Season 15, Episode 23: World War II on the Screen - BONUS

Few historical events have received as much attention from the film industry as the second world war. A significant portion of my own childhood memories consist of sitting on my grandparents’ sofa and watching films which depicted old west cowboys or events from the second world war-- either of which usually involved John Wayne. Film played a huge role while the war was still ongoing, not just in the form of newsreels but also in legitimate full-length feature movies. Of course, many, though not all, of these films were funded by the relevant governments under which they were made, and adhered to the directions given by said governments, making them practically indistinguishable from rank-and-file propaganda. While the governments of the Axis powers generally restricted the distribution of films with content they found objectionable, Allied governments were generally surprisingly liberal with what they allowed to be shown. A documentary which portrayed the aftermath of the Battle of Tarawa - a film which showed graphic footage of dead American soldiers and openly questioned the US’s war policy - was allowed to be distributed in theaters nationwide, approved by FDR himself. This is not to say that every film was safe from Allied censors but the censorship policy was noticeably looser than the restrictions found in Germany, Italy, and Japan.

In Japan itself, the film industry was largely coopted directly by the government and forced to make the films which they dictated. This included the two-part version of The 47 Ronin, which was practically a box office flop. Many studios knew, however, that even if they weren’t under the direction of the military, it couldn’t hurt to make films that said military would like, if for no other reason than to avoid censorship. One of the films which was not actually produced at the direction of the military but still clearly aimed at making them happy was a 37-minute long animated film called “Momotaro’s Sea Eagles.”

The character of Momotaro, whose name roughly translates to “Peach Boy,” is from a well-known Japanese folk tale about a boy who emerged from a peach who goes on to recruit a group of animals to fight against the demons who have been terrorizing his community. Released in March of 1943, the animated short film portrays Momotaro as a commander on board an aircraft carrier and his various animal companions act as the pilots under his command. They sail to the island of Onigashima, which means “Demon Island,” and carry out a surprise attack against American sailors stationed on boats in the harbor. The sailors, portrayed as drunk layabouts, panic in the face of the attack and one waves an American flag so vigorously that the red and blue portions fall away, leaving only the white flag of surrender.

Momotaro’s Sea Eagles was a huge hit and its popularity led the Imperial Japanese Navy to commission a sequel - this time a full-length film featuring Momotaro and his ragtag animal friends. Momotaro: Sacred Sailors, whose title is also sometimes translated “Momotaro’s Divine Sea Warriors, was released in April of 1945, by which time the war had turned decisively against Japan’s imperial ambitions. Seemingly oblivious to the war’s actual progress, the film portrays Momotaro and his band of warriors invading the island of Sulawesi, which is near Borneo, teaching the native residents how to speak, ambushing an armored column of cowardly British soldiers who then agree to withdraw from the island. At the end of the film, some of the characters have opted to train as paratroopers and are practicing their jumps by landing on chalk outlines which are shaped like the borders of the United States. Long thought to have been permanently destroyed during the Allied occupation, its negatives were recovered in the 80s.

Born Marion Robert Morrison, John Wayne made several movies set against the backdrop of the second world war and his personal politics led him to become a champion for conservative American values. However, it’s worth noting that he never actually served in the military during the second world war, partly because he was already 34 years old at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor and thus not of eligible age, but also because Herbert J. Yates, the president of Republic Pictures, interfered with his attempts to enlist for service.

John Wayne was far from the only US celebrity to try and do his part during the second world war. Clark Gable, Audie Murphy, and Jimmy Stewart all volunteered to serve in US forces after the attack on Pearl Harbor, though only Clark Gable was accepted immediately as possessing a suitable level of fitness for service. Both Murphy and Stewart were initially underweight, but both adopted a new diet and exercise routine and, in Mr. Stewart’s case, with the help of professional fitness trainers, they eventually qualified to serve. While Murphy served in the army, both Gable and Stewart opted for the air corps. At the end of the war, Audie Murphy earned decorations from several governments for his service while Gable and Stewart also earned their share of medals. Murphy, who was a young man when the war began, launched his successful film career after its conclusion. However, many actors who had actually served refused to make films set during the second world war. Stewart only made one: The Mountain Road, which he made only because it was written by an author who had been in China during the war. Every other proposal for a world war 2 film which crossed his path he rejected on the grounds that they were inaccurate.

