Quote:
Originally Posted by Randomizer
A bad movie to be sure but you might wish to place it into the context of the times when it was made.
In 1942 America was still picking itself up from the kick in the gonads administered at Pearl Harbor and Hollywood's goal had become less one of entertainment and more to be an agent of national unity and instrument of propaganda.
Submarine Raider should be looked at in that light as it reinforces the USN's percieved superiority and bravery while making the enemy appear rediculous; both aims of successful propaganda. The people watching it in the theatres would have just sat through newsreels that in all likelyhood highlighted Axis victories in Russia and North Africa and so would be in the mood for some positive war news, even if only fictional.
Don't forget too that the USN's submarines were still the "Silent Service" and few Americans knew anything about them other than that U-Boats (and perhaps all submarines as well?) were evil. In 1812 and 1917 America had gone to war over freedom of the seas and had threatened to do so again in 1861 and yet now, the USN was fighting exactly the same sort of commerce war as the Nazi's. Getting the country on-side with the USN's submarine force was important and films like Submarine Raider were one way of accomplishing that important Home Front objective.
Like many wartime propaganda oriented films Submarine Raider has not aged well but don't look at it as a very bad war movie, consider it a snapshot of the sort of story that the American public was longing to see in 1942. The movie's aim was social reinforcement not technical accuracy.
|
Oh very aware it was like many wartime films, propaganda basically, BUT many of the other war times films were much better done, this movie was just laughable.
12-08-10, 02:56 PM
Threaded Mode