Here is my abstract. I have separated and explained each element of my thesis so that it becomes more clear and important to the reader. This is not required, just another way/format to tackle the abstract section.
Historical misrepresentation in cinema: A Case Study of “The Green Berets.”
Author: Chad McGartlin
Since its inception, cinema has attempted to portray historical events for varying reasons and with varying outcomes. At the height of the Vietnam War, one such film, “The Green Berets” was scripted by the Pentagon (the central nervous system of the United States CIA and military) and propagated by a very famous pro-war conservative actor; John Wayne. Furthermore, released in 1968, the movie was intended to combat a growing opposition to the Vietnam War and display U.S. policy in that country as being valuable and morally correct. The aim of this investigation was to cross-reference actual testimony of soldiers, citizens and government policy makers to the portrayal of these individuals and their citations within the movie. The outcome was shocking. By viewing the movie thoroughly and looking for key points in which citizens and soldier make specific claims, and then researching the diaries of people who participated in the event, this study argues four main points: 1) That although the movie portrays U.S. soldiers as in support of the war, many, in fact were not; 2) That although the movie portrays the South Vietnamese public as being for U.S. help and occupation of their country in the fight against communism, many did not care or were outwardly against U.S. occupation; 3) that the events that occurred at Mai-Lai, portrayed in the movie as being perpetrated by North Vietnamese in conjunction with the NLF, were actually based on actual soldier testimony, a massacre of innocent South Vietnamese civilians by U.S. troops; 4) That the characterization of the media as being leftist, anti-war and largely uninformed is somewhat accurate in that they were mainly a mouthing a stance that the war was a poor decision and the U.S. should not be involved, however, their reporting of information, and participation in the war were based on accurate evidence and first-hand experience. By using compilations of letters home from soldiers, their diaries, and media clips, this project and its accurate discrediting of the film will hopefully raise awarenesss of the issue of cinema in film in the larger context.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
12 - Conclusion
Here is my conclusion with an example of each of the four strategies for leaving an impression (in parenthesis at the beginning of each sentence; each example corresponds to the strategy outlined in the Conclusion handout):
Within the short history of cinema, there is a longstanding trend to attempt to represent historical events; some accurate and some manipulated. In the Movie “The Green Berets” about a U.S. special operations unit in the Vietnam War there are many historical inaccuracies in areas such as the soldiers and Vietnamese opinions about each other and the war, the Vietnamese opinion about U.S. troops, The events at Mai-Lai, and the portrayal of the media exist to a large degree which distort the reality of that war and create a false sense of righteousness about the United States. By researching the background of events and primary accounts of soldiers and citizens who took part in the Vietnam war and cross-referencing them with the film, an overall assessment of the inaccuracy of “The Green Berets” was reached. (1) In historical Context, “The Green Berets” was a popular film starring a western and conservative icon, John Wayne. Its impact upon the war movement, regardless of its accuracy, is an ethical dilemma that the public must be able to notice and view with scrutiny in order to maintain historical truth about the Vietnam War. (2) As a generation who has been raised on and impacted by cinema, hopefully the youth will work to notice such manipulation and questions its accuracy. (3) As we move into an era where special effects, technology, and funding increase exponentially, it is vital that we consider and question this behavior by Hollywood and see film for what it is; entertainment. (4) As a previous generation gathered around the radio to listen to (and in most cases become duped by) Orson Well’s infamous broadcast of H.G. Wells’ “War of the Worlds,” it is imperative that we draw similarities to concepts such as the inaccuracies in cinema today and not allow them to shape our view of history.
