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Title: Official United States War Films |
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Description: This poster advertises Official United States War Films to American audiences, circa World War I. Official war films offered unusually vivid war footage to movie audiences at home and abroad. The content of war films usually consisted of footage of armies or tanks and, on occasion, featured battlefield action. Films brought the war home to an American public that remained at a distance from the fighting in Europe. Official films were obtained in Europe with the sanction of the government or military. The war films were purchased from either military cinematographers or shot by commercial cinematographers under the watchful eye of military advisors. Official films were subject to heavy military scrutiny and this increased their legitimacy. Since the films were secured under official government sanction the American public was assured that the footage they watched was real and not staged. The development of official films combated the general belief at the time that all war pictures were fake. |
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