Even though the Soviet Union and the United States were allies during the Second World War, tension began to arise concerning the outcome of Germany. With the Communist views of the Soviets and the Democratic views of the Americans, problems arose and strife began. Along with the political angst there was also contention in the field of science, which only fed the problems between the vying governments. An arms race was begun as well as a race into space and onto the moon. As many aspects of the countries’ progression were butted against each other much competition was present. Though war was never officially declared, there was a hostile understanding between the two nations.
According to a 1947 Gallup Poll, American opinion at the time was very anti-Russian (Gallup, par.1). In general, Americans considered any move made by Soviets as a personal attack against the United States. Occasionally they were right, as with the hostage crisis in Afghanistan, but not always. When Sputnik went into orbit, Americans felt belittled, and NASA put forward an extra push to get into space. When the Soviet ice hockey team beat the United States ice hockey team just before the 1980 Winter Olympics, American citizens felt personally beaten. Two weeks later, when the hockey teams played again and the American team won, Americans felt victorious over the Soviet Union. They had beaten their greatest foe at the foe’s best game. Many instances like this occurred, in which Americans and Soviets battled their differences out, but almost entirely without government interference. The hostility was between the people just as much as it was between the governments.
Evidence of this view of Soviets as the enemies of America can easily be found in many movies made during the Cold War. It appears as anything from thematic material to a brief comment made to a character portrayed. As in James Bond: The Living Daylights, many movies were centered on Soviet-based themes. In fact, one suggested reason the Bond films are so popular is because they deal with the political anxieties of the times (Dodds 126). Bond is sent to help a Soviet General trying to escape the Soviet Union. This shows the USSR as a frightening prison, something even a hardened general could not handle. Giving Americans this view of the Soviet Union establishes in them the opinion that there is no escaping the cruelties of those evil vermin. Similarly, in Condorman, a Russian spy decides to leave her country of origin because she has found it too oppressive. She enlists the help of Woody Wilkins, an ultra-exuberant American civilian. The movie depicts Woody as a somewhat clumsy and foolish every-day sort of man, yet able to outwit the best and most hardened Russian spies. Though never actually calling the spies inadequate, the movie suggests the apparent superiority average American civilians have over the top Russian officials, thereby bringing the Soviets far below them.
In these Cold War-Era films, Soviets slights weren’t always so boldly stated in all movies as in The Living Daylights and Condorman. Occasionally small remarks found their ways into movies that had mere mentions of Soviets and the Cold War. In the film Bugs and Daffy: The Wartime Cartoons, a compilation of cartoons made during the Second World War, host Leonard Maltin, in reference to the cartoon “Russian Rhapsody,” mentions to his audience to “remember, the Russians were on our side then.” This small remark, coming from a renowned film critic, was a not-so-subtle reminder of our differences with the Soviets. Though the point of this movie was not to turn Americans against the Russians, having a well-known citizen make this comment helped to further Americans’ feelings against the Soviets.
Another such more discreet manner of addressing the Cold War was by giving any theatrical enemy stereotypical Soviet characteristics or putting them in situations common in the Cold War. Many Cold War films featured monsters taking over in forms that were the height of fears of the day. According to Cyndy Hendershot, “[b]eneath the seemingly universal terror of werewolves and vampires, lurked very real and contemporary concerns” (Zeman 233). With this view of monsters dealing with timely concerns, the implications are that Soviets are monsters. Again, it seems, we are to fear them and drive them off by all means possible. They will ruin our lives, steal our land, and corrupt our minds. As we saw these monsters as Soviets, so we saw Soviets as monsters.
This constant barrage of negative feelings toward the Soviets did nothing to end the Cold War. Indeed, it only added to the confusion, hatred, and fear already felt by Americans for Soviets. As anger and hostility continued, so the war continued. In order to completely end the Cold War, negative feelings between citizens needed to ebb. Only then were governments able to begin to mend the hurt and overcome differences.
Admittedly, not every movie with Russians in it is a piece of anti-Soviet work. More recently, movies have come out with a more equal perception of Russians, and this is what we should be striving for. One such example is Miracle. Though the movie is based on a Cold-War story, takes place during the Cold War, recounts Cold War events, and deals with our greatest Cold War rival, the movie does not put down the Soviets. Instead, it focuses on the American dream and the accomplishment thereof. The story is about twenty young men working together to achieve a goal. It is about the spirit of America, not the downfall of the Soviet Union. Though Russians are the competition, they are not shown as evil or vile. When the USA team wins, the footage is of the team celebrating the achievement of a nearly-impossible goal. The few shots of the Soviet team do not depict them as anything less than a team that has been beaten. This positive focus not only leaves the viewers in an optimistic mood but does not leave them feeling the need to gloat or put the Soviets down. With this positive feeling we move toward a stronger friendship with Russia. It promotes peace and companionship, friendly competition. That is what we must work toward: allies, not enemies.
Unlike with the Soviet Union, America was never allied to the Middle Eastern countries. They coexisted, occasionally intervening in each others affairs – especially when it concerned the Soviets – but were generally unperturbed by their presence. However, in 2001 America was attacked by Arabic parties, and America fought back. Hunting for the attackers, America invaded Afghanistan. America’s focus was turned to the Middle East. Once there, America paid much more attention to other countries, particularly to Iraq. After arresting Saddam Hussein and giving the country back to the people, soldiers remained in the country. Dissenters to the American assistance have since attacked soldiers and have caused American citizens to feel personally attacked.
Even though the initial attack on the towers of the World Trade Center and the ever-occurring attacks on American soldiers are not carried out by the same groups, Americans see only the fact that the perpetrators are all Arabic. They are all from the Middle East and therefore are the same enemy. Now instead of Soviets being the threat, Americans see any Arab, any Muslim, any person of Middle Eastern descent as an evil, vile, dangerous person. They are one and the same, interchangeable, indistinguishable – clearly all a terrible danger. In airports across the nation, an Arab has become a particularly suspicious character and someone to be watched. Even though it was a mere few who committed the heinous act, all Arabs are affected by this new hatred.
