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War films

War films have existed since the birth of cinema, typically gung-ho tales of macho derring-do. But war films are not always about bravado and bravery, they also detail the horrors of war, the sadness, the brotherhood of soldiers and comedy that can be found in the bleakest of situations, as well as the excitement of the battlefield "War Films" explores defining films of the genre in sections covering different wars, as well as wars with other worlds. The book also offers links between the different films, historical and cinematic worth and profiles of key actors and directors. The films include: "Saving Private Ryan"; "Dr Strangelove"; "Welcome to Sarajevo"; "The Dam Busters"; "Gallipoli"; "The Deer Hunter"; "Ran".

Nuclear war films

This first book-length critical examina-tion of nuclear war motion pictures--feature films, documentaries, and edu-cational short films--in addition to recognizing a new film genre reflects an important era of modern film history. Taken as a whole, the 25 contributions by 21 film specialists brought together here provide a comprehensive view of 32 feature films, documentaries, and educational short films comprising a representative selection of the new genre--all produced between 1946 and 1975 by American, French, British, and Japanese film makers. In addition to discussions of such well-known films as "On the Beach, " " Hiroshima, " " Mon Amour, " " "and "Dr. Strangelove, " " "the collection ana-lyzes and comments on a number of less well known but important films such as "A Thousand Cranes, " " Countdown to Zero, " and "To Die, To Live, " " "documentaries and educational short films that hitherto have been inadequately presented in cinema literature. Marshall Flaum, one of the outstand-ing figures in the field of television documentaries, has provided an unu-sually interesting Foreword, and Jack Shaheen, the editor of the volume, has added a perceptive Preface and has appended a list of distributors and credits. A major contribution to the serious study of the nuclear war film genre, the book thus provides an analytic text with apparatus and notes, and will be of in-terest to general readers as well as stu-dents of the film and film makers.

Russian war films : on the cinema front, 1914-2005

War movies have long been the most influential genre in Russian cinema, so much so that in the Soviet Union's militaristic society, "cinema front" was used to describe the film industry itself. Denise J. Youngblood, an internationally recognized authority on Russian and Soviet cinema, provides the first comprehensive guide to this long-neglected genre. Youngblood explores more than 160 fiction films on Russian conflicts from World War I to Chechnya. These movies represent a wide range of cinematic styles and critical receptions. While not ignoring classic war films like "Chapaev" and "The Cranes Are Flying", Youngblood introduces readers to the films that shaped and reflected Soviet views of war, like the rousing World War II favorite "Two Warriors", the Thaw classic "The Living and the Dead", and the Brezhnevian extravaganza "Liberation". This remarkably humanistic body of work was often at odds with official policies and depicted the futility of war. Youngblood is especially insightful regarding the relationship between Stalinism, Socialist Realism, and filmmakers in creating the war film genre during an era marked by increasing militarization, conformism, and state terror and by the importance of cinema in the World War II propaganda effort. Stalin's obsession with movies led to the "revisioning" of his role in the Civil War and the "Great Patriotic War." Yet, Youngblood argues, Soviet filmmakers were not mere puppets of repressive regimes. Indeed, some filmmakers subtly subverted official politics and history in the guise of art or Hollywood-style entertainment. She brings the story to the present by showing how post-Soviet Russian filmmakers have not only turned a critical eye on the recent wars in Afghanistan and Chechnya but are also revisiting the complex realities of World War II. Youngblood tells a fascinating story that will appeal equally to film aficionados and history buffs. By tracing the evolution of cinema through the twists and turns of both Soviet and post-Soviet society, she helps us understand the role movies played in 20th-century Russia, not only in the making and unmaking of political myths but also in the "writing" of history.

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British History

Stanford Libraries' British History collection includes print and online resources for the study of British and Commonwealth history, and in particular an extensive collection of digital and microfilm materials relating to the history of Great Britain.

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