Popular Culture Review Vol. 8, No. 2, August 1997 | Page 76
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JPo£ular_CuUure__Rev^
American Dream as they are depicted in other Vietnam War films
are important issues that should be explored further. In particular,
other work such as Oliver Stone's Platoon should be examined to
provide a more comprehensive understanding of the myth of
American soldiers.
U.S. military involvement in the 1991 Gulf War also raises
questions for scholars. For example, will motion picture films portray
the Gulf War in ways that resemble the recent wave of Vietnam
films? The box-office hit Courage Under Fire is, to date, the most
notable release with a Gulf War theme. Future research could
compare and contrast its thematic approach against the most recent
Vietnam War films discussed here.
One additional question to consider is whether the public
assessment of the Gulf War will eventually resemble the anti-war
sentiments found in Born on the Fourth of July. Two factors may have
a significant effect on public opinion regarding the Gulf War: the
short duration of the Gulf War and the relative "success" of the
military mission. Analysis of public opinion polls conducted before,
during and after the Gulf War indicate that "from the standpoint of
American public opinion, as well as of world history perhaps, the
war was really quite a minor event."^^ Nevertheless, scholars may
use the social value theory of Rushing and Frentz and its application
presented here to study the response of Gulf War veterans and the
long-term assessment by American society.
The Vietnam War shattered the American myth of
invincibility, leaving society to struggle with the events in Southeast
Asia. Popular culture forms were a useful tool in helping society to
understand the complexity of the war. Born on the Fourth of July
illustrates the shift in values that can occur when the dominant myth
fails to resolve social problems. The American military presence in
Vietnam presented one such problem.
Re-making myths is a process which requires understanding
the past in a way that prepares us to face the future. John Heilman
speculates, "Americans can seek, through the mental rehearsal of art,
a meaningful structure for the narrative of actual experience they
will make their future."^^ Born on the Fourth of July moves us closer
to facing that future.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Barbara Pickering