This new fear of Arabs has become a new theme for popular media, just as the Cold War was a main theme through the mid- to late-1900s. The popular CBS drama, “24,” starring Kiefer Sutherland, is a key example of this. Shortly after the events of 9/11, “24” launched its first season. Throughout all seven seasons the story has been that of Jack Bauer, an agent of the Los Angeles Counter Terrorist Unit, who spends his days fighting terrorists. As each day, or season, goes by, Bauer’s job is to figure who is trying to kill whom, why, and how to stop them. Often the villains Bauer fights are of Middle Eastern descent. Even in seasons where the villain is not Arabic, there is a distinctly negative focus on the Middle East. In season two, a tape is made of three Middle Eastern officials and a terrorist in cohorts and becomes a prime piece of evidence toward a nuclear bomb threat on L.A. Even though it is eventually discovered that the tape is a fake, much of the season is spent focusing on the Middle East and Middle Eastern terrorism. There are multiple references to various terrorist groups, peoples, and religions, all seemingly interchangeable. In an effort to find the location of the bomb stop the terrorists from setting off the detonation, Bauer guns down a handful of Middle Eastern men at the suspected location.
The treatment of Arabs in this situation is reminiscent of the way Soviets were previously portrayed in earlier films. Bauer kills them with no hesitation and even after it’s discovered that it was a setup and these men were paid to be at the location and not actually a part of the terrorist plot, no second thought is given to their deaths. None of the characters – these wonderful, American, life-saving heroes – cares that a number of innocent men have been ruthlessly slaughtered without question. In fact, Bauer and his team walk away and leave the mess to be “cleaned up.”
Showing this nonchalance toward the deaths of these people tells the viewers that there is no problem with not caring about Arabs. After all, they are the enemy, right? And by using Kiefer Sutherland, a well-known, handsome, sophisticated man of society it furthers the ‘fact’ that it is alright not to care about Arabs. He is a great guy in the eyes of the public, so if he does not care, why should they? Attitudes like this will not help America see an end to the Middle Eastern hostilities. People will continue not to care about the livelihoods of Arabs. They will not care if our war continues killing hundreds of Arabs, whether the deaths are caused by our soldiers, their soldiers, or their volunteer martyrs; whether those dying are their soldiers, their volunteer martyrs, or their innocent citizens. All they care about is our soldiers, who have voluntarily joined the U.S. Military and are willing to die for their country, and the money we spend supporting them. Also, showing them as workers who got paid to deceive America gives an image of greedy Middle Easterners who will do anything for money. It shows them as not caring about us as much as it shows us not caring about them. Of course, this will lead to even more hostility toward them on our side and will cause offense to them, given by our carelessness. Hostility and offense taken will only accumulate into more hostility and more offense taken and will add up further and further until no one can forgive.
In Paradise Now, a film about two Palestinian men, Said and Khaled, who decide to give their lives for the cause of relief from Israeli occupation, another less-than-positive view of Arabs is given. Not only does it show the hatred these two countries have for each other, but also the “irrational” ways they have chosen to solve their problems. As Said makes his decision to carry out the assignment, his friend Suha tries to persuade him of the wrongs of his action. Having been raised away from the turmoil, she is able to see the problems behind the Palestinian logic. She states an opinion quite similar to those of the Western world: “Don’t you see that what you are doing is destroying us? And that you give Israel an excuse to carry on?” As she tries to make Said see reason, so we see the irrationality of Said’s decision. By portraying each of these characters in these ways, we are shown what is irrational in the Middle Eastern countries warring amongst one another and what is rational in the West. We see them as irrational and judge them as such.
In contrast, there are some movies that have been made recently that give a less hostile view of Arabs. In the newly released Transformers, a small portion of the film is set in Qatar and shows interaction between American soldiers and local villagers. A young boy is shown having befriended Captain Lennox, played by popular Josh Duhamel, and aiding him. The boy later leads the crew of survivors to his village where they are helped by the locals.
Even though the Transformers is not based in any way in the Middle East or on the war, by showing these short clips of friendly and helpful interactions between Americans and Arabs, we see a progressive step toward mending our differences and working together. It is little hints like these that add hope; even if it is a very slight hope, it’s a hope toward a future positive relationship between these two warring areas of the world. Using Duhamel, a respected and fairly well-liked actor, as the one who has these positive relations with the local Arabs, makes the viewer more likely to want to interact positively with Arabs as well. If someone like that can, certainly everyday Americans can find, too Even these short clips of American-Arab interaction can help work toward a better future.
Transformers is geared toward a young adult audience, those who have the most influence on the future. As such, this movie can be one small step toward influencing a better future. By showing the young adults of today a good relationship between members of our country and of our political enemies’, the likelihood of their believing in the possibility of future good relations with those countries is just a little bit higher. If they see this positive light, it is not so hard to imagine.
As we watch the various new movies come out, we must be aware of the subliminal messages we are receiving. If we are not careful and we focus on the malicious views of Middle Eastern members of society we may find ourselves in danger of prolonging this war, just as we prolonged the Cold War. I am not suggesting that we boycott any movie that shows Middle Easterners in a bad light. I merely advise that we be more aware of the effects constantly watching these movies and television shows has on us. If we focus too much on the evils of the world, all we will think of the world is evil. We will not be able to see the good that there is. With hostilities between peoples, there can be no hope for peace between governments. We must be the ones to change this. If we work together to find a common ground and understanding with one another, only then will we be able to settle our disputes and end the fight. We must end this fight.
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