Overview. [23] Surles saw this goal realized when President Franklin D. Roosevelt watched Prelude to War, the most successful of the seven films. Litvak gave the film its "shape and orientation," and the film had seven writers with voice narration by Walter Huston. This entry attempts to describe the factors leading up to America's entry into the Second World War. [1], Why We Fight was first screened at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival on January 17, 2005, exactly forty-four years after President Dwight D. Eisenhower's farewell address. by Gaetana Caldwell-Smith / March 2006 issue of Socialist Action newspaper In the documentary film “Why We Fight,” writer-director Eugene Jarecki uses rare, incriminating film footage, declassified files, and interviews with ordinary people as well as government and corporate luminaries. The documentary also won one of the 2006 Grimme Awards in the competition "Information & Culture"; the prize is one of Germany's most prestigious for television productions[2] and a Peabody Award in 2006.[3]. The quotation ending each film — "The victory of the democracies can only be complete with the utter defeat of the war machines of Germany and Japan" — is from the Army Chief of Staff George Marshall. by Gaetana Caldwell-Smith / March 2006 issue of Socialist Action newspaper In the documentary film “Why We Fight,” writer-director Eugene Jarecki uses rare, incriminating film footage, declassified files, and interviews with ordinary people as well as government and corporate luminaries. Why We Fight #1: Prelude to War (1942) The U. S. War Department. Has the military become too important in American life? Granted unparalleled Pentagon access, the film launches a nonpartisan inquiry into the forces -- political, economic, and ideological -- that drive America to fight. According to Capra, Triumph of the Will "fired no gun, dropped no bombs. Inspired by President Dwight Eisenhower's 1961 … "Why We Fight" is a magnificent documentary that examines America's military industrial complex. 15 years ago. Why We Fight discusses America's need to defend the world through war. The archival footage is rare and choice. Why We Fight is a series of seven documentary films produced by the United States Department of War from 1942 to 1945 during World War II. Why we fight? Jarecki has created a sweeping, controversial, factual account of … Marshall felt that the Signal Corps, an army branch responsible for communications, was incapable of producing "sensitive and objective troop information films". [3], Made from 1942 to 1945, the seven films range from 40 to 76 minutes in length, and all are available on DVD or online at no cost, since they have always been public domain films produced by the U.S. government. [2], Shortly after his meeting with General Marshall, Capra viewed Leni Riefenstahl's "terrifying motion picture", Triumph of the Will. … Why We Fight documents the consequences of said foreign policy with the stories of a Vietnam War veteran whose son was killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks, and who then asked the military to write the name of his dead son on any bomb to be dropped in Iraq; a 23-year-old New Yorker who enlists in the United States Army because he was poor and in debt, his decision impelled by his mother's death; and a military explosives scientist (Anh Duong) who arrived in the U.S. as a refugee child from Vietnam in 1975. 35 likes. Deployed to Iraq on January 10, 2005, for 18 months, as a helicopter mechanic. Review: Why We Fight. Winner of the 2005 Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, Eugene Jarecki's groundbreaking documentary dissects the political, economic and historic reasons behind our increasingly aggressive military strategy since the end of World War II. Jarecki's shrewd and intelligent polemic would seem to give an affirmative answer to each of these questions. If I had the resources and the permission of the filmmakers I would like to film a companion piece called WHY WE SHOULD NOT FIGHT. Eugene Jarecki asked the question “Why do we fight?” in his documentary film of 2006. Giving speeches to both soldier recruits and the U.S. public was no longer effective. Series of films to motivate US soldiers during WWII, This article is about the World War II documentary film series. is a cinematographic essay film that tries to understand the violence around us, but also … He was assigned to work directly under George Marshall, the Chief of Staff of the United States Army. Released: January 20, 2006 . Why We Fight, a documentary series exploring the personal stories driving world-class athletes to pursue combat sports, is coming exclusively to ESPN+. Film became the medium of choice to persuade U.S. soldiers and recruits about why fighting was necessary. 