Cold-War ContextsExposition Provided in Flash-back

How useful was this sequence in providing narrative contexts?

This superimposition over a big close-up of Neville’s face looking off-screen, denoted missiles and massive, probably Atomic, explosions. Also maps and graphics showed referential codes signifying advancing Russian and Chinese armies, is part of a reminiscence depicted through the combination of these elements combined with:

o non-diegetic sound and voice over, narrating on events as they happened (present tense – inferring HE was there at that time, provides narrative context.

o a melancholic expression which looks to the left, connotes dreaming –looking to where? ‘the past?

o red and orange colours (reflected from the explosion?) symbolic of rage, violence and bloodshed -signify war on a massive probably global scale – provide additional exposition (back story, plot – narrative contexts)

o also the nations are both Communist states – red is the colour adopted to represent the political party – an opposition to capitalism in their social and ideological beliefs.

o Can you think of any other meanings or associations?

The Soviet Union was a Communist country, which put the needs of the state ahead of personal human rights and was ruled by a dictator.

The USA was a capitalist democracy which valued freedom and feared Communism.

Remember the question is about American values and ideologies. Here’s one way of looking at it, which side is this view likely to reflect?

A speech by President Truman of the US (1947)

Listen also to President Truman's Inaugural Address in 1949 when he talked about the difference between democracy and Communism

Access this handout through Course Folders, this website goes into these Cold-War contexts in more detail but in an easy to understand way - http://www.johndclare.net/cold_war3.htm. – reply to his threads if you use his link he works hard to help students out.

One way of life is based upon the will of the majority, and is distinguished by free institutions, representative government, free elections, guarantees of individual liberty, freedom of speech and religion, and freedom from political oppression.      The second way of life is based upon the will of a minority forcibly imposed upon the majority. It relies upon terror and oppression, a controlled press and radio; fixed elections, and the suppression of personal freedoms.