Film Style and the World War II Combat Genre

Stuart Bender

Aug 2014 · Cambridge Scholars Publishing

About this ebook

Film Style and the World War II Combat Genre is a detailed examination of the stylistic means by which filmmakers depict stories of combat. The work furthers contemporary discussions by analyzing a range of World War II combat films to a degree of detail which has previously escaped critical attention. This substantial examination of cinematography, sound, editing and acting in a range of movies including Saving Private Ryan, Windtalkers, Bataan, and Objective Burma! demonstrates the importance of close attention to the textual construction of these films specifically, as well as cinematic texts more generally.

The work advances the original analytic descriptions of “controlled spontaneity” and “reported realism” as theoretical concepts which explain why viewers regard certain stylistic techniques as realistic. This notion of realism is then further understood through reference to a body of research in cognitive psychology to argue that the density of audio-visual information in contemporary combat films is a significant factor in creating a sense of realism.

About the author

Dr Stuart Bender teaches in the Department of Film and Television at Curtin University in Western Australia. He is a director and visual effects supervisor of action films. Film Style and the World War II Combat Genre draws upon his practical understanding of filmmaking as well as a theoretical background of film analysis and cognitive psychology. His recent short film, The Argentinian Escape, has been nominated for the awards of “Best Breakout Action Star (Stuart Bender)” and “Best Composition (Sam Cutri)” at the 2012 Action On Film Festival in California, and Double Cross (2011) was nominated for the award of “Best in Show” at the 2011 Action On Film Festival. His film work can be seen at www.stuartbender.wordpress.com.