The War Film

"The coming of the Second World War renewed interest in the war film and brought on a new film genre, the World War II combat film. Variations of film narratives about war had existed since the beginning of the American film industry. But in the midst of World War II Hollywood set out on a war film binge, making dozens of tales of Americans fighting in the air, on land, and in the sea. While the method of fighting may have differed, the basic narrative pattern was similar: a group of men from different backgrounds are brought together and in the heat of battle these men grow close, united against the onslaught of the enemy. In the end, a decisive battle is fought, and the Allied forces triumph once again. As would be the case with any new genre, this one added a complete new set of icons: the jeep, the combat helmet, the P-41 fighter plane. . . Bataan can now be recognized as the seminal work. it is the story of a hastily assembled group of volunteers who bravely attempt to hold off an overwhelming Japanese force. These fighting men, representing the American melting pot, soon grow into a cohesive fighting group and use common strengths to win for the common good. The audience knew the story (the holding of the Bataan peninsula so that Allied forces could regroup and return to recapture the Philippines), and flocked to the film. The formula for the combat film was thus established, and the genre thrived and continued well after the end of the war." (Gomery chapter 7)

WWII Films:

Sources:



revised 3/18/03 by Schoenherr | Filmnotes