The+Military,+Hollywood,+and+Children

I'm not sure how to source a video for APA, but here is a link to the 1hr documentary I found. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article8163.htm

The clues to citation are right in the website itself. The correct citation includes the director, date, title, and production house. Use the IMDB database to get this information. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0983233/combined

Here is the general format for APA citation of film or video:

Director’s last name, first initial. (Director [and producer, if applicable]). (Year film was made). Title of film [Medium]. Location of studio: Studio.

Pacull, E. (2004). Operation Hollywood [VIDEO}. France: Arte France. Available online: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article8163.htm

**The documentary is based on a book:** **Operation Hollywood :** **how the Pentagon shapes and censors the movies /**

David L **Robb,** 2004, Amherst, N.Y. : Prometheus Books

Turns out this is a controversial topic--- of course, since that's why you picked it. Reading book reviews is a useful way to understand what the controversies actually are. For example, check out Lawrence Suid's review of this book in the Journal Film and History. Ouch-- it's a vicious fight between duelling academics on this very controversial topic. How cool!

You have offered a good start here, but I wish your precis had more fully explored the concept of "self-censorship" as it's explained in the documentary and included specific details about the historical facts presented, including the role of the government in supporting filmmakers' efforts. The section of the film on Vietnam war is especially interesting.

GRADE: B

American military movies are among the favorites and classics of Hollywood and its history. From Patton in 1970 to Top Gun in 1986, to Black Hawk Down, the military has had a strong hold over the way they are perceived by the public. In the 1950’s, the show Lassie was very popular. The original story of one episode in particular was changed because it depicted a faulty American military aircraft crashing outside the boy’s house. Children are one of the main focuses of the military’s recruiting efforts via Hollywood. The military wants children to learn at a very young age to admire men in uniform, to salute, and to hopefully enlist. These children don’t know that they are being advertised to. Americas are depicted as fighters. We love to win. It is considered unmasculine and un-American if you aren’t “in it to win it”. The military believes very strongly that they serve the good of the American people, so of course they don’t want to be depicted negatively. They do not consider it censorship because they are providing assistance, and thus don’t want their name tainted. However, most scriptwriters know that the military has standards for scripts, so they tailor scripts beforehand. The movie Pearl Harbor was more successful in creating public awareness for the survivors and their families than the 50th anniversary of the actual event. These movies shape public’s knowledge on historical events as well. The only things most people know of war are from movies. The military received a lot of criticism during the Vietnam war, and that is when many films were created depicting the madness and horrors of warfare. These films, showing inner conflict, and the looting of dead bodies, were not funded, thought hey were based in fact. The Military in its advertisements not only use epic music and awesome physical feats performed by soldiers, but advertises its technology as well. They don’t advertise that most troupes sit in the desert in boredom, rather that they’ll be using new and exciting military technologies. The military has begun to use video games to satisfy a common desire to see what actual happens on the battlefield, however absurd and misleading the representations that are given to us are.