The goal of the Film Club is to:
Replicate the back-and-forth exchange of ideas of an in-class discussion
Articulate your understanding of the historical issues and materials presented in each of the 3 films
Support/illustrate your ideas and conclusions with historical evidence from each of the 3 films
The subjects of the Film Club are 3 government-sponsored instructional films produced in 1951, Duck and CoverLinks to an external site., Atomic AlertLinks to an external site., and Survival Under Atomic Attack.
Answer each of the following in at least 100 words. Be specific and give concrete examples from each of the 3 films to support your interpretation.
According to each of the films, what should a person do to survive a nuclear attack? Do the films largely agree on what to do? In the event of an actual nuclear attack, would the advice be effective? If the films were made in 2024, do you think the message would be the same? Suggest why.
Why do you think Duck and Cover used a turtle? How would you characterize the relationship of each film’s musical score, dialogue/narrator, and subject matter? What does that suggest to you about the purpose or meaning of each film?
Describe the people in each film (adults and children). Describe the authority figures in each film. What do the portrayal of people and authority figures suggest about American society in the 1950s? (That is, if you knew nothing about the United States except what you saw in this films, what would you conclude about who Americans were and who was in charge?) If the films were made today, would this remain the same?
All three films were produced in 1951. Considering what else was happening at this time, would you characterize these films more as Public Service Announcements or more as propaganda? What led you to your conclusion?
Suppose you were a child in 1951 and watched these films. What impact might they have upon your view of nuclear power and nuclear weapons? How might they contribute to your understanding of the Cold War and geopolitics as an adult in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s?