Within the short history of cinema, there is a longstanding trend to attempt to represent historical events; some accurate and some manipulated. In the Movie “The Green Berets” about a U.S. special operations unit in the Vietnam War there are many historical inaccuracies in areas such as the soldiers and Vietnamese opinions about each other and the war, the Vietnamese opinion about U.S. troops, The events at Mai-Lai, and the portrayal of the media exist to a large degree which distort the reality of that war and create a false sense of righteousness about the United States. By researching the background of events and primary accounts of soldiers and citizens who took part in the Vietnam war and cross-referencing them with the film, an overall assessment of the inaccuracy of “The Green Berets” was reached. (1) In historical Context, “The Green Berets” was a popular film starring a western and conservative icon, John Wayne. Its impact upon the war movement, regardless of its accuracy, is an ethical dilemma that the public must be able to notice and view with scrutiny in order to maintain historical truth about the Vietnam War. (2) As a generation who has been raised on and impacted by cinema, hopefully the youth will work to notice such manipulation and questions its accuracy. (3) As we move into an era where special effects, technology, and funding increase exponentially, it is vital that we consider and question this behavior by Hollywood and see film for what it is; entertainment. (4) As a previous generation gathered around the radio to listen to (and in most cases become duped by) Orson Well’s infamous broadcast of H.G. Wells’ “War of the Worlds,” it is imperative that we draw similarities to concepts such as the inaccuracies in cinema today and not allow them to shape our view of history.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Post 11 - Analysis Paragraph
Topic: The Vietnamese Opinion about the war
Another fallacy related to the film The Green Berets lies in its portrayal of the South Vietnamese Citizens. There are consistent discussions and actions of these citizens which suggest their support and approval of U.S. troops and policy, such as the line of locals seeking medical attention in one particular scene (Kellogg 0:31). This contrasts sharply with current historical view such as that of Don Lawson who expresses the belief that, in general, regiment troops were assigned to save resources and materials for the army and only aid the local population in times of necessity (Lawson 54). Another portrayal of the movie’s South Vietnamese citizens suggests that they were skeptical of communism in their country (Kellogg,: 1:22). This is also opposed by current history as seen in the following quote; “The Southern Vietnamese, for the most part, worked in support of the NLF and in favor of an eventual communist takeover based on their belief in land reforms and the idea that Ngo Dinh Diem was illegitimately elected (McNamara 35).” This quote suggests that, in opposition to the opinion amassed by the film The Green Berets, that the U.S. policy was unpopular in Vietnam and the general population supported communism. Lawson affirms this with even more support by stating that the local population was in many ways not even considering the Cold War context of communism versus capitalism, but in fact, was much more concerned with their own personal benefits (Lawson, 65). This idea coupled with the aforementioned quote by McNamara show that, for the most part, the Vietnamese population reacted very differently to the situation of U.S. struggle and occupation than as portrayed in the film.
***Notice that the structure of the handout is applied to the paragraph. there is a topic sentence, proof and explanation of research, argument or relationship to your thesis statement, and a concluding or transitional sentence. Stick to this structure and tie everything in to your thesis statement and you can't go wrong!
Another fallacy related to the film The Green Berets lies in its portrayal of the South Vietnamese Citizens. There are consistent discussions and actions of these citizens which suggest their support and approval of U.S. troops and policy, such as the line of locals seeking medical attention in one particular scene (Kellogg 0:31). This contrasts sharply with current historical view such as that of Don Lawson who expresses the belief that, in general, regiment troops were assigned to save resources and materials for the army and only aid the local population in times of necessity (Lawson 54). Another portrayal of the movie’s South Vietnamese citizens suggests that they were skeptical of communism in their country (Kellogg,: 1:22). This is also opposed by current history as seen in the following quote; “The Southern Vietnamese, for the most part, worked in support of the NLF and in favor of an eventual communist takeover based on their belief in land reforms and the idea that Ngo Dinh Diem was illegitimately elected (McNamara 35).” This quote suggests that, in opposition to the opinion amassed by the film The Green Berets, that the U.S. policy was unpopular in Vietnam and the general population supported communism. Lawson affirms this with even more support by stating that the local population was in many ways not even considering the Cold War context of communism versus capitalism, but in fact, was much more concerned with their own personal benefits (Lawson, 65). This idea coupled with the aforementioned quote by McNamara show that, for the most part, the Vietnamese population reacted very differently to the situation of U.S. struggle and occupation than as portrayed in the film.
***Notice that the structure of the handout is applied to the paragraph. there is a topic sentence, proof and explanation of research, argument or relationship to your thesis statement, and a concluding or transitional sentence. Stick to this structure and tie everything in to your thesis statement and you can't go wrong!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
10 - Background Paragraph
Topic: Background about the Vietnam War.
