Friend or Foe?: Russians in American Film and Foreign Policy, 1933-1991 [Hardcover]

The premise of this book is commendable. These films the authors consider in depth and write about fairly fully....manageable for both the scholarly and casual reader...extremely useful...a useful starting point for any historian of US feature and mainstream documentary film...an advance on anything previously written on the subject of Russians. They have managed to keep a populist tone in their writing, for which they are to be congratulated and have made their audience aware of many more films than they will ever have the time or inclination to watch themselves....well-written and wonderfully readable...This is ...an important work for students of twentieth-centruy American history and the history of film......Strada and Troper poured over 150 films and their sharp eyescoupled with scrupulous research and clear, analytical prosespotted everything...without question, the best reference text available on the subject...Examines the portrayal of the Soviet Union in American film, and shows how these films reflect the attitudes of Americans, as well as how each portrayal changed with the often uneasy relations between the two countries.During the nearly sixty years of filmmaking, the always uneasy and often fractious Soviet-American relationship has been mirrored in Hollywood's portrayal of Russians and the Soviet Union. Friend or Foe? examines the portrayal of the Soviet Union in American film, and shows how these films reflect the attitudes of Americans, as well as how each portrayal changed with the often uneasy relations between the two countries. The authors show how films, as rich repositories of national consciousness, can be analyzed to reveal time-bound insights into popular fears and obsessions. History lovers and film buffs will appreciate the tongue-in-cheek approach to many of the absurdist films. Scholars in history, film studies, and political science will find the depth and breadth of research useful. A filmography, bibliography, and photographs furtlÃâ