Capo
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Post by Capo on Jul 7, 2008 15:27:44 GMT
Why We Fight - Prelude to War Frank Capra 1944 | USA A documentary, the first in the series, which was intended to justify America's change from isolationism to entering the war effort. It's propaganda from the start, with Walter Huston's dramatic voice addressing the audience directly over images of Hitler shouting to his masses, Mussolini looking powerful and Emperor Hirohito looking dark, grim and evil. There's a wonderful montage in the middle of the "evil" regime's soldiers marching and marching and marching, which seems to go on forever, but is very effective in creating an awesome sense of robotic killing machines; this is in contrast to the light, preachy music in the scenes in which "our" children give money to charity while Japanese and German children learn how to fire weapons. It's very didactic, but assembled so well that it is of much interest - Disney assisted, too, by animating the world maps and showing the three dictators' ambitions to take over the world, with an ominous black spreading across the globe like a caricaturised plague.
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Post by Mike Sullivan on Jul 8, 2008 7:34:19 GMT
Seen the entire "Why We Fight" series. The greatest piece of American War Time Propoganda ever. So tautly put together, so manipulative like the greatest of Capra's films, with great narration by Walter Huston.
Well worth seeking out along with John Ford's wonderfully racist, "December 7th".
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RNL
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Post by RNL on Jul 8, 2008 23:12:50 GMT
Wonderfully racist? Great propaganda?
Could you elaborate?
I presume with the latter you're admiring how effective it is, not it itself?
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Post by Mike Sullivan on Jul 8, 2008 23:24:51 GMT
I think great propoganda is propoganda that is effective.
Just like a great film is a film that works.
Wonderfully racist is a sarcastic remark, mind you.
These are the most effective pieces of US Govt. propoganda for it's time. Of course, the greatest piece of propoganda still belongs to "Triumph of the Will".
Sadly, though they are oftenly historically inacurate and may preach hate, they do qualify as an off-shoot of cinema.
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RNL
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Post by RNL on Jul 8, 2008 23:57:32 GMT
I keep reading that Ford was a 'liberal'. If so, he's a 'liberal' who made his name in a genre that's essentially popular American individualist mythology, necessarily backgrounded by real historical acts of genocide, and did so with John Wayne, who's like an icon of hard-edged conservatism. And then to think he also made military propaganda films... what kind of a 'liberal' was he?
I still haven't seen any of his work...
Which of these would you say I'd like the most:
Stagecoach Fort Apache She Wore a Yellow Ribbon Rio Grande The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance The Searchers
?
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Post by Robert C. on Jul 9, 2008 2:19:06 GMT
I still haven't seen any of his work... Which of these would you say I'd like the most: Stagecoach Fort Apache She Wore a Yellow Ribbon Rio Grande The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance The Searchers? "How The West Was Won" is the best picture I've seen of Ford's. I like all of those you mentioned, I'm just not sure I'd recommend them to someone not particularly interested in the genre.
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Post by Mike Sullivan on Jul 9, 2008 3:53:46 GMT
How The West Was Won is a techincal marvel for cinerama, but I never found it to be that good of a film.
"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence", "The Searchers" and "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" are definitely worth seeking out.
He was no liberal. He was a Roosevelt era Democrat like so many people that made the turn to conservatism during the Vietnam era. To be fair, alot of December 7th was supposed to have been directed by Gregg Toland. At least this is rumor.
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Post by Robert C. on Jul 9, 2008 4:11:35 GMT
I've been working on a review for "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance." I didn't particularly like the film but it's really the pinnacle of Westerns. James Stewart punching out John Wayne is analogous to the triumph of modern times of logic and law over the Old West ideal where the gun and the man who carried it ruled the day. And I heard on TCM once, that, who else other than Jimmy Stewart could represent the triumph of logic and law over the Darwinist like state that was the American West. He struck a blow for society and order when he knocked down Wayne's character.
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Post by Mike Sullivan on Jul 9, 2008 4:42:37 GMT
i've got a review of Liberty Valence floating around here somewhere
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Capo
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Post by Capo on Jul 9, 2008 11:04:30 GMT
Which of these would you say I'd like the most: Stagecoach Fort Apache She Wore a Yellow Ribbon Rio Grande The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance The Searchers? Whilst reminding you this is a thread on a Frank Capra film ( ), I'd recommend you start with Stagecoach and Liberty Valance. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on those.
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Post by Mike Sullivan on Jul 9, 2008 18:40:23 GMT
If you haven't seen a Capra film, stick with "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington" or "It's A Wonderful Life". But they're usually heartwarming, manipulative, semi-political statements, but Goddamn it, they work!
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