Movies During the Second World War
Movies play an important role in the nation’s cultural history and, believe it or not, it was the same during World War II when movies were a distraction, a way to get your mind off of troubles, but also a way to spread information, ideas, ideologies.
Despite the suffering and discomfort of World War II, the 40s are usually considered a Golden Age for filmmakers in Europe.
In Britain, for example, the censorship was contained during those days. Sure, filmmakers had to respect wartime regulations on national security, but they had a certain freedom to express themselves. “Freedom” in the sense that there was no higher governmental authority telling them what to say, explains the movie historians Charles Drazin. Obviously, movies back then were engaged in a kind of propaganda to support the war effort, but it was certainly a softer propaganda than that of Nazis in Germany. A kind of “Propaganda for the human race”.
In the second half of the war the most successful movie genre was romantic melodrama, very much aimed at women.
In Italy we see the birth of the so called 'Neorealist movement', aiming at describing the everyday life of a country traumatized by political unrest and war.
Some important names are Luchino Visconti, Roberto Rossellini and Vittorio De Sica.
France produced many films during the Nazi occupation and the censorship was pretty harsh in that period, not only on movies, but also on actors. Starting in 1940, the French government started to censor the participation of Jewish in important roles in the society, included theaters and cinema, where they were prohibited to direct, produce or participate in any key role. Therefore, many artists were forced to leave and work freely elsewhere, mainly in the US.
The most successful movie genres were melodramas, comedies and romance (also because censorship forced filmmakers to avoid matters referring to war and social problems).
The film industry in Germany, which had already been corrupted by the Nazis, was destroyed after the defeat in World War II. In the 50s, the West German Industry became the fifth larger producer in the world, but the majority of movies were Heimatfilme (“Homeland films”) and so the market collapsed very soon.
What about the United States?
The movie industry played an important role in the US, in fact it has been said that when the United States went to war in December 1941, so did Hollywood. Movies had to boost the morale of troops overseas and of American citizens at home, cartoons and full-length features told the story of America at war. Propaganda had to be subtle, that's to say the opposite of German films glorifying Hitler and the Nazis. In fact, in order to portray enemies, filmmakers used cartoons, where they could transform enemies in everything they wanted, often animals.
The fear of communism was another element that strongly influenced movies content during the 40s and early 50s. Hundreds of people were fired from the industry and many artists were never able to work in Hollywood again. During this period, called the 'Blacklist era', movies were very conservative and controversial or new topics were avoided.
The impact of the film industry was huge worldwide, it was the prime form of entertainment and 'escapism' from reality and going to the movies was also a way to socialize and spread news. Movies influenced the fashion and style of women and men of the time and together with music and dance new ideas and lifestyles spread quickly.
Despite the suffering and discomfort of World War II, the 40s are usually considered a Golden Age for filmmakers in Europe.
In Britain, for example, the censorship was contained during those days. Sure, filmmakers had to respect wartime regulations on national security, but they had a certain freedom to express themselves. “Freedom” in the sense that there was no higher governmental authority telling them what to say, explains the movie historians Charles Drazin. Obviously, movies back then were engaged in a kind of propaganda to support the war effort, but it was certainly a softer propaganda than that of Nazis in Germany. A kind of “Propaganda for the human race”.
In the second half of the war the most successful movie genre was romantic melodrama, very much aimed at women.
In Italy we see the birth of the so called 'Neorealist movement', aiming at describing the everyday life of a country traumatized by political unrest and war.
Some important names are Luchino Visconti, Roberto Rossellini and Vittorio De Sica.
France produced many films during the Nazi occupation and the censorship was pretty harsh in that period, not only on movies, but also on actors. Starting in 1940, the French government started to censor the participation of Jewish in important roles in the society, included theaters and cinema, where they were prohibited to direct, produce or participate in any key role. Therefore, many artists were forced to leave and work freely elsewhere, mainly in the US.
The most successful movie genres were melodramas, comedies and romance (also because censorship forced filmmakers to avoid matters referring to war and social problems).
The film industry in Germany, which had already been corrupted by the Nazis, was destroyed after the defeat in World War II. In the 50s, the West German Industry became the fifth larger producer in the world, but the majority of movies were Heimatfilme (“Homeland films”) and so the market collapsed very soon.
What about the United States?
The movie industry played an important role in the US, in fact it has been said that when the United States went to war in December 1941, so did Hollywood. Movies had to boost the morale of troops overseas and of American citizens at home, cartoons and full-length features told the story of America at war. Propaganda had to be subtle, that's to say the opposite of German films glorifying Hitler and the Nazis. In fact, in order to portray enemies, filmmakers used cartoons, where they could transform enemies in everything they wanted, often animals.
The fear of communism was another element that strongly influenced movies content during the 40s and early 50s. Hundreds of people were fired from the industry and many artists were never able to work in Hollywood again. During this period, called the 'Blacklist era', movies were very conservative and controversial or new topics were avoided.
The impact of the film industry was huge worldwide, it was the prime form of entertainment and 'escapism' from reality and going to the movies was also a way to socialize and spread news. Movies influenced the fashion and style of women and men of the time and together with music and dance new ideas and lifestyles spread quickly.