Sociopolitics in Film: Exploring the Cold War

through Cinema
Project Overview

Historical Research
Methodology Analysis Implications
Background Question
 His t o r i c a l
Bac k g r o u n d
rs
nd its Fea
America a
 The rise of Communism in Europe
Russia in fear of being once again invaded from the west decided to create a wall
of communist regimes at its border to protect itself from future invasions.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed

under CC BY-SA-NC
The rising fear of communism
With the expanding control of the soviet union in
Europe, Americans grew fearful of communism but
why?
a n s o c ie t y went
Americ social
h v a r io u s
g a n d a u s ed to throu g
Prop a
spread fear
of 04. po l it ic al c h a nges This Photo by

03.
Unknown Author is
licensed under CC

communism
BY-SA-NC

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC

BY-SA-NC
Research
Question
Aaand Action! How
d
affe id the
duri ct Ame film in
1960 ng the rican s dustry
s co oc
soci and how ld war iety
ety i
influ did A n the
ence meri
cine can
ma?
 Thesis

Films began as forms of spreading

propaganda in the form of entertaining and
over time the industry evolved and
separated itself from political agendas to
instead make statements on the current
structure of society while maintaining a
neutral stance in politics.
 Methodology

Investigated context of Analysis of secondary Analysis of primary

the before, during, and sources within the source: Film
after the 1960s during context of the cold war
the cold war
Analysis
Cinema and the Cold War
during the 1960s
 Political influence in the film industry

- Communication - The CIA Funding

development research

 “identify vulnerable audience segments within the

Middle East populations and then to target VOA
propaganda messages at these groups.” – Rohan
Samarajiva
Bah, Umaru. “Daniel Lerner, Cold War Propaganda and Us Development Communication
Research: A Historical Critique.” Journal of Third World Studies 25, no. 1 (Spring 2008): 183–98.

This Photo by
Unknown Author
is licensed under
CC BY-SA
 A turning point in Cinema

“The Russians are Coming, The “White Nights”

Russians are Coming”

is licensed under CC BY-SA

This Photo by Unknown Author
- Satire
- Criticism
- Socially aware

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed

under CC BY-SA
James bond: more than just a spy film
“From Russia With Love”

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC

BY-SA

- bias towards
democracy ideals
 Russian representation

• Mean Spirited
• Rough
• Manipulative
Gender representation

Men
Women
Implications
 Films and audience
are in mutualist state

Films can directly

Films are
influence the target
reflections and
audience’s
parallels to the
mentality
real world
 Bibliography
Bah, Umaru. “Daniel Lerner, Cold War Propaganda and Us Development Communication Research: A
Historical Critique.” Journal of Third World Studies 25, no. 1 (Spring 2008): 183–98.

Leab, Daniel. “The American Government and the Filming of George Orwell’s Animal Farm in the 1950s.”
Media History 12, no. 2 (August 2006): 133–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/13688800600807973.

Alvah, Donna. “‘I Am Too Young to Die’: Children and the Cold War.” OAH Magazine of History 24, no. 4
(2010): 25–28.

Modarressi, Matin. “Philatelic Propaganda: U.S. Postage Stamps during the Cold War.” Journal of Cold War
Studies 19, no. 3 (Summer 2017): 196–201. https://doi.org/10.1162/JCWS_a_00758.

Shaw, Tony. “The Russians Are Coming The Russians Are Coming (1966): Reconsidering Hollywood’s Cold
War ‘Turn’ of the 1960s.” Film History 22, no. 2 (2010): 235–50. https://doi.org/10.2979/fil.2010.22.2.235.

Fedorov, Alexander. “The Ideological, Structural Analysis of the Russian Image Representation in the Cold
War Times’ Film ‘White Nights.’” European Researcher 47, no. 4–3 (April 30, 2013): 1044–50.
http://search.ebscohost.com.lscsproxy2.lonestar.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,cpid&custid=s108
8435&db=a9h&AN=94332555&site=ehost-live.

Dodds, Klaus. “Screening Geopolitics: James Bond and the Early Cold War Films (1962–1967).” Geopolitics
10, no. 2 (Summer 2005): 266–89. doi:10.1080/14650040590946584.

Chung, Hye Seung, and David Scott Diffrient. “The Omnibus Film as Message Picture: Cold War Politics and
the Myth of National Unity in It’s a Big Country (1951).” Historical Journal of Film, Radio & Television 37, no. 3
(September 2017): 499–516. doi:10.1080/01439685.2016.1220764.
 Bibliography
Riabov, Oleg. “Gendering the American Enemy in Early Cold War Soviet Films (1946-1953).” Journal of Cold
War Studies 19, no. 1 (Winter 2017): 193–219. doi:10.1162/JCWS_a_00722.

Shaw, Tony. “Martyrs, Miracles, and Martians: Religion and Cold War Cinematic Propaganda in the 1950s.”
Journal of Cold War Studies 4, no. 2 (Spring 2002): 3–22. doi:10.1162/152039702753649629.

From Russia with Love. DVD. United States: United Artists, 1963.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. “Yeah -- so Help Me God!” Image. Accessed September
24, 2020. https://www.loc.gov/item/2016681671/.

“John F. Kennedy: Cuban Missile Crisis, in Great Speeches Video Series, Volume 26,” 1962.
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1822822790/84AB925B8AD44A33PQ/11/thumbnail.

"Cold War." In Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History, edited by Thomas Riggs. 2nd ed. Gale, 2015.
http://lscsproxy.lonestar.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/galegue/cold_war/0?i
nstitutionId=5037

Boswell, Marshall, and Carl Rollyson. "cold war." In Encyclopedia of American Literature, by Inc. Manly. 3rd
ed. Facts On File, 2013.
http://lscsproxy.lonestar.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/fofl/cold_war/0?institu
tionId=5037

Belt, Todd. "propaganda." In Encyclopedia of American Government and Civics, by Michael A.and Han
Genovese, and Lori Cox. 2nd ed. Facts On File, 2017.
http://lscsproxy.lonestar.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/fofgac/propaganda/0
?institutionId=5037
 Bibliography
JR., JOHN F. MURPHY. "Cold War." In Encyclopedia of Intelligence & Counterintelligence, by Rodney P.
Carlisle. Routledge, 2005.
http://lscsproxy.lonestar.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/sharpint/cold_war/0?i
nstitutionId=5037

"Propaganda." In 100 Ideas that Changed Film, by David Parkinson. Laurence King, 2012.
http://lscsproxy.lonestar.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/lkingygvr/propaganda
/0?institutionId=5037

Department Of State. The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs. “Reagan Doctrine, 1985.”
Department Of State. The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs. Accessed October 9,
2020. https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/rd/17741.htm.
Thank You