A Portrayal of War in Cinematography: Wake Island So Proudly We Hail - Essay Example

?Comparison Paper The Second World War has left a number of noticeable changes to the collective psyche of the entire world. These changes were more profound for people residing in nations directly involved in the war effort. The war managed to redefine gender roles, cooperation, levels of human excellence amongst other things. Contemporary forms of expression from the era reveal that the war figured heavily in all kinds of portrayals. This was even more necessary to prepare the masses for a kind of war that had never been fought before. It could rightly be said that modes of expression became active tools for the war effort much like arms and ammunition. The nascent film industry was also heavily affected by the war effort like other spheres of life. The bulk of filmmakers were concentrating their efforts on dramatizing the events of the Second World War in order to raise public moral. It can alternatively be argued that patriotic films were being made because of public demand for them. The initiation of these films can be traced back to the early period of the Second World War but the real escalation occurred after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The stealthy onslaught of the Japanese First Fleet on Pearl Harbor helped to redefine the American public’s attitude and response to the war in Europe. Japanese aggression at Pearl Harbor indicated to the American masses that the war could come knocking their door any time in the future. Consequently, the entire nation geared up for war including the film industry. Two such masterpieces produced by Hollywood include Wake Island and So Proudly We Hail. Both films hail from the same period in time and are based on the Pacific theater of war. Furthermore, the overbearing central theme of either film is patriotism. This theme is bolstered by a desire of the characters to hold strong and keep on with their jobs no matter how heavily the odds are stacked up against them. This paper will compare and analyze both films from a number of differing aspects. When the thematic context for both films is accounted for, it becomes clear that both films were created as a response to the war effort for the Second World War. The storylines of both films tend to revolve around service personnel engaged in active duty in various capacities around the Pacific region. The preference for portraying the Pacific region could stem from the public’s impression that America was going to fight back in the Pacific alone. When these films were being shot, the general direction of war was unclear. The government was still formulating various forms of policies to determine if the war should be commenced on the European front or the Pacific front. This reality is also reflected in the filming of Wake Island whose filming was stopped on many occasions to see where the war effort would concentrate next. It is essential to keep in mind the historical context when these films are analyzed or compared. The Japanese First Fleet with full force attacked American soil. In this process, the Japanese ran over small islands in the Pacific and initiated full-scale war. The Americans had already been engaged in war with the Japanese but this was a little admitted fact at the time. The Japanese onslaught in the Far East had already claimed a number of American casualties especially as Manila fell and the POWs (prisoners of war) were subjected to inhumane treatment. The infamous Bataan Death March claimed the bulk of men taken prisoner from the Philippine mainland. Furthermore, Japanese war efforts in the region had managed to remove American presence. Perhaps the greatest testament to this fact was the withdrawal of General McArthur to Australia from the Pacific command. The withdrawal of American troops to Australia came before the attack on Pearl Harbor but it was not able to prod public outcry as Pearl Harbor did. The film Wake Island takes place as the Japanese First Fleet is retreating after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The retreating Japanese aggressors made it a point to attack small American outposts in the region that were based on small islands. These small and often isolated garrisons were unable to stand up to the large and well prepared Japanese First Fleet. In the early years of the war effort, these small island bases were treated casually as it was felt that the war could not spill over into America’s backyard. Small deployments of naval command and marines were posted on these islands to establish American claim to these islands in the Pacific. The film portrays these realities in the form of the attitudes of the men posted to Wake Island. The men posted on Wake Island in the film are shown as lax and easy going even though there is a fully-fledged war taking place in Europe. Furthermore, the film depicts the efforts of fighting cores of marines and naval batteries as the entire film proceeds. The attitudes of the men posted at Wake Island can be seen as transforming by a large degree as war is imposed on them in the aftermath of the attacks on Pearl Harbor. The transfer of a new officer, Major Caton to the island is portrayed as upsetting the men’s tropical attitudes and routines as the Major demands greater military discipline. The Major’s efforts are slow to galvanize the men but the Pearl Harbor invasion changes this altogether. Pearl Harbor is seen as a rallying call in the movie as the men on the island pull together day by day. The film also depicts a friendly rivalry between the island’s military commander and the Seabee supervisor in the weeks prior to Pearl Harbor. However, once the attack on Pearl Harbor takes place the rivalry quickly transforms to cooperation and the understanding that the war effort is far more important than any personal rivalries. In contrast, the film So Proudly We Hail concentrates on the war effort being carried out prior to Pearl Harbor in the Philippines. The film depicts the fate of the military crews present in the Philippines after Manila falls and after General McArthur withdraws to Australia. The film portrays the efforts carried out by valiant nurses in order to improve the lots of and to save the lives of service men. The nurses shown in the film are actually members of the Red Cross and not employed by the United States military. Even so, the film depicts that the bulk of work carried out by the nurses is to care for the sick and wounded American servicemen from the fall of the Philippines. As the film proceeds, the condition of the nursing ward and the overall battle are seen as losing bets. The moral of the nurses is seen as suffering bit by bit even as the head nurse tries to keep them calm and organized. The dilemma of the nurses is further exacerbated by shortage of supplies and the lack of cooperation from the Japanese invaders to bolster the medical supplies of a neutral organization such as the Red Cross. The worries of the nurses are given a new twist as a nurse considers the treatment of women by the Japanese at Nanking (IMDb). Similar to Wake Island the film So Proudly We Hail ends on a losing note as the valiant American troops and nurses are faced with overwhelming odds. Even as both sets of crews are dealing with a losing situation, their spirits are seen as calm and well composed. Moreover, in both situations the servicemen and nurses are faced with a common “barbaric” enemy that is infamous for its treatment of POWs. The end of each film is a little differentiated in order to drive home different messages. The film Wake Island tends to end as the last man standing is shown to still keep fighting no matter what the odds. The film is famous for its portrayal of American valor as the wounded and dying commander on the island remarks (Rotten Tomatoes): “Send us more Japs!” The portrayal of the war of Wake Island is contrary to actual events as the garrison on Wake Island surrendered to the Japanese on 23rd of December 1941 as the first wave of attacks came through. The end of the film So Proudly We Hail is differentiated in the sense that it is more of an open end. The nurses are shown as huddled together in a tunnel as Japanese air force fighters’ rain down fire and brimstone upon them. The primary concern of the nurses is the attitude of the incoming Japanese forces that were known to hand out inhuman treatment to captured POWs. The film ends leaving a suggestive attitude to the audience that wonders what the Japanese would do to the captured POWs after the fall of Bataan (TCM). After the war ended, it became clear that the POWs at Bataan were subjected to inhumane treatment through a march that took them to inland POW camps. Prisoners were kept in inhumane conditions and were subjected to violence and executions on a regular basis. However, the portrayal of the fact that female nurses were present as captured crews in Bataan is historically inaccurate. The portrayal of the war effort in both films signifies that these films were created for their propaganda effect. The film Wake Island was meant to inculcate the attitude that the Americans would fight the war imposed on them to the last man standing. Surrender was not shown as an option in the film although the garrison at Wake Island had surrendered. On the other hand, the film So Proudly We Hail leaves the viewers minds wondering what the Japanese would do to the POWs and, hence, to the American masses if they managed to take over. This in turn was meant to inculcate a certain hate for the Japanese and their barbaric methods applied to POWs. Works Cited IMDb. So Proudly We Hail. 2012. 2 March 2012. Web. . Rotten Tomatoes. Wake Island. 2012. 1 March 2012. Web. . TCM. So Proudly We Hail. 2012. 2 March 2012. Web . Read More