The Cold War in Relation to Film

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The Cold War in Relation to Film
The Cold War brought fear to Americans, with communism and the Red Scare. This essay will cover how the Films relate to the Cold War. Films such as; the Front, On the Waterfront, Guilty by Suspicion, High Noon and the Crucible. Along with, The Fifties text book by David Halberstam.
If Russia becomes communist, what will become of the United States of America? The Russian Revolution began in 1917, during WWI, Russia wants to overthrow their government and become communist. President Woodrow Wilson is fearful of the collapse of Russia so he withdraws 5,000 Marines from the war and sends them into Russia, in the attempt to defeat the ‘Reds’. If Russia collapses the U.S. economic state would also collapse; which means less money for the U.S. As the Soviet Union and first Red Scare begins in 1918, America fears it could fall to Communism. With the Great Depression (1929) Americans begin to think communism could help them recover. The Communist Party grows from approximately 10,000-100,000 members in the U.S. The Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States intensified in the late 1940s and early 1950s, known as the “Red Scare.” This symbolized the allegiance to the red Soviet flag. Federal employees were analyzed to determine if they were loyal to the government. By 1947 the fear of the nation becoming communist has increased dramatically because communism has spread to China, Korea, and Vietnam. With this begins the House Un-American Activities Committee, (HUAC) established by President Truman to investigate pro-communist within the United States.
Communism threatened to destroy the American lifestyle; capitalism, individualist, beliefs and religious freedom. Americans had good reason ...

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...town stopped cooperating, they stopped giving names. John Proctor didn’t confess a lie, therefore he was hung. After nineteen executions the Salem witch hunt was brought to an end, as more and more accused people refused to save themselves by giving false confessions. This relates back to the Hollywood Ten who plead the 5th Amendment and refused to cooperate with the committee.
All movies mentioned tie together to the era of the “Red Scare.”From High Noon to the Crucible, they all mention giving up names in order to either save themselves or be taken off the blacklist. John Proctor said it best with his quote “I cannot sign because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” John Proctor was the voice behind all who were blacklisted.

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