Representation of the images of army and military man in the U.S. mass cinematography of the 2010s

Abstract

The author explores the problematic of the images of army and military in mass cinematography on the example of U.S. film industry of the second decade of the XXI century. The object of this research is the sociocultural representation of army and war via expressive means of cinematographic art. Within the Russian science, this problematic is poorly studied; at the same time, its relevance cannot be overestimated, since cinematography is an important component in formation of “soft power” of the country. According to the testimony of numerous Russian experts, namely cinematography of the United States has highest impact potential and forms mental images of the army and military not only among the U.S. citizens, but also for the Russian society, which always triggers questions related to the cultural aspects of national security. It is worth noting that modern U.S. military cinematography becomes the special subject of scientific research for the first time. The author comes to the conclusion that in the recent decade, U.S. film production in military genre has undergone substantial transformations. The films on the World War II and the Vietnam War are replaced with the films on global war on terrorism and local national conflicts. Among other peculiarities of recent years in U.S. military cinematography, the author notes female film directors in this sphere, personification of the images of enemy, deconstruction of the image of military man as a mythological defender and rescuer. The latter noticeably contradicts the Russian film tradition and culture, for which the army and military history remain the important points of national self-identity, key components of formation of images of the great past and common future.