History Independent Study Class

To what extent do hollywood films and historiography mirror each other on the depiction
of WWII?
In what areas do we see similarities and differences?
Throughout the 1940s, WWII took centerstage in America. Films and news accounts
featured Americans participation in WWII. Later, as more documents became available,
historians were able to analyze the events of WWII at a closer level to explain an increasingly
realistic account of the war. However, the goal of the Hollywood film industry was not to
necessarily present an accurate story of WWII, but to entertain and profit. These differences
would play a part in how each portrayed the Germans and the Japanese, women and minorities,
and the value of fighting the war.
From the 1940s to the 21st century, the Hollywood film industrys movies and Americas
WWII historiography, shifted to a more complex portrayal of the enemy. In Americas
perspective, the enemies were the Japanese and the Germans. As time went by, the enemies
gained more dimensions in the characters they played in history and movies. They became
people with several kinds of behaviors and emotions, as movies and historians began to take a
more neutral stance on the telling of WWII. Although the WWII historiography and Hollywood
movies would never illustrate a captivating image of the enemies, overtime historians and
filmmakers came to develop an arguably more accurate image of them and what they faced.
Although they did not and still do not always receive much credit for their efforts, women
and African Americans held important roles throughout WWII. Women jumped on deck and
...drove trucks, repaired airplanes, worked as laboratory technicians, rigged parachutes, served

as radio operators, analyzed photographs, flew military aircraft across the country, test-flew
newly repaired planes, and even trained anti-aircraft artillery gunners by acting as flying targets
(The National WWII museum 1). Additionally, they women went overseas to serve as nurses
providing relief for American soldiers (The National WWII museum 1). Despite the limitations
and setbacks due to racism of the 1940s, African Americans took every opportunity they had to
join the war effort. Initially most of them transported supplies, but towards the end of the war,
served as infantrymen, pilots, tankers, medics, and in some rare cases, officers (The National
WWII museum 1). Women and African Americans were essential to the war effort. However,
for years to come, WWII historiography would take time to recognize their achievements and the
Hollywood film industry would fail to recognize their great efforts during the war.
During the 1940s most historical accounts of WWII came from reporters. However, most
reporters received their information from government sources which strictly controlled
information and concentrated it on promoting the war (Sloan and Parcell 35). Journalists
accepted the necessity to portray the Germans and the Japanese in a negative light in addition to
...the need to support war aims and even the need for secrecy in the interest of national security
(Sloan and Parcell 27). During the battle of Britain, Edward Murrow and his team, known as
Murrows boys, broadcasted the war from the frontlines. They recorded live action of the
bombings in England, so that the people in America could listen to the Nazis atrocities inflicted
on London (PBS 1). This further emphasized the Germans brutality on Britain. Little would be
mentioned of women and African Americans.
The Hollywood film industry began producing movies that promoted intervention just as
much as the journalists. One of the earliest American WWII movie was Buck Privates.

Although there were no Japanese, Germans, or African Americans, it called for men and women
to join the military. The movie painted a very rosy image of the American army. It focused on
life in the army where women and men sang songs and their spirits remained high. Popular films

such as Bataan and Casablanca painted unflattering images of the enemies. Bataan featured a
small, but courageous group of soldiers who fought valiantly against the Japanese on the
Philippine islands. Throughout the movie, the Japanese were faceless killers. They snuck
around and attacked the courageous soldiers mercilessly. As the final scene faded out, the last
remaining American soldier defiantly fired his machine gun as the Japanese crept closer and
closer looking more like apes rather than men. Even in Bataan, the war was very inclusive for

men of all sorts. Outside of Americans, the group fighting the Japanese consisted of a filipino, a
Spaniard, and an African American, all who fought together courageously. In Casablanca, the
Germans were arrogant, oppressive, and controlling. They seized control and asserted their
power over small businesses. Although the film did not display any specific acts of horrific Nazi
brutality, it hinted that they were capable of inflicting such overt acts on the civilians in Morocco
also suggesting the Germans ambition of conquering the world. The leading woman, Ilsa,
served as a romantic distraction from the war, who captured the heart of the main character,
Rick. The one African American character, Sam, served as the piano player for entertainment,
and occasionally as Ricks friend, but never shared the same status as Rick. He was always quiet
and submissive to both Rick and Ilsa.
As America moved into the 1950s, some ...historians began to debate the causes,
composition and nature of the Third Reich and painted Hitler as a horrible man unworthy of
close study (Llewellyn, Southey, and Thompson 1). But most historians ...neglected the

