John Erck's Sahara Reflections...
I thought Sahara was a fantastic film. After having it brought to my attention, it was very easy to see the propagandistic attributes of the movie as it progressed from start to finish. As we discussed in class, OWI (the Office of War Information) outlined six basic categories and themes that were to serve as Hollywood's contribution to the war effort. I was able to see each and every one of them at some point within the movie. The movie was out to make the Germans evil and the American/Allied forces righteous. One example of this notion was the scene in which the captured German fighter pilot exclaims, "I don't want to be touched by a man of inferior race." Another example was when the Italian character shouted, "Italians are not like Germans - only the body wears the uniform and not the soul!" Another glaring example would be the two scenes in which the Germans either shot a man in the back or literally stabbed a man in the back! And yet another, slightly more subtle example was when the German P.O.W. continually lied about his ability to speak English. Now on the flip side, there were just as many if not more scenes that shed a light of righteousness upon the American commando/America. For example, the Americans welcomed people of other ethnicities (blacks, "frenchies", and Italians). Even in moments when water was extremely scarce, the Americans would still have the decency to share water with the German P.O.W. Also the Americans were willing to sacrifice their lives even if it meant that it was only going to "slow down" the Axis forces. The men were out there to protect freedom and to die for what they believed in. There are far too many messages and powerful ideas and ideals strew throughout Sahara to list and or articulate them all. Ultimately, I thought the movie was great. It was great because of its ability to present powerful American ideals in such an effective, entertaining, and uplifting way.