0. Capra treated it as a matter of showing the enormity of the Axis cause and the justness of the Allied. Satan couldn't have devised a more blood-chilling super-spectacle. Directed by Frank Capra, Anatole Litvak. For other uses, see, Purpose of the films as a source of war information, Film as medium of choice to present war information, Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of films in the public domain in the United States, subsection of this article which is titled, "Why We Fight: Prelude to War : Frank Capra", "Why We Fight: The Nazi Strike : Frank Capra", "Why We Fight: Divide and Conquer : Frank Capra", "Why We Fight: The Battle of Britain : Frank Capra", "Why We Fight: The Battle of Russia Part I : Frank Capra", "Why We Fight: The Battle of Russia Part II : Frank Capra", "Why We Fight: The Battle of China : Frank Capra", "Why We Fight: War Comes to America : Frank Capra", "Librarian of Congress Names 25 More Films to National Film Registry", "Complete National Film Registry Listing | Film Registry | National Film Preservation Board | Programs at the Library of Congress | Library of Congress", USAAF First Motion Picture Unit at Magic Lantern, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Why_We_Fight&oldid=1003879999, United States National Film Registry films, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from November 2012, All articles needing additional references, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from August 2014, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 31 January 2021, at 03:55. Documentary, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Why_We_Fight_(2005_film)&oldid=1004263975, Documentary films about American politics, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, William Solomon: twenty-three-year-old soldier. 15 years ago. Directed by Eugene Jarecki. A variety of individuals are asked "Why We Fight?" Most of the films were directed by Frank Capra, who was daunted, yet impressed and challenged, by Leni Riefenstahl's propaganda film Triumph of the Will, and worked in direct response to it. Gratis Lieferung möglich. Giving speeches to both soldier recruits and the U.S. public was no longer effective. A Super Power loses legitimacy once its military complex takes on a life of its own. They dont get my dollars until they announce it. Its title is an allusion to the World War II-era newsreels of the same name, which were commissioned by the United States to justify their decision to go to war against the Axis Powers. Why We Fight, 7 Film Collection, 3 DVD's. The producer's list included "more than a dozen organizations, from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to the United Kingdom's BBC, Estonia's ETV and numerous European broadcasters" but no U.S. Animation for the series was produced by Disney Studios. “The Why We Fight” series as a “combination of a sermon, a between halves pep talk, and a barroom bull session.” While this is an apt description, it is somewhat incomplete. documentary. Directed by Frank Capra, Anatole Litvak. Other articles where Why We Fight is discussed: Anatole Litvak: The Hollywood years: …with Frank Capra on the Why We Fight series of documentaries, codirecting (uncredited) Prelude to War (1942), The Nazis Strike (1943), Divide and Conquer (1943), The Battle of Russia (1943), The Battle of China (1944), and War Comes to America (1945). names. The animated portions of the films were produced by the Disney studios – with the animated maps following a convention of depicting Axis-occupied territory in black. December 21, 2005. In the year 2000, the United States Library of Congress mandated that this film (and the other six documentaries in the 'Why We Fight' series) were "culturally significant" and selected them for preservation in the National Film Registry. With Gore Vidal, John McCain, Ken Adelman, John Ashcroft. Why We Fight was primarily edited by William Hornbeck, although some parts of it were re-enacted "under War Department supervision" if no relevant footage was available. After World War Ithe methods used to gain support from troops and civilians needed to change. The films were directed by director Frank Capra and narrated by Walter Huston along with radio actors Elliott Lewis, Harry von Zell, film actor Lloyd Nolan and others. Entdecken Sie WHY WE FIGHT Frank Capra's Epic Documentary Series 2 Blu-Ray Disc Set und weitere TV-Serien auf DVD- & Blu-ray in unserem vielfältigen Angebot. If … Der Titel des Films wurde gewählt in Anlehnung an die mehrteilige propagandistische Wochenschauserie Why We Fight des Pentagon aus dem Jahr 1942. Eugene Jarecki asked the question “Why do we fight?” in his documentary film of 2006. Shortly after the United States entered World War II, the U.S. government commissioned Frank Capra to create a series of films to convince American troops of the righteousness of the war. Thus, Why We Fight is an attempt to answer the question which remains to be significant during many decades. Published. "Why We Fight" clearly explains the reasons, starting