Representing the war in Iraq

NB This is extracted from Image and Representation (Palgrave, 2nd edition, 2009), pp.268-71 and includes spoilers
Unlike during the Vietnam War, when Hollywood barely noted the war’s existence in its films, the conflict in Iraq, which started with the (primarily) American-British invasion in 2003, saw many films released on the subject. Most of these films were, [...]

The Hurt Locker (US, 2008)

As the critical response has suggested, this is an impressive war film about Iraq. Stylistically similar to the hyper-real visual style seen in Cloverfield (US, 2008), it uses extreme handheld shake to signify ‘thereness’. If you’re filming defusing an unexploded bomb the niceties of framing and composition are going out of the window. The cinematographer [...]

Defiance (US, 2008)

This is little-known World War II territory, a true story of Jewish resistance, in what’s now Belarus. And although its leads are obviously recognisable, the tone of the first part of the film is muted using mostly blue filters (or is the look added post-production?) to give a suitably gloomy vision. Also the heroes act [...]

A Walk in the Sun (US, 1945)

This is an extremely wordy war film which concentrates as much on the psychological battles as it does on the capture of a farmhouse six miles inland from the Italian coast. Dialogue and interior monologues are privileged over action as the platoon fights it way through one morning. Doesn’t sound very Hollywood and, although it [...]

Jarhead (US, 2005)

Subject of a typically confused Sight and Sound review: it’s different and too conventional. As a genre movie it’s bound to use conventions and it’s the differences that are interesting (like no one gets to shoot anybody – it’s Gulf War 1). Some extremely effective set pieces: the hell of the road out of Basra [...]