As we explore some of the best-known films centered around the second world war, I think that Jimmy Stewart’s criticism should stick in our minds. Regardless of research and noble intentions, the actual experiences of those who were directly involved in the second world war were probably very different than how they are depicted on film. It is the nature of almost any story that it bears far closer relevance to the time in which it was made than the period it is attempting to represent. With all of that in mind, let’s start with one of my personal favorite films: The Thin Red Line.

Being old enough to remember the film’s initial release in 1998, I recall that most moviegoers at the time came away from the film somewhat confused. The film came shortly after the wildly popular Saving Private Ryan, a brutal film set in the European Theater during and after the Normandy landing which adopted a more straightforward approach to the second world war. The Thin Red Line, by contrast, moves at a much slower pace in between its scenes of battle and carnage, and turns a thoughtful, almost meditative eye on the nature of conflict and the desire for peace.

Critical acclaim at the time of its release was extremely high and it remains very well-regarded by both critics and audiences discovering the film today. There are, however, a few flaws both in its storytelling and the historical accuracy of the events it portrays. Taking place primarily on the island of Guadalcanal, the indigenous people of the Solomon islands are portrayed as idyllic, peace-loving tribal groups who fall very neatly into the trope of the noble savage. A scene in the latter part of the film that features members of these tribes squabbling over resources seems to indicate that their primary role in this war is to be corrupted by the colonizers who are fighting over ownership of their home.

While much of the film was shot on location on Guadalcanal, the island which viewers see in the film bears little resemblance to its appearance in 1942. At the time, the Japanese occupiers had stripped much of the isle of its natural forest cover, leaving the place rather barren and hostile. While most of the characters who die during the course of the film are killed either by the enemy or in some cases by accidents, in reality most of the deaths at Guadalcanal were due to disease. However, that’s obviously not very cinematic.

The original cut of The Thin Red Line was over five hours long and included appearances from Bill Pullman and Mickey Roarke which were subsequently removed from the final version. In fact, a lot of the actors involved found that when the final cut rolled into theaters, their role in the film had been slashed to almost nothing. Adrian Brody in particular was shocked to find that his character’s lines had been cut down to only two, and actors like John Travolta and George Clooney only show up for incidental appearances in spite of the fact that some of them were given top billing during the film’s marketing.

Regardless of its lackluster box office reception, the final cut of the film has stood the test of time and is considered by many critics to be one of the best movies made during the 1990s. I appreciate its unorthodox approach, its philosophical undertones, and the way that it weaves between the experiences and motivations of the grunt soldiers, their non-commissioned officers, and those in high command.

Contrasting with the thoughtful, brooding tone of The Thin Red Line, the 2001 film “Pearl Harbor” is much more in keeping with the standard patriotic war film which general audiences tend to enjoy more. While Pearl Harbor does address a number of interesting social dynamics of the early 1940s - racism in the US Navy, American pilots volunteering to join England’s Royal Air Force prior to the US joining the war, and a complex love triangle which emerges after a character is accidentally reported dead -  the film itself doesn’t seem interested in exploring any of these elements beyond their ability to create narrative tension. I do appreciate, however, that it portrays the Doolittle Raid and even features an appearance by Chinese soldiers, often forgotten in American war films. That being said, it’s a romantic drama at heart and the historical elements that surround it are mostly set dressing servicing the aforementioned love triangle.

Regarding its depiction of the Pacific War, the 2006 “Flags of our Fathers” deserves a special mention. The film follows the marines who appeared in the famous photograph raising the US flag on the island of Iwo Jima during the battle. The film explores the nature of wartime propaganda and casts a critical eye on the prosecution of the Pacific War. The end result is an insightful film which portrays the battle of Iwo Jima with a stark realism which, at times, verges on cynicism. I find it interesting that so many newer films seem to view the second world war through a jaded lens, portraying the whole affair as a clash between equally bad alliances of empires.

It’s impossible for me to talk about Flags of our Fathers, however, without mentioning its sister film “Letters From Iwo Jima.” Both films were made at the same time under the direction of Clint Eastwood and the way that he was able to navigate between the two perspectives of the war is nothing short of remarkable. I especially appreciate that Letters from Iwo Jima does not romanticize the empire of Japan as some kind of noble lost cause, but portrays it in the stark reality of its time, particularly in a flashback from one character who had previously served as Kempeitai, or military police, and had been dismissed for insubordination because he refused to shoot a family’s pet dog. The scene where one of the characters was drafted into service also stands out, as the draft officer was accompanied by the ladies of the local tonarigumi, or “neighborhood association,” who shame his wife when she begs the draft officer not to take her husband to fight. He had been a baker but the military had confiscated the tools of his trade to repurpose them for war before, well, repurposing him. It’s a sad film, obviously, but a beautiful work nonetheless.

