War has had a powerful impact on the film industry. But it is not only wars that affect films; films influence war-time behavior and incisively shape the way we think about the battles that have been waged.
In
The War Film
, Robert Eberwein brings together essays by scholars using a variety of critical approaches to explore this enduringly popular film genre. Contributors examine the narrative and aesthetic elements of war films from four perspectives: consideration of generic conventions in works such as
All Quiet on the Western Front
,
Bataan
, and
The Thin Red Line
; treatment of race in various war films, including
Glory
Home of the Brave
Platoon
,and
Hamburger Hill
; aspects of gender, masculinity and feminism in
The Red Badge of Courage
Rambo
Dogfight
Courage under Fire
; and analysis of the impact of contemporary history on the production and reception of films such as
The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter
Saving Private Ryan
We Were Soldiers
.
Drawing attention to the dynamic interrelationships among politics, nationalism, history, gender, and film, this comprehensive anthology is bound to become a classroom favorite.