Revisiting Cold War Propaganda: Close Readings of Chinese and American Film Representations of the Korean War

No doubt the most memorable 1950s American propaganda film on the Korean War was Pork Chop Hill (1959), directed by Lewis Milestone, who made the anti-war classic All Quiet on the Western Front (1930). The most popular and influential on the Chinese side was Shangganling (The Battle of Sangkumryung...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of American-East Asian relations 2010-01, Vol.17 (4), p.352-371
Main Author: Pickowicz, Paul
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Caves
Chinese culture
COLD WAR
Cold wars
KOREAN WAR
Milestone, Lewis
Motion picture criticism
Motion picture industry
Movies
Pork
PORK CHOP HILL
PROPAGANDA
SHANGGANLING
Soldiers
War
Wisdom
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Summary:No doubt the most memorable 1950s American propaganda film on the Korean War was Pork Chop Hill (1959), directed by Lewis Milestone, who made the anti-war classic All Quiet on the Western Front (1930). The most popular and influential on the Chinese side was Shangganling (The Battle of Sangkumryung Ridge or The Battle of Triangle Hill; 1956). Both deal with a single battle in which a small, dedicated unit is seen defending a remote hill top in the face of an overwhelming enemy onslaught. Their purpose was to convey political messages and teach long-term lessons to members of the audience well after the Korean War was over. But a shot by shot and character by character comparison and close reading reveals both parallels and differences.
ISSN:1058-3947
1876-5610
1058-3947
DOI:10.1163/187656111X564298