Christina Johnston
In Sahara, there exists a strong undertow of governmental propaganda regarding the American war effort. Humphrey Bogart, himself, represented a tough-as-nails general. His portrayal was consistent with the masculine ideals being propagated by posters and advertisements on the American home front. The issues of the war were portrayed in an inherently biased way. The Germans were continually being vilianized; for example, radio transmissions using terms like “the Germans have wiped out…” and “The Germans took over...” These statements shadowed the reality of Germany’s European invasions during the war. The American way of life is addressed in minute instances: the Texan soldier talking about his hometown and wife, and the Italian’s brother in Pittsburgh, showed America as a land of opportunity and new beginnings for all. Similarly, when Bogart asks the troops if they agree to stay and hold off the Germans, or go home, he has nothing to lose, but t they have families and loved ones. This illustrates the importance on family values held by American’s during the war.
The German’s were consistently snide, ruthless, and untrustworthy in Sahara. As they were shown shooting the Frenchman in the back, stabbing the Italian in the back, and killing their own soldier who cracked under the pressure; the allies were shown burying their men, and Bogart couldn’t leave behind the Italian to die. There was an obvious attempt to completely polarize the compassion of the Allied powers from the heartless Axis powers.
The areas of material supply and civilian responsibility were addressed through the constant shortage portrayed in the film. The men are always in need of something, whether it be food, water, or ammunition. This portrayal was used as a motivator for the home front to continue to do their part in supplying the war effort with the above scarcities. Britain, France, and Italy listened to and obeyed the American general (Bogart), the strong and competent leader reflected the American “we are the world” mentality of military superiority and influence
For the time period, I feel that the non existence of women on the battlefield was appropriate, and did not take away from the film; it simply reflected gender roles at that time. The issue of race was also indicative of society, as all of the men of diverse backgrounds worked together to stop the Germans, however, they were not exactly all treated with the same respect. For instance, the black man was expected to climb down the well and check for water. Although I liked Sahara, it served no other purpose aside from spreading war propaganda.