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The Cold War in Science Fiction Films
Y200 Politics and Film
February 1, 2011
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The Cold War in Science Fiction
The Fifties: General dread and anxiety superpower rivalry nuclear arms race
The Sixties: Dr. Strangelove and James Bond
The Seventies: Star Wars and the Terminator
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The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
The earth needs aliens to save it from internal divisions
When the space ship lands, the people of Washington assume it is a Soviet attack
The movie gives a big plug for the UN
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Them! (1954)
Giant ants created by mutations caused by exposure to nuclear radiation
Epitomizes the U.S. public’s ignorance about but also concern over nuclear weapons
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Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
Mickey Spillane novel with Mike Hammer as macho hero
Girl (Cloris Leachman) steals box with nuclear materials in it
Film ends with nuclear “fire”
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The Blob (1958)
Monster is a big red blob from outer space
Blob consumes everything in its path and grows as it eats
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Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)
Woman grows to 50 feet after being accidentally exposed to nuclear radiation
She uses her unusual size to take vengeance upon those who have mistreated her
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On the Beach (1959)
Gregory Peck is the captain of a submarine that survives a nuclear attack
Despite a love affair in Australia with Ava Gardner, Peck goes back to San Francisco to see if there are any survivors
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Dr. No (1962)
First in the James Bond series
Sets the mold for future glamorous spy movies
No direct discussion of Cold War issues
Bond is amoral but not mercenary
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Dr. Strangelove (1963)
Soviets set up a “doomsday machine” without telling the US
Crazed general launches attack to prevent corruption of U.S. “bodily fluids”
Both sides unable to prevent disastrous outcome
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The Final Scenes
Slim Pickens as Major T.J. “King” Kong riding the warheaddown to its Soviet target.
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Star Wars (1977)
Space operas takes the place of horse operas
The evil “Empire” as metaphor for the Soviet Union
Rise of the “brat pack” of directors
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WarGames (1983)
First movie dealing with video game culture and hacking
Boy hacks NORAD military gaming computer with nearly disastrous consequences
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Terminator (1984)
Begins in postnuclear war future
Terminator robot goes back to the past to kill child who will grow up to fight the robot armies of the future
Boy’s mother successfully protects her son from robot
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ConclusionsHollywood films reflect general underlying fears
and anxieties and (with the notable exception of Dr. Strangelove) follow rather than lead public beliefs and myths
The films of the 1960s and 1970s reinforced the “neo-imperialist” zeitgeist in the US
The films of the 1980s reflected a general pessimism about the ability to control the Cold War and the nuclear arms race