In 1964, the United States entered into conflict in Vietnam due to multiple reasons such as Cold War paranoia and the inability of France to continue to commit financially and militarily in the region. The course and impact of the war have been a polemic issue in the histories of both countries involved as well as in the global sphere. As historian Howard Zinn stated, “From 1964 to 1972, the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the history of the world made a maximum military effort, with everything short of atomic bombs, to defeat a nationalist revolutionary movement in a tiny, peasant country-and failed. When the United States fought in Vietnam, it was organized modern technology versus organized human beings, and the human beings won.” (Zinn, 689). This quote further displays the importance and extent of the Vietnam War (known as the American War in Vietnam). The war was technically fought between the communists in the North and a Democratic Republic in the South. However, the Vietnamese of today recognize the illegitimacy of the Democratic government as it was set up and supported by the United States in the form of an ineffective and religiously anti-Buddhist leader in Ngo Dinh Diem (Burns 0:30). As the aforementioned quote from historian Howard Zinn displays, when the smoke of the Vietnam War cleared, a peasant nation had defeated and embarrassed the richest country (and largest military) in the world. The communists in the North had, in their eyes, defeated the mightiest power on the planet. The U.S. to this date still classifies the results of the war as “Peace with honor” as opposed to admitting defeat.
There were many mistakes made on the part of the United States that led to their withdrawal from this war. The United States felt that their presence in this war was essential to the stability of the world due to the rise in communism at the time (Gaddis 63) but what they failed to factor in was the popularity of Socialist and Communist movements globally in agrarian societies due to the consistent promise of land reform and equality for peasantry (Burns 0:21). The United States also made tactical mistakes in programs such as the “Strategic Hamlet Program” of displacing or “relocating the Vietnamese for safety reasons” (Lawson 65), and their use of enemy body counts as a measurement for success, which, inadvertently led to unnecessary violence by US troops (Gaddis 91) by her own people. In short, for the United States, this war was costly not only in economic factors, but also in self image, national pride, and faith in government. It is factors such as these that have been represented (accurately or falsely) that make The Vietnam War a highly controversial issue in U.S. History.
Word Count: 471
NOTICE THE CHANGES from the sample today. both paragraphs are properly cited. both have a clear topic sentence. I have INCLUDED the citations by using my own sentences to introduce and summarize their meaning and purpose...and finally, yes Neph...i separated them into two different paragraphs to better organize the topics.
So...for our next class, you need to complete, print and hand in ALL of your background paragraphs for the essay!!! YAAAAY!
In 1964, the United States entered into conflict in Vietnam due to multiple reasons such as Cold War paranoia and the inability of France to continue to commit financially and militarily in the region. The course and impact of the war have been a polemic issue in the histories of both countries involved as well as in the global sphere. As historian Howard Zinn stated, “From 1964 to 1972, the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the history of the world made a maximum military effort, with everything short of atomic bombs, to defeat a nationalist revolutionary movement in a tiny, peasant country-and failed. When the United States fought in Vietnam, it was organized modern technology versus organized human beings, and the human beings won.” (Zinn, 689). This quote further displays the importance and extent of the Vietnam War (known as the American War in Vietnam). The war was technically fought between the communists in the North and a Democratic Republic in the South. However, the Vietnamese of today recognize the illegitimacy of the Democratic government as it was set up and supported by the United States in the form of an ineffective and religiously anti-Buddhist leader in Ngo Dinh Diem (Burns 0:30). As the aforementioned quote from historian Howard Zinn displays, when the smoke of the Vietnam War cleared, a peasant nation had defeated and embarrassed the richest country (and largest military) in the world. The communists in the North had, in their eyes, defeated the mightiest power on the planet. The U.S. to this date still classifies the results of the war as “Peace with honor” as opposed to admitting defeat.
There were many mistakes made on the part of the United States that led to their withdrawal from this war. The United States felt that their presence in this war was essential to the stability of the world due to the rise in communism at the time (Gaddis 63) but what they failed to factor in was the popularity of Socialist and Communist movements globally in agrarian societies due to the consistent promise of land reform and equality for peasantry (Burns 0:21). The United States also made tactical mistakes in programs such as the “Strategic Hamlet Program” of displacing or “relocating the Vietnamese for safety reasons” (Lawson 65), and their use of enemy body counts as a measurement for success, which, inadvertently led to unnecessary violence by US troops (Gaddis 91) by her own people. In short, for the United States, this war was costly not only in economic factors, but also in self image, national pride, and faith in government. It is factors such as these that have been represented (accurately or falsely) that make The Vietnam War a highly controversial issue in U.S. History.
Word Count: 471
NOTICE THE CHANGES from the sample today. both paragraphs are properly cited. both have a clear topic sentence. I have INCLUDED the citations by using my own sentences to introduce and summarize their meaning and purpose...and finally, yes Neph...i separated them into two different paragraphs to better organize the topics.
So...for our next class, you need to complete, print and hand in ALL of your background paragraphs for the essay!!! YAAAAY!
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