Myth and historical truth in the Hollywood WWII combat film - The 1960s until the 1990s Thesis dissertation Esa Denaux Stamnummer 00602341 Master: English - Dutch Promotor: Dr. Ilka Saal 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 6 CHAPTER I: Theoretical basis ............................................................................................. 7 1. Short sketch of the socio-political context: the 1960s until the 1990s ......................... 7 2. The lure of the past ...................................................................................................... 9 2.1Going back to an earlier chapter: The Good War .................................................... 9 2.2The evolution of the WWII war film ........................................................................ 11 3. The past and its portrayal ........................................................................................... 16 3.1 Myth and history ................................................................................................... 16 3.2 Form as a mould? ................................................................................................. 19 3.2.1 The studio system .......................................................................................... 19 3.2.2 The Western ................................................................................................... 20 3.2.3 Melodrama ..................................................................................................... 21 a) Popular entertainment and melodrama ........................................................... 21 b) Variation in the war film ................................................................................... 22 3.2.4 Recurring features of the WWII combat film ................................................... 24 3.3 The most important myths .................................................................................... 27 3.3.1 The reasons for the war were clear and straightforward ................................ 27 3.3.2 Myth of appeasement ..................................................................................... 30 3.3.3 Myth of the clean and swift war ...................................................................... 32 3.3.4 Myth of disparity between British and German forces .................................... 34 3.3.5 Myth of American Heroism……………………………………………………….. 33 a) The American GI ............................................................................................. 35 b) The American war machine ............................................................................. 37 3.3.6 Overestimation of the importance of D-day .................................................... 39 3.3.7 Myth of equality .............................................................................................. 40 a) The myth of the fair draft ................................................................................. 40 b) The myth of the happy family .......................................................................... 41 3.3.8 Myth of the close-combat fights ...................................................................... 42 3.3.9 Myth of fulfilment ............................................................................................ 42 3.3.10 Japan as almost supernatural enemy .......................................................... 43 2 CHAPTER II: Case studies ................................................................................................ 45 1. Early 1960s: glorification ............................................................................................ 45 1.1 The guns of navarone (Thompson, 1961) ............................................................. 45 1.1.1 Aesthetical format .......................................................................................... 47 1.1.2 Melodramatic features .................................................................................... 47 1.1.3 Reinforcement or adjustment of the myths .................................................... 50 i. Exaggeration of the significance of the event ................................................... 50 ii. Ambivalent portrayal of the enemy ................................................................... 51 iii. Being a hero .................................................................................................... 52 iv. The combat unit as a bond of brothers ........................................................... 53 v. The issue of gender ......................................................................................... 54 vi. Correct portrayal of trauma ............................................................................. 55 1.2 Hell is for heroes (Siegel, 1962) ........................................................................... 56 1.2.1 Format ........................................................................................................... 57 1.2.2 Melodramatic features ................................................................................... 58 1.2.3 The reinforcement or adjustment of certain myths ......................................... 58 i. Portrayal of the Americans................................................................................ 58 ii. Definition of a soldier ....................................................................................... 59 iii. The combat unit as the band of brothers ......................................................... 60 iv. Breakdown of heroics .................................................................................... 62 2. End 1960s - beginning 1970s: reversal ..................................................................... 64 2.1 The Dirty Dozen (Aldrich, 1967) ............................................................................ 64 2.1.1 Aesthetic format: inversion ............................................................................. 66 2.1.2 Melodramatic features .................................................................................... 66 2.1.3 adjustment or reinforcement of certain myths ................................................ 67 i. The concept of heroism adjusted ...................................................................... 67 ii. What makes a good war unit ............................................................................ 68 iii. Denial of the realities of war ............................................................................ 69 iv. The traditional combat unit .............................................................................. 70 v. Black-and-white portrayal of the enemy………………………………………….. 70 vi. Respect for authority ....................................................................................... 72 2.2 Kelly’s heroes (Hutton, 1970)................................................................................ 76 3 2.2.1 Format and melodramatic features ................................................................ 77 2.2.2 Reinforcement and adjustment of the myths .................................................. 78 i. No respect of authority ...................................................................................... 78 ii. Denial of the realities of war ............................................................................. 80 iii. concept of heroism .......................................................................................... 83 iv. The combat unit as a bond of brothers ........................................................... 86 3. End 1970s until end 1980s: restoration ...................................................................... 88 3.1 Midway (Smight, 1976) ......................................................................................... 88 3.1.1 Aesthetic Format ........................................................................................... 89 3.1.2 Melodrama .................................................................................................... 89 3.1.3 Myths ............................................................................................................ 91 i. Japanese portrayal ........................................................................................... 91 ii. Myth of the superior American GI .................................................................... 94 iii. Relationship superior – men............................................................................ 96 3.2 The big red one (Fuller, 1980) .............................................................................. 97 3.2.1 Aesthetical Format ........................................................................................ 98 3.2.2 Melodramatic features ................................................................................... 98 3.2.3 Reinforcement and adjustment of WWII myths ............................................. 99 i. Portrayal of war as ‘good’ ................................................................................. 99 ii. The concept of heroism ................................................................................. 102 iii. A black-and-white enemy .............................................................................. 105 iv. The bond of brothers ....................................................................................