Director why we fight

Being seen in opposition to strong defense policies is a liability. Not just for a politician who wants to run for president, but for an expert who wants to make a name in town, or a journalist who wants to get his or her story on the front page of the paper. In this way, restricting the level of discussion to this rush for war. Sign In. Play trailer Documentary History War. Director Eugene Jarecki. Eugene Jarecki. Top credits Director Eugene Jarecki. See more at IMDbPro.

Trailer Why We Fight. Photos Top cast Edit. Gore Vidal Self as Self. John McCain Self as Self. Ken Adelman Self as Self. John Ashcroft Self as Self archive footage. Osama bin Laden Self as Self archive footage. George Bush Self as Self archive footage. George W. Bush Self as Self archive footage. Robert Byrd Self as Self archive footage.

Frank Capra Self as Self archive footage. Dick Cheney Self as Self archive footage. Joseph Cirincione Self as Self. Bill Clinton Self as Self archive footage. Anh Duong Self as Self. Individual giving Corporate giving Partner support Volunteers Advertising opportunities. Artboard Copy 2 Created with Sketch. To many Americans it was unclear why they, just as at the end of WW I, would again fight for European interests.

The authorities commissioned series of instruction films, the most famous of which is the Why We Fight series by the well-known director Frank Capra. The foundations of American democracy were explained and it was emphasised that the English fought for them, too.

Initially intended for soldiers, these documentaries were also screened in cinemas later on. The seventh in the series, War Comes to America , is screened in this section and looks back on how the United States got involved in the war. Credits 70 min black and white 35mm Spoken languages: English Director.

Frank Capra, Anatole Litvak. Frank Capra for U. Army Pictorial Services. Frank Capra uncredited Anatole Litvak uncredited. More like this. Watch options. Storyline Edit. This famous propaganda piece, used as a U.

Army training film in WWII before theatrical release, asks 'why we fight. Included: development of dictatorships in Italy, Germany and Japan, while anti-militarism and isolationism rise in the USA; a look at enemy propaganda; and the first acts of aggression. Walter Huston narrates a combination of archival footage, maps, and other graphics. Your boy wants you to see it!

Not Rated. Did you know Edit. Trivia This film is in the public domain. As a work by Federal Government employees on behalf of the Federal Government, the film is by law ineligible for copyright protection and was released into the public domain at its creation.

Goofs During the silent footage of Ethiopians shouting, the angry voices are actually shouting in Kiswahili: "Kwenda! The principal language of Ethiopia is Amharic. Kiswahili commonly known as "Swahili" is the main language of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Quotes Narrator : [Last line] For this is what we are fighting: Freedom's oldest enemy, the passion of the few to rule the many. User reviews 21 Review. Top review. Well-done and educational propaganda.

Prelude to War is the first in a series of well-made propaganda films that were co-directed by Frank Capra during World War II with the intention of educating new U. Watching them at this point in time, they are fascinating as a glimpse into more or less official propagandistic stances.

Of course it's to be expected that the films go to pains to dehumanize, even demonize, then enemy cultures. Because this specific material is so far removed from our current stances and concerns, it's instructive to watch and especially to show it to students, because it's much easier to see through the propaganda tactics, enabling similar tactics to more easily be identified in modern politics. But perhaps surprisingly, Prelude to War and the other films in the series also contain a good deal of accurate factual information, so that unless you're a World War II buff, you can learn quite a bit about how the war progressed and at least one side of why it progressed one of many necessary sides --if you watch the series with a critical eye.

The series also contains a lot of intriguing historical footage--including films of Axis military campaigns in execution, and some of the more typical newsreel-type shots of the three Axis leaders--Hitler, Mussolini and Hirohito, their right-hand men and their military and civilian support systems.

Just as notable now is footage of various aspects of American life that would have passed by without much thought in such as cars traveling on relatively sparse, newly built U. You can gain as much from Prelude to War by simply watching the images and keeping in mind the historical context as you can by listening to the narration.

There are a couple rough spots--a montage of Axis armies marching like huge, well-oiled machines probably goes on too long something years later, but surely the aim was to put just a bit of fear as well as an increased fervor to conquer into the new U. This film isn't crucial viewing for everyone, but for those who study history, politics, sociology, the military and especially World War II, it is essential.