wartime homefront (Winkler 5) as the fear of communism spread throughout the country. Thus,
it is to no surprise that popular movies such as Above and Beyond and From Here To Eternity
focused more on America, addressing little of the enemy. Additionally, at the time, men
replaced most women in the workforce as society expected women to go back to their traditional
roles of being housewives and caretakers.
Above and Beyond centered around the decision to drop the first atomic bomb on Japan.
When the main character, Paul Tibbets, eventually followed through with the task, he was
greeted upon his return with honor and cheer, suggesting that dropping the atomic bomb was the
right thing to do to demolish a corrupt Japanese government. Tibbets wife and her other female
counterparts kept the same role as the caretaker of the children, and maintaining the house. A
more popular film, From Here To Eternity, criticized the pre war American military by revealing
corrupt activity and disorder among high ranking officers. In the movie, the officers were very
much like the enemies. They killed two good and strong willed soldiers while engaging in
illegal activity, such as bribery, gambling, womanizing, and brutality. The leading female
character in the film was the Captains wife. She was unstable and had multiple affairs during
her marriage. She too, served as a romantic distraction from the focus of the army. At the end of
the movie, when the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred, there was much chaos and disorder among
the army. Because prior to the attack, the men spent most of their time drinking, gambling, and
womanizing, many of them appeared to be very unprepared and clueless. The film suggested
that this initial WWII event helped whip the army into shape and get back on track.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the portrayal of the enemies began to shift. A small clique of
revisionist historians raised questions about what Hitlers actual responsibility for the Holocaust

was, suggesting that Hitler did not directly order genocide, and that many of the atrocities were
carried out by his underlings (Llewellyn, Southey, and Thompson 1). Additionally, historians
began to specialize on smaller groups, such as women and minorities. Comprehensive accounts
and many more specialized studies emerged in the context of growing civil rights movements at
home (Murray 40).
Tora Tora Tora, a movie focused on the invasion of Pearl Harbor, portrayed the Japanese
differently than before. The Japanese were clever, and led an extremely successful invasion to
which they spent many weeks planning ahead on. Although they were not very merciful during
the attack on Pearl Harbor, the movie ended with a scene showing their highest ranking and wise
officers questioning whether or not their mission was worth it out of fear of a coming
consequence. Isoroku Yamamoto, Naval Marshal General notably said, I fear all we have done
is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve. Yamamoto was portrayed as an
intelligent and cautious man, who did not foolishly underestimate Americas capabilities.
Although women and African Americans remained absent in this film, for the first time, the
Americans were presented as unprepared and disorganized compared to the enemy. Most of
this film depicted the beginning of WWII as a catastrophe for America and a brilliant start for the
Japanese. Additionally, two movies that went even further in humanizing and changing the
portrayal of the enemy were The Longest Day and Patton. The two films revealed some
growing discontent with Hitler among the Nazi officers and soldiers. Both films had situations
where the German officers became frustrated with Hitlers leadership. In The Longest Day, the
German officers felt helpless because they could not make strategic military moves without

Hitlers authorization. They felt frustrated with their leader and an officer even admitted in
disbelief,
We are living an historical moment. We are going to lose the war because the glorious
Fuhrer has taken a sleeping pill and is not to be awakened. It's unbelievable. Think of it
Kurt, don't ever forget it.We are witnessing something which historians will always say is
completely improbable and yet it is true. The Fuhrer is not to be awakened! I sometimes
wonder whose side God is on.
This scene marked a significant turning point as some of the Germans began to realize the faults
in Hitlers leadership. A stronger female character took part in the French resistance during the
French occupation. She helped give signals, and set bombs on train tracks with the help of her
male companions. Unlike earlier films a female character received some credit for her part in
WWII. However, this was not a huge milestone for women. In one of the French Resistance
plots, she needed rescuing from one of her male companions. Change in traditional womens
roles in the Hollywood film industry was not dramatic. In the film, America had successes and
failures. The brutality of the war was captured, however, it was still portrayed as a war worth
fighting for. Patton took a similar route of showing discontent with Hitlers flawed leadership.
Some of the German officers disagreed with Hitlers military tactics, but did not dare to argue or
second guess their leader out of fear. Women and African Americans roles were limited to
clerical or servant work. Both movies presented WWII as a war worth fighting for. Men fought
courageously and sacrificed their lives for their country. Additionally, these movies revealed a
thin line that separated some of the German officers from Hitler, which was the first step outside
of the traditional black and white view that consumed the 1940s and 1950s.

