AMERICAN ExCEPTIOMALISM

The Image of
American Exceptionalism
In
Hollywood Movies

Introduction

In this article I argue about presented of American exceptionalism _as a key concept in American cultural studies_ in American movies especially in Holly Wood productions and I would show this concept manifestly is presented in different formats.
I will point to these various shape in form of existing cinematic genres. The studying about this concept _exceptionalism_ with focusing on cinematic studies was started of twentieth century.
"The discussion of twentieth century interpretations of the conquest of the west begins with Owen Wister's The Virginian and the fiction of Zane Grey, and then turns to the figure of John Ford and his cinematic creation of a modern myth America, which has formed the basis of the genre. Responses to Ford's work in later Westerns, especially Spaghetti Westerns, show the continuing impact of exceptionalist thinking on popular representational forms."(Madsen, 122)
In continue, I say about the movie industry in the US and the position of Hollywood, and ultimately I analysis three movies with concentration on the concept of American exceptionalism.

About American Exceptionalism
"In the twentieth century exceptionalism continue to inform vital aspects of American culture from the western to the post_modern critique of American super power." (Madsen, 2)
The important study about American exceptionalism can has many reasons that I say about some of them.
"The ninetieth century American Renaissance, representation of west ward expansion in art, film and fiction, aspects of post modernism (specifically the work of Thomas Pynchon, Toni Morrison and Larry McMurtry) and representation of the Vietnam conflict in fiction and film."(Madsen, 3)
In this part, I should emphasis that warfare genre in the film study is suitable from that we can use to explain the concept of American
Exceptionalism.
During the period of 1942 to 1945, more than five hundred movies of the 1700 movies that produced by Holly Wood about war. The films that paid attention to take care of social conditions during the world war time. For example, John Ford _that he has so much work around of American exceptionalism's concept especially in western genre_ provided a film that named "midovi battle" in 1942 that in first time were showed for president and then had the public showing for all people. He had decision to make a movie for American mothers to pride on their sons and support the America to interfere in world war.
A lot of movies were produced critically about war effect in American soldiers. For example Taxi Driver by Martin Scorsese, Deer Hunter by Michael chimino and etc.
But we should pay attention that all of them never ignore that America is lawful to take part in world war.
Now, return to my past argument about the position of exceptionalism's concept in contemporary studies and its definition.
"American exceptionalism has been historically referred to as the perception that the United States differs qualitatively from other developed nations, because of its unique origins, national credo, historical evolution, and distinctive political and religious institutions. The term was first used by Alexis de Tocqueville in 1831.and this concept is the idea that the United States and American people hold a special place in the world, by offering opportunity and hope for humanity…".(www.wikipedia.com)
And I should say that "American exceptionalism during the cold war was often cast by the mass media as the American way of life personality liberty engaged in a battle with tyranny as represented by communism."(www.wikipedia.com).


Holly Wood as Industry

Because of this fact that my argument is about American exceptionalism's position in Hollywood, it seems interesting that say about the position of Hollywood and film's industry in the United States.
After the 1920s _the greatest part of the movie history_ the industry that called "Hollywood" in the US dominated on the world.
The movie industry in the United States since nineteen century last years and became the associate collection of several great corporations in 1930.
The basis of Hollywood power is the distribution in all over the world. Noting centre except the Hollywood no this distribution.
There is an approach that says the mass media_for example the movie_ alike all aspects of American capitalism faces by economic and financial powers. For example the Hollywood was managed by Rocfeller and Morgan Company in 1930s. (Neale, 11)
In spite of the walking to the cinema has ended, annually more than one milliard persons go to the cinema in the United States. But the sale of the Hollywood movies in around of the United States is a little digit from the sale of these movies in all over the world. And also the index of Hollywood changes with new films every week.
You, in role of a researcher can hold this research:
In streets or gathering places of people in your country for example propound this question:
"Do you see Rocky's films?"
The results will prove the above mentioned point.
Even in a country that whose ideology and policy is anti-Americanism and it doesn't have need to more than description that people in all over the world are messages of this reception that produce by Hollywood.
The index of Hollywood stokes changes with new films every week.