with World War II right up to Iraq. It says, essentially, that we fight because we have constructed a military-industrial complex that needs business. is a cinematographic essay film that tries to understand the violence around us, but also … The Battle of Russia is the fifth film of Frank Capra's Why We Fight documentary series, and the longest film of the series, consisting of two parts. I only get a new laptop every five years, so it has to count when I pull the trigger. Grand Jury Prize winner at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, WHY WE FIGHT is an unflinching look at the anatomy of American war-making. As Kathleen German states, "this was the first massive attempt to influence opinion in the U.S. military" through film. There was one sentence in it that always gave me goose pimples: "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."[3]. I only get a new laptop every five years, so it has to count when I pull the trigger. In his film, Eugene Jarecki presents the idea that the reasons for fighting are rather complex and involve several aspects. Part VII of the "Why We Fight" series of wartime documentaries. WHY WE FIGHT? Capra made his primary focus the creation of "one basic, powerful idea" that would spread and evolve into other related ideas. Nick Schager. "Prelude to War," Chapter I of Frank Capra's "Why We Fight" series, describes World War II as a battle between the "slave world" of fascism and the "free world" of American liberty. I Like This Unlike 0 Please Login to Vote. The title refers to the World War II-era eponymous propaganda movies commissioned by the U.S. Government to justify their decision to enter the war against the Axis Powers. December 21, 2005. A documentary that examines America's policies regarding making war, most recently the Iraq war and what is termed "the Bush doctrine" that includes pre-emptive strikes. A documentary that examines America's policies regarding making war, most recently the Iraq war and what is termed "the Bush doctrine" that includes pre-emptive strikes. "[17] Capra thought it would be most effective to use the enemy's original film and propaganda in the series in order to expose the enemies with their own images. In 2000 the United States Library of Congress deemed the films "culturally significant" and selected them for preservation in the National Film Registry. [21] In order to justify the Western Allies' alliance with the Soviet Union, the series omitted many facts, which could have cast doubts on the "good guy" status of the Soviets, such as the Soviet occupation of the Baltic States, Winter War. Log In Register. Documentary. Why we fight documentary I have literally had thousands of dollars in the bank waiting for the Blu-Ray announcement. Although it won the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary, it received a limited public cinema release on January 22, 2006, and then was released on DVD on June 27, 2006, by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. They dont get my dollars until they announce it. 738. The film was made in collaboration with Lithuanian-born Anatole Litvak as primary director under Capra's supervision. [14] Film was also chosen because it combined the senses of sight and hearing, giving it an advantage over radio or print. Declaring war opens up markets; from a purely financial point of view, it's like signing free trade agreements or negotiating tariffs. Part VII of the "Why We Fight" series of wartime documentaries. [13] As Kathleen German states, "this was the first massive attempt to influence opinion in the U.S. military" through film. if you're sure you have the Flash 7 Plugin or greater. This content is for DocsOnline Premium Membership members only. But as a psychological weapon aimed at destroying the will to resist, it was just as lethal." Why We Fight describes the rise and maintenance of the United States military–industrial complex and its 50-year involvement with the wars led by the United States to date, especially its 2003 invasion of Iraq. admin. In the "slave world," the entire populations of Germany, Italy and Japan have been hoodwinked by madmen, opportunists who capitalized on their people's desperation and weakness to rise to power. Weeks later, after major efforts and disappointments, Capra located hard-to-reach archives within government facilities, and by avoiding normal channels was able to gain access: Peterson and I walked away on air. In his film, Eugene Jarecki presents the idea that the reasons for fighting are rather complex and involve several aspects. A Super Power loses legitimacy once its military complex takes on a life of its own. Grand Jury Prize winner at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, WHY WE FIGHT is an unflinching look at the anatomy of American war-making. Add a Plot » Stars: Zachary Wohlman, Cat ... Get some picks. 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