The Cold War was as much a battle of ideas as a series of military and diplomatic confrontations; and movies were a prime battleground for this cultural combat. As Tony Shaw and Denise Youngblood show; Hollywood sought to export American ideals in movies like Rambo; and the Soviet film industry fought back by showcasing Communist ideals in a positive light; primarily for their own citizens. The two camps traded cinematic blows for more than four decades.The first book-length comparative survey of cinema's vital role in disseminating Cold War ideologies; Shaw and Youngblood's study focuses on ten films—five American and five Soviet—that in both obvious and subtle ways provided a crucial outlet for the global "debate" between democratic and communist ideologies. For each nation; the authors outline industry leaders; structure; audiences; politics; and international reach and explore the varied relationships linking each film industry to its respective government. They then present five comparative case studies; each pairing an American with a Soviet film: Man on a Tightrope with The Meeting on the Elbe; Roman Holiday with Spring on Zarechnaya Street; Fail-Safe with Nine Days in One Year; Bananas with Officers; Rambo: First Blood Part II with Incident at Map Grid 36-80. Shaw breathes new life into familiar American films by Elia Kazan and Woody Allen; while Youngblood helps readers comprehend Soviet films most have never seen. Collectively; their commentaries track the Cold War in its entirety—from its formative phase through periods of thaw and self-doubt to the resurgence of mutual animosity during the Reagan years—and enable readers to identify competing core propaganda themes such as decadence versus morality; technology versus humanity; and freedom versus authority. As the authors show; such themes blurred notions regarding "propaganda" and "entertainment;" terms that were often interchangeable and mutually reinforcing during the Cold War. Featuring engaging commentary and evocative images from the films discussed; Cinematic Cold War offers a shrewd analysis of how the silver screen functioned on both sides of the Iron Curtain. As such it should have great appeal for anyone interested in the Cold War or the cinematic arts.
#1014627 in Books 2008-11-19Original language:RussianPDF # 1 1.70 x 6.00 x 9.10l; 1.95 #File Name: 0700616055476 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. he does this to hold the attention of most readers better; and it does flesh out interpersonal relationships that ...By william c. jordanA very interesting book written from experiences in the Russian/German fighting on the Eastern front. I gave him two stars for the historical accuracy of his account of the progressive battles as they occurred. I gave him one star for the correct designations of battle equipment (T-34/76 and not T-34/85 tanks at the proper periods in the war: Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik battle aircraft used throughout the time period that he writes about; along with correct German battle equipment. One star for his emotional relating of how actual combat affects armies and soldiers personally. I had to take one star off because of my personal preferences for non-fiction history. He inserts conversations between him and those he comes in contact with:....total recall?... this throughout four years of savage fighting! However; he does this to hold the attention of most readers better; and it does flesh out interpersonal relationships that he wants to convey. Too much of it is a pet peeve of mine; but that is just me! All in all; well worth the read. Fort Knox Tanker0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. ehBy ErnstI was disappointed with this book. The title implies a harrowing odyssey of a soviet soldier through the eastern front of ww2. Riddled with innumerable battles and tribulations. Instead (spoiler alert) the protagonist takes part In one battle. Other than that and a few less than riveting encounters with snipers that's all the action that takes place. I will say this book is well written and I very much enjoyed the beginning during the writers combat schooling. Being written by a Komsomol leader this book is quite political. The writer is quick to demonize the Germans in broad statements. If you're looking for a book about the minutiae and all the inns and outs of the frontline commissariat this is a book for you. I only gave it 3 stars because I find the title misleading. This is a good read; it was simply less than I expected.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. This is my first read of the Russian side in ...By John W. BardwellThis is my first read of the Russian side in WW II. Unfortunately it will be my last. WAY too much of the communist point of view; the whys and why nots; etc. He does however tell how soviet soldiers were badly mistreated by Russian commanders but he also paints the Germans as "snakes" with a very broad brush. I bought this book in hopes of reading about combat; etc from the soviet side; not the political stuff.