The Film's analysis

In this way, I highlighted my argument by discretion about several popular movies in American cinema (Holly Wood), and in continue I proverb any examples about professional movies.
For first example I start with one of the reputation movies in popular fields:" James Band"
This film is entered to the ground by publishing the novel of Eyan Feleming.
I should say that personality of James Band in interaction with real world had be came functionality as political hero.
The hero that how is symbol of western capitalism system values. (Freedom, election right, proving of justice and etc.) And in other hand supremacy of these values was on communalist dictatorship of Eastern Europe. The first movie with James Band title was made in 1962. And fortune's public of this movie was very much and this caused that _just with in a period of 5years _ were made four other movies of James Band and were presented. if in first era , James Band refluxed western fears of cold war , now he is the symbol of pace and the person who decides to resolve the tensions .(so , I argue about the other example in future )
James Band in last production links to exhibiting exceptionalism with element of great advanced technology that is in control of west especially the US and Holly Wood again reinforces the exceptional approach.

In this part I consider about popular genre and select one of the famous movies in this genre that named: "Rocky" .this films are forth movies of collections with this name. Director of this episode is himself (Rocky or Silvester Stallone). The story of the film is about boxing races, alike other Rockys. Film starts with an image of two boxing gloves. One of them with image of the United States flags and other with image of U.S.S.R (Union Soviet Socialist Republics) flag that contacted and caused to great exploration.
This period of movies productions tries to go toward new space of relationships between Eastern bloc and western bloc. (so the new episode of James Band movies) because Russian boxer is came from Russia to the United States for race and speaker of them says that Russian boxer is came for this reason that to be pace ambassador.
The speaker of Russian group emphasizes widely that their boxer is not soldier, while he has wear uniform!!
A superannuated and famous boxer that named "Apollo" _the character how is also in other episodes_ decides to fight with Russian boxer to prove again his skill and power to all people (especially his friends and rivals). After many challenges between them, is disposed a race and during this race "Apollo" was killed by Russian boxer.
Rocky _present champion and Apollo's friend_ decides to encounter with Russian boxer and because Russian group feels insecurity after Apollo's death, Rocky go to U.S.S.R FOR race.
In the press interview about this race, speaker of Russian group _she is wife's Russian boxer_ against reporter's protests says:
"You had this believe that you are better us, you had this believe that your country is very good and we are very bad.
You think that you are best and we are very cruel".
However those issues were explained critically but director proves this approach in end of film. (I will say).
Rocky goes to Russia and selects a very simple cottage for exercise. He does very difficult and hard practice to fitness for race. And these difficult practices would remember the famous concept of American culture that is other sign of American exceptionalism: this is American Dream. And in this way, I refer to meaning of this concept that is" with hard work you can achieved what you want". And this concept defines the United States as "a land of dream".
You can see the Rocky's powerful character vs. artificial power of Russian boxer. The stage of fight starts with Rocky's praying _the stage that you can not see it for Russian boxer_ and one of the reporter calls this race is as third world war!!
The image of Russian boxer that is referred is manifestly one dominated position but this image in fact provokes audiences to accompany with Rocky that is shorter and in lower position and this position is selected awareness.
During the race, authorities come to watch this race; with this meaning that race between these two boxers is in fact fight between East and West during the cold war era.
Fight is ended with Rocky's victory but I believe that focus point of this film is on Rocky's finally speech:
"here , two persons beaten each other but I think this is better than that 20 million do it_ here I should say this shows a kind of individual devotion as an American attribute_ I believe that if I can change, then all people can change ".
All audience confirm him, even authorities clap for him. Rocky among the happiness of Russians raises the flag of the United States, and film is ended.
This film perhaps is strangest representation of relationships between US and U.S.S.R during the cold war.
The contact that might end to terrible war in world by speech of an American boxer simply is resolved.
Do audiences of these films think the same simply?