As the 1980s and 1990s approached, historians continued examining comprehensive

accounts. The studies of women and minorities roles increased, though generally, the WWII
was still considered a good war.
Steven Spielbergs Empire of the Sun, showed multiple characteristics of the Japanese.
The movie took place in China, focusing on a young, British boy named Jamie who befriends a
Japanese boy of the same age during the Japanese invasion. The Japanese soldiers were
dismissive with the British prisoners. There were moments when they beat prisoners, but never
to a horrifying extent. They were surprisingly patient with Jamie, as he pushed his boundaries
with them. For instance, when Jamie snuck off to a prohibited area, so he could touch the
Japanese plane, he saluted the Japanese pilots with genuine respect, and they reciprocated by
doing the same. One Japanese boy, about Jamie's age, helped Jamie get past guards for food. As
the two grew older, they developed a strong connection with each other even though they hardly
spoke. Eventually, the Japanese boy became a Kamikaze pilot. Although devoted to his country,
he always demonstrated friendly gestures towards Jamie throughout the movie. Spielberg's
depiction of the Japanese offered a new way of viewing the Japanese. The movie acknowledged
the mean and perhaps, crazy sides of the Japanese, but it also embraced a new dimension of
them. In this movie, they were capable of being friendly and respectful. Although Spielbergs
film addressed new characteristics of the enemy, women were only mothers and caretakers,
and there were no African Americans. A turn towards Schindler's List highlighted the Nazis
horrific atrocities. The movie displayed many instances of brutal violence and cruelty that the
Nazis inflicted on the Jews. Additionally, many of the Nazi officers were willing to accept
bribes. Oskar Schindler, the main character and member of the Nazi Party, started out as man

looking to make money. But, as the movie progressed, he began to pity the Jews, eventually
saving many of them. Although the main character was a hero, all of the other Germans,
whether civilians or soldiers, were nasty and harsh towards the Jews. The movies focus on the
horrifying events of the Holocaust suggested that WWII was worth fighting for to do the right
thing; saving innocent lives from evil. Saving Private Ryan, a film produced in the late 90s
seemed to reinforce a shift back to dehumanizing the enemies as well. Throughout the movie,
the American soldiers suffered heavy losses. The Germans mercilessly attacked them. There
was no clear argument that WWII was bad. But the idea of a mission where a whole platoon was
sacrificed to rescue one man was foolish and wasteful. At the same time, the soldiers who were
in that platoon fought bravely. In both films, Women and African Americans either were
nonexistent, or held no significant roles.
During the 2000s,historians wrote of the enemies wrongdoings to the victims of the
war. They also began to examine Americas role in WWII and the necessity of the atomic bombs
(Murray 66). Much of the historians began to criticize Americas actions in the war, though they
still American intervention as a necessity. Historians who questioned the use of the atomic
bombs stressed that many civilians should not be held responsible or necessarily be associated
with many of Japans cruel treatment of POWs and the Pearl Harbor attack. They argued that
although it is important to learn about the atrocities of WWII, recognition that many civilians
played little part in their countrys fight is essential to grasping a more comprehensive
understanding of WWII. Additionally historians brought women and minorities under the
spotlight, addressing the race and gender discrimination in the military and throughout the

country (Murray 83). Women and African Americans gained recognition for their efforts during
the war.
Valkyrie, a movie produced in 2008, focused on one of the many attempts to assassinate
Hitler and bring down the Nazi regime. It put great emphasis on a group of German army
officers who came to strongly dislike Hitler. The film drew a clear line between Hitler and some
of his officers below him. Throughout the movie the main character, Colonel Stauffenberg and
his allies expressed their dislike for Hitler and how they did not want to be associated with the
Nazis atrocities and mismanagement of the war. They wished for others to be aware that not all
Germans, particularly Germans in military, were not all in favor of Hitlers wrongdoings, and
that they did hold morals. Tresckow, an ally of Stauffenberg, expressed these feelings when he
said, We have to show the world that not all of us were like him. Additionally in the film,
Colonel Stauffenberg was noted for saying,
The Fuhrer's promises of peace and prosperity have fallen by the wayside leaving in their
wake a path of destruction. The outrages committed by Hitler's SS are a stain on the
honor of the German Army. There is widespread disgust in the officer corps toward the
crimes committed by the Nazis, the murder of civilians, the torture and starvation of
prisoners, the mass execution of Jews. My duty as an officer is no longer to save my
country, but to save human lives. I cannot find one general in a position to confront Hitler
with the courage to do it...I'm a soldier, I serve my country. But this is not my country. I
was lying out there bleeding to death, thinking, if I die now, I leave nothing to my
children but shame...I'm a soldier, but in serving my country, I have betrayed my
conscience.

