Hollywood and The Pentagon: A Dangerous Liaison
The U.S. invasion of Hollywood war movies may come as a surprise to some. In fact, U.S. Army intelligence has maintained close ties with American filmmakers for decades. For example, the movie “Top Gun” was filmed with the support and permission of the US Army. There’s even a special office, the Office of Film Liaison, that oversees these matters at the Pentagon and the Capitol. It has a clear mission: to study scripts for American war films and base their support on their interest in the nation’s military leaders.
Scripts are shortened and sometimes watered down. Characters are doctored, and historical truth is sometimes falsified. A director can borrow fighter jets, ships, and equipment to shoot scenes written by his screenwriters. Any other director whose script is not endorsed by the Army may be denied any support. Such was the case with the film Platoon, which was deemed overly critical of the Vietnam War. It is then up to the producer to find locations and equipment outside of the United States. Often there is a huge price to pay.
In his Pentagon office, the head of the Office of Film Liaison has made no secret of his goals. He wanted to promote films that flattered the U.S. military, rally support for their actions on the battlefield, and encourage more soldiers to sign up. In short: pure propaganda. Few major war films have escaped the influence or even criticism of the US military.
