Secret histories and the dirty war: The 1970s Second World War film

Spicer, Andrew H.

Abstract

This paper focuses on a neglected period of the British war film (the 1970s) and argues that this was a volatile, unsettled period when the direction and ideology of the war film was in flux. Producers were unclear as to what would engage audiences. War films in the 1970s varied from peaens to old-fashioned values, romantic melodramas, experimental anti-war films and revisionist action thrillers. It concentrates on three 'special mission' films that focus on the 'dirty war' that did not feature in official histories. However, the three films analysed - 'Where Eagles Dare' (1968), 'The Sea Wolves' (1980) and 'Play Dirty' (1969) differ markedly in their attitude to the war: an exciting adventure, nostalgic and cynically acerbic respectively. They show that the 1970s was an important period for the British war film and deserves to be reconsidered. The paper contains a filmography of the 30+ 1970s war films.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: Going to War: Film History and the Second World War
• Start Date: Oct 22, 2010
• End Date: Oct 23, 2010
• Publication Date: Oct 22, 2010
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 8, 2019
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: 1970s, war films, ideology, revisionism
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/974191
• Publisher URL: http://www.iwm.org.uk/sites/default/files/public-document/ResearchReport2010.pdf
• Additional Information: Title of Conference or Conference Proceedings : 'Going to War: Film History and the Second World War' , Imperial War Museum, October 2010