Celluloid Wars A Guide to Film and the American Experience of War

Subjects:

• Popular Culture » Film Studies
• Military Studies » Military History

Reviews:

• In their filmgoer's and reader's guide to America at war, Wetta and Curley begin with essays on the aesthetic experience of the war film genre and on how war films compare to actual combat experience. They follow with a listing of films about wars in which Americans were involved, grouped chronologically from the Colonial wars through the Cold War. Each chapter begins with a chronology of events and commentary. Some entries are annotated; all provide release date, title, running length, filmstock, director, major cast, releasing company, and the authors' interest rating. The final chapters present an annotated warm film bibliography and resource guide. As filmography, Celluloid Wars is comprehensive; its organization also helps collocate period films. It provides the bare bones of information, however, and the annotations are much too short. Bibliography and indexing are adequate. The index does not list war films by their important subgenres--e.g., submarine films, antiwar films. Recommended for research collections that support film studies or for libraries whose users want film books.
  —Choice
• Celluloid Wars is recommended for large academic libraries supporting film programs and large public libraries collecting comprehensively in this performing art. Other libraries should give priority to The Encyclopedia of American War Films.
  —Booklist
• . . . to present a "flexible reference guide" to serious moviegoers who are trying to understand the complex issues involved in films about American wars.
  —Communications Library
• . . . an excellent filmography of American war films . . .
  —Popular Culture in Libraries

Table of Contents:

• Illustrations
• Foreword by Roger J. Spiller
• Preface
• "Uncle Toby's War": War Films and Aesthetic Experience
• "Been to See the Elephant": Film and Combat Experience
• Early American Wars
• Wars with Mexico
• American Civil War
• Indian Wars
• New Imperial Wars
• The Great War
• World War II (Wartime Films)
• World War II (Postwar Films)
• Korean War
• Vietnam War
• Banana Wars and Interventions
• Nuclear Warfare
• War Film Bibliography
• General Reference to Film
• Appendices: Top Ten War Films; Best Film for Each War; Releasing Companies
• Main Index
• Director Index
• Title Index