Mythic Analysis Of "Red Dawn"
The film "Red Dawn" was released in 1983 to a mixed response. Its patriotic message of Colorado high school students calling themselves Wolverines and waging a guerilla war against invading Russians struck a chord in Cold War America to the amount of $8.2 million in box office gains. At the same time many groups saw film as overly violent, anti-communist propaganda.("Red Dawn," dvd insert, 1998)
Starring Patrick Swayze as Jed, the leader of the resistance, "Red Dawn" also featured Lea Thompson and Charlie Sheen. It was directed by John Milius, produced by Valkyrie Films and distributed by MGM. The screenplay was written by Kevin Reynolds and John Milius.
"Red Dawn" is built on archetypes central to the American mythos. In particular, myths that conservative and Republican elements tend to draw on are strongly represented. Those myths give "Red Dawn" a rightist slant. The myths that are shown in "Red Dawn" in painting its picture of Cold War mentality are being invoked again by politicians in post 9/11 America. While most examples come from Republicans, Democrats too are using myths referenced in "Red Dawn" to garner support.
Given the prevalence of the myths in "Red Dawn" and their parallels in current politics, it is appropriate to identify the mythic elements within the film and compare them to the myths being used in the context of the war on terrorism. While some of the topics discussed may be on the line between myth, idea, and concept, they all strike chords in the cultural experience of large slices of Americans.
At the very start of the film, before the credit roll, a series of messages are displayed on a black screen. This sequence sets the tone for the rest of the movie. The audience is told that the Green party came to power in Germany and forced the United States to remove its nuclear missiles from German soil. The missiles were there to threaten the Soviet Union as part of the mutually assured destruction...
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