In this sweeping, five-part documentary, SAIC alum Steven Summers (BFA 2005) examines not only the history of war in American cinema, but how this medium has shaped our country's perspective on conflict, foreign policy, race, masculinity, and national identity. From THE BIRTH OF A NATION to THE HURT LOCKER to DUNKIRK, the atrocities of war have never strayed far from the silver screen. Whether praised by critics or criticized by veterans who were there, war films play an integral part of our cultural understanding. Through interviews with cinema studies scholars, filmmakers, and combat veterans, WAR MOVIE: THE AMERICAN BATTLE IN CINEMA attempts to understand why we’re compelled to experience and reimagine our own violence on screen.
SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 1:00PM
Episode 1 - The Camera and the Gun: 1900–1938, 57 min.
Episode 2 - The Good War: 1939–1949, 62 min.
Presented with a 10-minute intermission between episodes. Program concludes with discussion between director Steven Summer and film archivist and historian Annette Bochenek.
SUNDAY, APRIL 7, 1:00PM
Episode 3 - The Shifting Tide: 1950–1975, 62 min.
Episode 4 - Into the Jungle: 1976–2000, 65 min.
Episode 5 - Brave New World: 2001–2020, 60 min.
Presented with a 10-minute intermission between episodes. Program concludes with discussion between director Steven Summer and film critic and scholar Jonathan Rosenbaum.