A Certain Point of View: Writing, Film and Stuff

(C) 2016 Harper Design/becker&meyer! and Lucasfilm Ltd. Cover art by Steven Thomas On October 25, 2016, Harper Collins' imprint Harper Design and becker&meyer! published Star Wars Propaganda: A History of Persuasive Art in the Galaxy. Written by Lucasfilm Story Group's Pablo Hidalgo, this 112-page coffee table hardcover is an in-universe look at persuasive art created for various factions during several periods of conflict in the Star Wars timeline. Propaganda art has become synonymous with life in the galaxy far, far away. Whether it's a poster of a Star Destroyer hovering over a planet in a display of Imperial domination; a symbol painted on a wall to deliver a message of hope on behalf of the Rebellion; or a mural depicting a line of stormtroopers to promote unity within the First Order; this type of art, as an instrument of persuasive fearmongering and impassioned idealism, captures the ever-changing tides of politics and public sentiment across the ...

One of the problems about making a movie an actual conflict while said conflict is still raging is that sometimes events on the ground tend to overtake the filmmakers’ production schedule, especially if the movie is set in a specific place where battles are being fought.  This is exactly what happened to producer Robert Fellows when he was making  Back to Bataan , a blend of action-adventure, wartime propaganda, and a not-so-subtle reminder to the American public that the Philippines wanted independence not only from their Japanese occupiers but also from their U.S. “protectors.”  Written by Ben Barzman (who was pro-Communist, as was director Edward Dmytryk), William Gordon, and Aeneas MacKenzie,  Back to Bataan  starred John Wayne as a U.S. Army colonel who stays on Luzon to help organize a U.S.-Filipino guerrilla group to fight the occupying Japanese forces and help pave the way for Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s long-promised return.  During the filming of...