Guts & Glory - Book Review

BY LAWRENCE SUID UNIVERSITY PRESS OF KENTUCKY 2002, 748 PAGES, $29.95

Pres. Dwight Eisenhower once warned us about the dangers of the "military-industrial complex." Lawrence Suid's book, however, is about the military-movie industrial complex and its symbiotic relationship. In some ways, it portrays the evolution of Hollywood films dealing with the ever-popular presentation of war on the silver screen. War has always drawn moviegoers and constitutes as popular a genre as westerns did in the 1930s and 1940s. Consider "Tora! Tora! Tora" which dealt with the attack on Pearl Harbor from a Japanese perspective; "Pearl Harbor," the 2001 blockbuster that gave the American side; "Patton"; "Saving Private Ryan"; "Black Hawk Down"; "Gettysburg," etc. These films helped the public escape the tedium of everyday life as they contained violence, noise, and excitement that in war often took the place of sex. As Suid points out, in most war movies, women are only a sideline.

This more-or-less glorification of war and its macho heroes temporarily lost its status around the period of the Vietnam War. True, John Wayne produced, directed, and starred in "The Green Berets," at least proving that the big guy put his money where his mouth was. Better received, though, were the antiwar films such as "Dr. Strangelove," "Apocalypse Now:' "The Deer Hunter; and "Fail Safe." Time evidently was on the side of "good old war movies" however, as they regained their formerly sacrosanct money-making status. They were not so much documentaries, although the unsophisticated took their script as the Gospel Truth. In fact, says Suid, their purposes were many, among which were to educate, inspire, influence, and propagandize, but especially to entertain and make money.

It could be financially disastrous if these blockbuster war pictures had to be made without the cooperation and active help of the military. This always provided "authentic ambience." (In the filming of "Pearl Harbor," it cost the studios $1,000,000 to create the mock-up of the Arizona. One can see how cost-cutting could be achieved by using government resources when possible. In fact, even Buffalo Bill convinced the U.S. Cavalry to take part in one of his early movies.) So, the principle of "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" has been around a long time.

The military wanted primarily to portray the nobility, heroism, discipline, camaraderie, and near invincibility of its forces. Recruitment public relations was a major benefit. Naturally, then, any number of scenes that depicted the downside of the military were deleted. The Armed Forces carried a big stick in this respect, for they had the necessary accoutrements to make war pictures realistic. Cowardice, slackers, and incidents of killing noncombatants were frowned upon. "The Caine Mutiny" even felt obliged to mention that no real mutiny ever took place in the U.S. Navy.

As the world grew more peaceful, some movies tried to rehabilitate old enemies, such the Soviets from Cold War days and even some Nazi supporters. Hollywood make a film about the German rocket expert Wernher yon Braun, which was entitled "I Reach for the Stars." Those who remember his work on the V-2 rockets caustically added, "But sometimes I hit London."

This scholarly yet readable book will entice any moviegoer, which includes most of us.

Reviewed by GERALD F. KREYCHE American Thought Editor

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