I Know Propaganda When I See it: A discussion of American War Cinema from 1970 to the Present

Abstract

The events of September 11, 2001 deeply impacted society in countless ways. One of these impacts was the shift in how cinema depicted war. This thesis demonstrates how American War Cinema has evolved over the last 60 years, increasing its focus on the deterrence of war and recruitment of new soldiers. By conducting research, analysis, and writing, this thesis uses primary source monographs like Nomadology and Manufacturing Consent, and films like Apocalypse Now and War Dogs, alongside secondary sources such as scholarly articles, film reviews, and literature reviews, to answer the question: Was American War Cinema changed by the Global War on Terror (GWOT) or the American War Machine?