The last point that I should refer to it, is Rocky's nationality. He is Italian originally and also he is representative of the US. This approach means that every person who has necessary attributes is an American citizen.
And there are same positions for every person. However this approaches most of the time remains as an idea.
The other movies that I want discuses about it is named: Armageddon
This film is made in science fiction genre and by Michael Bay and whit playing of Bruce Willis as first role
The film starts with show of technologically greatness of NASA (National Aeronautics and space administration) in the United States and shifts to popular life in one of the American cities.
The city that-with sky scraper and people of various races-encounters with an unexpected event that in next 18 days will encounter the earth with problem of 65 millions years ago-over throw of Dinosaurs-that is contact of shooting-star.
NASA starts to find a solution for this problem and is reported to main positions of government especially Mr. President of the United States.
After many of considering NASA concluded that this problem resolves by an excavator of petroleum area (with playing of Bruse Willis).
He accepted this suggestment if himself selects my groups and NASA pay attention to their request.
The group according oil excavators with various characters gathered:
A cowboy a big Blackman a man who lives in pleasure and …
Entirely the persons from different class and very ordinary of American society.
They gathered and educated for membership in this project.
The group with medium intelligence and wonderful thinking and idea for example request of white house by "big Blackman".
This group sent to space and in spite of different and terrible happenings.
The leader of group explored the nuclear of shooting-star devotedly during the program in space we observe the stages of people in all over the world that pray to successes for Americans savers : Muslims in Turkey Hindus in India and Christians in churches… and I must say throughout of this film focuses on Christianity.
The religious of persons that are saver for human and the name of the film is received of a religious happen in Christianity that this concept is cited in Bible.
Armageddon is "a great battle or war causing terrible destruction and bringing the end of the war". (Longman dictionary) that means the end battle between good and evil.
The president of the united states in message that is shown by TV – and I must say that all people in the world with different language are audience – warns about this Armageddon and defines American savers.
So alike all American and Holly wooden movies this film is ended with devotee's stage of group's leader and other saver return to the earth through the happiness ware of Americans.
The films titraj is also the element of popular American culture a happiness marriage.
The style life with lovely events that repeats in all Americans movies and is a kind of American exceptionalism.
Ultimately the other thing that should be study is inefficiency of government that satisfies the protest sense of people and without the government completely is denied people satisfy with sightseeing these images it seems that they show their own protest.
In these films, dandyish men are saver for human and again the dominated Ideology in western world is a show of humanity and explanation of humanity is middle-class, white and man and this kind is ideal type.
I should say that Holly Wood uses of science fiction genre for two goals:
1- The show of modern and glorious technology of the United State in both area, reality and virtual (computer simulations).
2- and representation of goals and intentions without noting conceptual limitation.
About second part, because director in these films is free to use of every way and style without need to description and so he/she has many of audiences
It isn't necessary to remain that science fiction genre sometimes are with scholarly and logical problem that rarity by experts are criticized.
About production of virtual images, I can refer to USAF supports for Holly Wood. USAF (United States Air Force) secures chief part of research and expansion of virtual reality's technologies.
In addition, many of war simulations that are pleasing for customers
_the main from of virtual reality_ are the same of army education's technology. This support is sign on interference of government ideology and policy in appointment of Holly Wood policy.
Then perhaps this genre for show of an American Exceptionalism in comparison with other genre such as popular genre (for example Rocky) and warfare genre (for example saving Private Ryan) is appropriate and fit.
So, in last lines, I referred to historical western genre that was shown in John Ford movies and I should say that for mentioned above genre there is less application in day present. The day present cinema is the best means to explain the different concepts, of most difficult to very simple, do you agree with me?



References:
1-Madsen Deborah, American exceptionalism, Great Britain, Edinburgh University press, 1988

2-Neale Steve, Smith Murray, contemporary Hollywood Cinema, London and New York, Routledge, 1998

3-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_exceptionalism