganda in media, which can have lasting effects on entire nations, instilling hate within them for decades. By recognizing these propaganda attempts they become easier to defend against, avoiding their influence and the deep wounds they might cause. 2. Propaganda and Film The 20th century gave rise to a whole new medium, film. It combines sounds with moving picture to create an illusion of reality never before seen or heard. The rise of European cinema was interrupted by the outbreak of World War I, while the film industry in the United States flourished with the rise of Hollywood. Films would often follow current events, sometimes truthfully, sometimes otherwise. Hollywood was no different when the war started. The attack on Pearl Harbour came unexpectedly, and was considered a betrayal. The support of American isolationism disappeared and the nation declared war on Japan. This started a massive media campaign to dehumanize the enemy. Unlike the Germans, who were European and therefore had some racial ties to 4 the United States, the Japanese were considered entirely different from the general population and would therefore be completely demonized. They were compared to animals, often monkeys and baboons. By making the Japanese not human, they would be easier to kill. In 1942, the Academy Award for best documentary went to Frank Capra's