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FROM FOE TO FRIEND: THE CINEMATIC REDEMPTION OF THE GERMAN CHARACTER IN HOLLYWOOD, 1940-1955
Fenlon, Connor
Fenlon, Connor
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Abstract
Between 1940 and 1955 Hollywood reimagined and recast the German character on American screens, transforming their portrayals from monolithic villains of the second World War to humanized victims in the immediate postwar years and finally to indispensable partners of the emerging Cold war. The analysis draws on fifteen widely distributed and pervasive feature films, including Casablanca, Walt Disney’s Education for Death, Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious, The Big Lift and Decision Before Dawn, and pairs close readings of narrative structure and character depictions with evidence from the Office of War Information directives, State Department memoranda, studio correspondence, box office coverage and contemporary reviews. Together, this study traces a clear cinematic arc to show how Hollywood and popular cinema deliberately aligned itself with the United States to reflect American foreign objectives, respond to significant geopolitical events and attempt to influence American cultural attitudes towards the German people. In doing so, the findings show that cinematic portrayals and narratives ultimately translated diplomatic priorities into persuasive entertainment, softening earlier stereotypes and redefining the German character as a democratic, American ally, thereby smoothing Germany’s transition from enemy to an essential cornerstone of the Western alliance. While prior research has explored propaganda films and the portrayal of America’s wartime enemies, much of the existing scholarship has either focused on depictions of the Japanese or been confined within an analysis for specific genres or limited timeframes. This project addresses that gap by analyzing a broader range of films across a longer historical arc, situating the transformation of the German image within the larger framework of U.S. geopolitical interests while emphasizing cinema’s power to influence audience perceptions, advance the enemy’s rehabilitation, and support broader foreign policy aims. In doing so, it offers a critical contribution to understanding how cultural production intersects with geopolitics and helps construct the foundations of the United States’ modern international relationships.
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2025-05-01
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Department of History, University of Kansas