Call For Papers
War in Film, Television, and History Conference
November 11-14, 2004
www.filmandhistory.org
Area: Masculinity and the Contemporary Hollywood War Film
Proposals are invited for papers to be presented at the "War in Film, Television, and History Conference" in Dallas, Texas, November 11-14, 2004 for a panel on "Masculinity and the Contemporary Hollywood War Film."
The World War II film was marked by its focus on men working together to fight a common enemy; the Vietnam War film, on the other hand, suggested that working together was impossible and that the most significant conflicts to overcome were those that occurred between the heroes. Critics have identified three phases of the Vietnam war film¯the "tale of moral confusion" like Apocalypse Now (1979); the "revenge film" like Missing in Action (1984); and the "realist combat film" like Platoon (1986)¯all of which present the vicitmization of the American G.I. However, since 1998, Hollywood has produced a new cycle of war films that, instead, exalt his desire to "do the right thing" and join the "band of brothers"¯i.e. the Army of One. This cycle includes Saving Private Ryan (1998), Three Kings (1999), Tigerland (2000), Behind Enemy Lines (2001), Pearl Harbor (2001), Windtalkers (2002), Black Hawk Down (2001), Hart's War (2002), We Were Soldiers (2002), and Tears of the Sun (2003). These contemporary war films--whe
ther set in World War II, Vietnam, Persian Gulf War, or Mogadishu 1993--share common themes, images, and conventions, including their representation of masculinity.
This panel will consider the shifts in the representation of masculinity and heroism in Hollywood's visualization of America at war. Topics might explore the resurrection of the World War II cooperation model in the contemporary war film; the representation of men in combat, or in training, or on the homefront; the continuation of the themes from the Vietnam film; the idealization of American heroism; and the demonizing and/or lack of representation of the evil "other." Papers might explore such themes or questions in contemporary films or compare their employment in two distinct cycles of the war film. Papers exploring masculinity in television series or fiction and film are also welcome.
"War in Film, Television, and History" is an interdisciplinary conference meeting in Dallas, November 11-14, 2004, organized by the Film and History League and the Literature/Film Association. The featured speaker is Adrian Cronauer--the radio personality whose life was the basis for Good Morning Vietnam (1987), starring Robin Williams. Cronauer will discuss how his original script was transformed by Hollywood into the final version seen on screen. Full details on location, registration, etc., can be found on the website: www.filmandhistory.org.
Please send proposals with abstract (approx 300 words) and a short bio no later than July 30, 2004 to:
Philippa Gates
Film Studies Program Coordinator
Department of English and Film Studies
Wilfrid Laurier University
75 University Ave W
Waterloo, ON, N2L 3C5, Canada
Phone: 519 884 0710 x 2476; Fax: 519 884 8307
Email: pgates@wlu.ca
Philippa Gates
Film Studies Program Coordinator
Department of English and Film Studies
75 University Ave W
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, ON, N2L3C5 Canada
Phone: 519.884.0710 x2476
Fax: 519.884.8307
Email: pgates@wlu.ca
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