Sahara-Jackie Claypool
Sahara is a good example of a film that served as a propaganda piece, during World War II, in order the aid the American war efforts. During this time, the U.S. government established six basic categories and themes that were made as a guide for Hollywood’s donation to the war effort. These categories included; The Issues of the War, The Nature of the Enemy, The United Nations, The Production Front, The Home Front, and The Fighting Forces. Sahara adheres very well to these categories, for example, this movies represents the Germans as sly, untrustworthy, and dangerous. This film also represents the Germans as people whom are easily outsmarted by the clever Americans. This film also shows the Americans surrounded by a group of people that a very ethnically diverse, which shows the companionship that America has with many different countries. The only category that wasn’t represented very well was "The Home Front." Civilian’s responsibilities weren’t really mentioned at all during the film. The storyline pretty much stuck to the soldiers and what they were doing to help end the war.
The moral consequences of fighting and dying were effectively represented sometimes but not during others. The time when it wasn’t really represented was when they were fighting at the stone structure and one of them would get shot by a German. When this happened their deaths seemed really insignificant with no heroism attached to them. The time when the moral consequence of fighting and dying for one’s country was effectively represented was when Joe Gunn gave his speech before they decided to go against the massive German army. He told his men that the odds of them winning are very slim, but this is what they signed up to do. They could die and be forgotten, or they could live and be remembered as war heroes for the rest of their lives. His men eventually decided to fight, and against all odds they won. I like that it showed both perspectives of dying for ones country, because it gave people a more realistic view of what war really is.