ABSTRACT
The Hollywood War Machine refers to the production of studio films that depict and glorify wartime heroic exploits while embellishing the military experience itself, from the Revolutionary period to the present. The motion picture industry has from its inception been fascinated with combat as a vital part of the American patriotic legacy. War films have for most of cinematic history rivaled the western genre in terms of popular appeal. A survey of the Hollywood film tradition reveals that a surprisingly large proportion of Hollywood films dramatize U.S. wartime experiences, heroics, and engagements. In exploring the Hollywood War Machine and its enormous cultural impact today, several questions emerge: Why do U.S. filmmakers remain fascinated with the phenomenon of armed conflict? Why do combat films have such different levels of appeal over time? Why do various producers and directors choose to emphasize particular wars over others? Above all, why are war films presently enjoying a renaissance? The answers to such questions will help us comprehend the intricate connection between the war experience and the character of the motion picture industry as well as the broader social attitudes and beliefs upon which the Hollywood war machine is nourished.
