The US war cinemaby

Luana Sartorato and Giulia Armellin

Are US war movies made to Are US war movies made to entertain people or do they have a entertain people or do they have a

social aim?social aim?

American movies:

• give a representation of violence → seem to be fake

• director’s aim: attract the attention of the crowd

• typical US blockbuster: full of special effects but without a real content

Examples: Saving Private Ryan – Inglorious Basterds

‘Saving Private Ryan’ and ‘Inglorious Basterds’

Possible answer: there is no social aim by directors

•the war is like a tool→ glorify the US power.

•soldiers presented like heroes, brave, ready to die for their homeland.

Our perception

•they appear like war machine

•they behave like robots because they are under the control of the majors

Critical reception of these movies

In the USA Great success all over the Great success all over the

countrycountry

Positive critics but with few Positive critics but with few dissenting opinionsdissenting opinions

↓↓Richard ToddRichard Todd

stated:stated:‘‘rubbish.Overdone’rubbish.Overdone’

All over the world An Italian journalist stated: An Italian journalist stated:

‘‘Realismo estremo, Realismo estremo, raggiunto con il massimo raggiunto con il massimo

dell’artificio’dell’artificio’ (Saving (Saving Private Ryan)Private Ryan)

Tarantino’s Inglorious Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds received bad Basterds received bad

reception at the Cannes reception at the Cannes Film FestivalFilm Festival

↓↓Tarantino gets lost in a Tarantino gets lost in a fictional WWII fictional WWII (Le Monde)(Le Monde)

‘La vita è bella’

Roberto Benigni’s Roberto Benigni’s masterpiecemasterpiece

Different representation of Different representation of the War Backgroundthe War Background

The ability of a man to turn The ability of a man to turn such a tragic event into a such a tragic event into a gamegame

The USA vs Italy US films

Attract the audience

↓↓1.1. lot of battleslot of battles2.2. dead bodies dead bodies

everywhereeverywhere3.3. action scenesaction scenes4.4. special effectsspecial effects

Italian filmsSocially useful

↓↓1.1. depict a destroyed depict a destroyed

country that is trying country that is trying to rise up again.to rise up again.

2.2. try to make the try to make the viewer understand viewer understand what happened at what happened at that timethat time

3.3. want us to realize want us to realize how people felt how people felt during the warduring the war

Bibliography

ArticlesArticlesPaini, Luigi (1998). Paini, Luigi (1998). Il Sole-24 ore.Il Sole-24 ore.Siskel, Gene.Siskel, Gene. "The Thin Red Line""The Thin Red Line". . Siskel & EbertSiskel & Ebert.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=yyLPiJsQRWo&feature=related. v=yyLPiJsQRWo&feature=related. Retrieved 2010-02-05Retrieved 2010-02-05..Todd, Richard.Todd, Richard. Metro.co.uk Metro.co.uk http://www.metro.co.uk/showbiz/interviews/987-richard-toddhttp://www.metro.co.uk/showbiz/interviews/987-richard-todd

American moviesAmerican moviesInglorious BasterdsInglorious Basterds (2009) by Quentin Tarantino. (2009) by Quentin Tarantino.SavingSaving PrivatePrivate RyanRyan (1998) by Steven Spielberg. (1998) by Steven Spielberg.TheThe ThinThin RedRed LineLine (1998) by Terrence Malick. (1998) by Terrence Malick.

Italian moviesItalian moviesLaLa vitavita è bellaè bella (1997) by Roberto Benigni. (1997) by Roberto Benigni.

Internet resourcesInternet resourcesWikipedia, Wikipedia, Inglorious BasterdsInglorious BasterdsPadua-Dickinson Forums: Forum n.16Padua-Dickinson Forums: Forum n.16Available atAvailable at http://ottonovecento.pbworks.com/w/page/39539675/Forum%2016%20- http://ottonovecento.pbworks.com/w/page/39539675/Forum%2016%20-

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