Hollywood and the Pentagon: U.S. Military Funding of Popular Cinema in the Post-9/11 Era
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Date
2023-05
Authors
Hardister, Mia
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
The United States Department of Defense has had a significant hand in the production of some of the most popular films of the 21st century. Hence, the images of war that we see on the silver screen are often filtered through the military itself. This thesis explores how these films convince audiences to support the actions of the U.S. military. In order to address this issue, I employ a tripartite strategy: first, I explore the history of the Pentagon’s involvement in the production of film, from its initial implementation in World War II, to the aftermath of 9/11. I engage with several theoretical approaches from the discipline of media and cultural studies about propaganda and the relationship between cinema and war. Finally, I analyze two recent Pentagon-funded films using these theories: Captain Marvel (2019) and Top Gun: Maverick (2022). Ultimately, I argue that both films utilize the strategy of emphasizing spectacle over narrativization, and hegemonic constructions of gender, to convince audiences of their laudatory depictions of the military. I conclude by examining possible paths to dismantling these funding structures.
Description
57 pages
Keywords
film, philosophy, propaganda, U.S. military, Hollywood, Pentagon