Valkyrie highlighted the existence of the resistance within Nazi Germany. Although the plan to
assassinate Hitler failed, the movie praised the bravery and courage of the men who participated
in the assassination plot. Women and African Americans again, held no significant roles. WWII
was depicted as a bad war for the Germans who came to dislike Hitler. A year later, the movie
Inglourious Basterds made its appearance. Inglourious Basterds did not make much of a
distinction between ordinary German soldiers and the Nazis. The movie depicted an American
unit operating behind German lines in France. Their mission was to terrorize German soldiers,
but upon hearing that Hitler and the Nazi leadership would be viewing a movie in France, they
decided to attempt to kill Hitler and his followers. This unit had absolutely no mercy for any
German. The killings of Germans seemed very justified. Inglourious Basterds represented a
shift back to the original dehumanization of the enemies during WWII. However, this movie
cannot be held accountable for a backward trend because Tarantino created an alternative
universe where Hitler and the high Nazi leadership were all assassinated. Tarantinos goal was
clearly not to depict a historically accurate telling of WWII. Thus it is no surprise that most of
the Germans in his movie were foolish, sinister, and idiotic. However, Tarantino included a
strong female character and a strong African American character in his movie. Shoshana, a
young, determined woman who operated her own movie theater, succeeded in her plot to kill
Hitler and members of the Third Reich. Her companion, Marcel, an African American man was
intelligent and very skilled with handling the movie theater. Though Tarantino gave a female
and African American a strong role in his movie, Inglourious Basterds took a comedic stance on
the war, painting WWII as a good war. A few years later, Fury hit the theaters, again taking a
comprehensive account of the Germans. The film displayed some of the Nazi atrocities in

Germany, such as the lynchings of those who refused to fight and the forcing of innocent
German civilians, including children, to help defend the country. There was sympathy for the
German civilians, but most of the German soldiers and officers lacked good qualities, and their
faces were often obscured. A scene towards the end revealed a young, German soldier who
paralleled one of the main characters, Norman Ellison, a young, frightened soldier who was new
to the American army. Although this young, German soldier did not have a huge role, he
conveyed the same fear and innocence that many young soldiers, whether German or American,
experienced. 21st century WWII historiography seemed to follow a similar pattern that
acknowledged different elements of the enemies. However, women and African Americans
had no roles in the movie.
WWII historiography and Hollywood films saw similarities and differences on the
portrayal of the war. During the 1940s and 1950s, both followed a similar pattern of doing
anything to justify American intervention even if that meant to dehumanize the enemy.. In the
1960s and 1970s, historians and Hollywood movies took a closer look at the enemy. However,
Hollywood movies would never come as close as the historiography with recognizing women
and African Americans achievements and efforts of WWII. The historiography, from the 1960s
to the 2000s, saw growing numbers of comprehensive accounts of women, the enemy, and
minorities. Although movie portrayal of women and minorities lagged, the movies during the
60s, 70s, and 2000s began to recognize the German and Japanese soldiers as human beings
fighting for their country. The depiction of the enemy reverted to a more simplistic
dehumanization during the 80s and 90s, whereas historiographys portrayal of the enemies
gradually increased from the 60s to the 2000s. Some modern historiography pointed out that in

many respects WWII was not a good war because of the horrible effects it had on both soldiers
and civilians, regardless of side. However, hollywood movies from the 40s to the 2000s, overall,
saw WWII as a good war or a war worth fighting for. WWII historiography overtime, came to
address women, minorities, and the enemy in more realistic terms whereas many Hollywood
films stuck to a more traditional interpretation of WWII as a good war.