Essay On 9/11, The Hurt Locker And The Valley Of Elah
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I. Introduction- Between 2001 and 2006 American filmmakers focusing on the Iraq war, produced films that dramatized the field of war focusing on viewer’s emotions over the facts of war. Filmmakers of Fahrenheit 9/11, The Hurt Locker and the Valley of Elah used specific strategies in their story lines as well as many allegoric references in order to dissuade or persuade their audiences from supporting the war in Iraq. Throughout this time period, the United States military was very involved in the war in Iraq which made the influence of these films hit home even harder.
II. Brief Background- The 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were the most devastating events to have happened on US soil in decades. The death toll…show more content… Filmmakers used film techniques using dull colors, a lot of grey scenes, few sunny moments, etc. in order to portray a very somber theme to the film overall. This film also offered little hope for anyone throughout the film. The main character pushed conservative ideals on audiences towards the beginning of the film by idolizing American soldiers. This is especially demonstrated when the father is speaking to the young boy and explains the story of David and Goliath and relates it to soldiers. The story of David and Goliath is so important in this film because it “links manliness and war [which] helps to explain why Americans were so ready to see enemies as monster and to send their young men to kill them” (Horne 261). However filmmakers only did this in order to show audiences how completely wrong this ideology is by avoiding any kind of happy ending or closure for the father. The mother also accuses her husband as the reason for her sons’ deaths because he pushed war upon them by acting that if they did not join the military they would never really be men, which therefore further proves that the conservative, pro-war ideology is wrong and