Hollywood Then and Now - Part 1

Note: This is the first half of a two part essay, comparing Disney's efforts during WW2 and Michael Moore's efforts in the War on Terror.

[ Part 2 ]

Two films have crossed my blotter these last few weeks, and they warrant a little compare and contrast. The first is Disney's DVD collection On the Front Lines a remarkable compilation of WW2 era training films, entertainment shorts and pro-American/pro-War propaganda. The second is Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 911 ostensibly a documentary about the Bush Family's ties, lies and connections to and about the bin Laden family big oil and the war.

I bought the DVD collection at my friend Jim's prompting. The Disney cartoons range from hilarious to chilling. One short Education for Death is particularly creepy as we see a little German boy schooled in the ways of the ubermensch. In Education for Death a tow-headed child is taught about the wonders of der Furher, and manipulated to embrace his place in the the master race. Showing sympathy for a rabbit consumed by a fox, he is scolded by his bubble-butt Nazi schoolmaster for showing sentimentality for the prey. Watching the cute little Hun's better nature crumble under the spittle-flecked rant makes your heart sick.

Considering the source of the material is remarkable in and of itself. The two disk set represents tens of thousands of hours of work put in service to educating, encouraging and outright whipping the populace into a war footing. The event that triggered the American entry into the war, Pearl Harbor, was roughly of the same magnitude as 9/11, although the death and destruction fell primarily upon a military installation. In response, Hollywood talent at Disney's studio threw themselves into producing these pieces. I knew about actors like Jimmy Stewart, who flew combat missions in bombers. I hadn't really thought about the countless artists working in this intimate medium writing, drawing and animating works that served to identify the enemy, explain why he is the enemy, and call their fellow citizens to join the fight.

Contrast that reaction with today's Hollywood. With welcome exceptions, most of the Hollywood types the media is willing to point a camera and a microphone at are openly hostile to the War on Terrorism in general, and the Bush Administration in particular. Not content to simply disagree with the war effort, star after star parade to foreign countries and domestic audiences engaging in sedition the likes of which got Tokyo Rose thrown in jail.

A particularly egregious example of anti-American propaganda comes from the otherwise talented Michael Moore. As of this writing, I haven't seen Fahrenheit 911, but Jim has, and we talked about it extensively. I have also read Christopher Hitchen's blistering review of the film on Salon.com. Between these two sources I have concluded that Moore has dramatized the first chapter of his book Dude, Where's my Country, a book I am currently working on (and overdue at the library).

What immediately strikes me about Fahrenheit 911 and Disney's wartime work, beside the separation of decades, is the quality of the work. Jim says that Moore's film isn't even amusing. Saturday Night Live picks at conservatives all the time, often unfairly, but at least they are funny. Moore does have a sense of timing and possesses comic chops, but Jim reports that the jokes are at best mean spirited and shallow. As art Jim can't understand what all the accolades are about, beside the obvious glee to see our nation besmirched.

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Tim McNabb