American Politics & Pop Culture

John Bodnar’s main thesis in his article “Saving Private Ryan and Postwar Memory in America� argues that “the narrative of heroism, patriotism, and democracy that permeated wartime America—the story that Saving Private Ryan seeks to restore only partially—began to decompose immediately in the aftermath of World War II� (809).

Bodnar supports his position by discussing the direction Steven Spielberg took the film, and how in many ways Saving Private Ryan illustrated the ideals the American public perceived of its military-that the American soldier was known for his bravery, valor, morality, and honor. This is compared to the similar ideals that had been portrayed during the propaganda films such as Sahara that were censored by the OWI. This was to ensure that the American public would be reminded that WWII was a "people's war" and that democracy meant freedom.

In the aftermath of WWII, as America transitioned into it's role as a superpower, film began it's transition also. Bodnar points out that the role of film noir is similar to the victimization of the American soldier. The aftermath of war left both the country and soldier traumatized and fearful of further war. As Bodnar states, "nostalgia and mourning coexist" (811), meaning that Saving Private Ryan confronts the brutality of war, but spends the majority of its time showing the tension created by the pursuit of a lone man. In many ways this represents the conflict with how the country felt about war after WWII, and as a result very few combat films were made between 1946 and 1949 (811).

Bodnar continues to contrast the American public's perception of totalitarianism to individualism as he discusses the film The Sands of Iwo Jima that basically attacked the military perspective. While the American fighting machine was well equipped with the hardware to defeat the enemy, the desire of the fighting men to come home was greater and reconnect with their families was as great, if not greater. Again the trauma and turmoil of war is reflected in these postwar films, and that while the soldier can be perceived as barbaric he is ultimately still human.

This article provides an excellent timeline for many of the topics we discussed in class. One example is the reference to the OWI in it's censorship of propaganda films (Sahara) in the mid 1940's and how it helped shape America's conservative American culture. The transition in history and film from this conservative idea to a culture that was willing to engage itself against the government is evident as well, much like John Lennon did. One film we watched in class, Dr. Strangelove, really embodies the cultural shift from conservatism to liberalism with the mocking and questioning of it's leaders. Another film that shares a striking similarity to Saving Private Ryan and the way postwar film protrays the American soldier after WWII is Apolcalypse Now. Both films feature a rouge military commander leading his troops on a solitary mission, irrelevant to the outcome of the war, yet show us how brutal war can be.

As a result, the individual thinker in today's society can ask "why do we fight?"