While the Pacific Theater is the primary focus of our exploration of the second world war, the European Theater is far more often portrayed on screens large and small. The Nazis were, as far as enemies go, very easy to portray as consummate evil villains who needed to be stopped no matter the cost. However, while most films which focus on the European Theater of the second world war focus on the great Allied victories, one film which I highly recommend is called “Come and See,” a Soviet film made in 1985. Set in Belarus during the German occupation, the film follows a young Belorusian boy whose coming-of-age coincides with the Nazi invasion. After being left behind by the anti-German partisans he had joined, he witnesses helplessly as Germans invade several villages and mass-murder most of the residents, then joins with a resistance group who counterattacks and kills the Nazi invaders. It is a stark, gruesome film which is not for the faint of heart or those looking for a heroic, uplifting story. It is currently free to watch on Youtube through the Mosfilm Cinema Concern.

If you are looking for a more traditional epic dramatization of the European Theatre, I highly recommend a five-film series also found on Mosfilm’s Youtube channel called “Liberation.” Fellow citizens of the US like myself are likely broadly familiar with the western front - Normandy, Holland, France, and Italy, but Liberation is a Soviet film which focuses, naturally, on the eastern front. The series begins with the Battle of Kursk and follows the subsequent Soviet victories against the Germans occupying the territory to their west. Because they were made from 1967 through 1972, their portrayal of the Soviet leaders sometimes verges on being critical of some of their attitudes, shortcomings, and mistakes. However, these are nonetheless extremely patriotic films which portray the heroic Soviet soldiers defeating the evil Nazis and liberating Europe from the iron grip of fascism. They are, in my opinion, absolutely worth watching.

While not a film, per se, the HBO limited series Band of Brothers remains one of the best fictionalized portrayals based on the experiences of actual, living soldiers who fought in the second world war. Episodes begin with relevant testimonials from the soldiers who are portrayed throughout the series, which adds an extra layer of gravitas to the scenarios depicted therein. It deserves special mention for its portrayal of Operation Market Garden, a failed Allied operation to liberate Holland after the Normandy landings, which we will discuss in greater detail in a future patreon episode. That being said, some of the show’s other dramatizations play a little bit fast-and-loose with historical accuracy but not generally enough to ruin the series outright. In fact, after rewatching it a few months ago, I can attest that not even a guest appearance by Jimmy Fallon can ruin Band of Brothers, which is, in the humble opinion of this podcaster, quite the achievement.

Deserving of honorable mention for recent films depicting the second world war is 2014’s Fury, which follows a tank crew which has been fighting together nearly non-stop since before the Normandy landings. They receive a new crew member to replace a fallen comrade, a teenage typist who only arrived in Europe recently and has no combat experience. The film itself received rightful praise for its attention to detail, which included many accurate depictions of tank warfare and crew camaraderie and even going so far as to include the correct kind of maps which were used during the second world war. The ragged tank crew still fighting during the closing days of the second world war and losing whatever shreds of their humanity and sanity remain was a compelling vehicle for the story, though I do think the film has a few outstanding issues. For one, the shoot-all-SS-on-sight policy which the tank commander, played by Brad Pitt, enforces among his crew would more likely have been orders issued from the top brass themselves. During many periods during the second world war, members of the SS were officially considered viable targets whether armed or not. Second, I think the film actually collapses upon its climax, in which the rookie crew member is spotted hiding under the tank by a German soldier, who has just witnessed the deaths of several hundred of his comrades at the hands of this very crew. Rather than announce his discovery, the soldier says no one is under the tank, saving the rookie character’s life. I found this pretty unrealistic, considering the many accounts of German soldiers during this final period venting their frustrations by sadistically torturing Allied prisoners.

Obviously, the media I’ve discussed in this episode are by no means an exhaustive list of the stories told about the second world war, both fictional and non-fictional. The second world war continues to be a popular subject for feature-length film, TV, novels, memoirs, radio plays, podcasts, and beyond. Next time, we’ll discuss the activities of the empire of Japan’s secret projects in northeast China and beyond, which left behind a legacy of horrific mass death.