This thesis investigates the relationship between apocalyptic fiction and reality during the Cold War era. By exploring the zeitgeist and media landscape of the American Cold War culture, this thesis demonstrates that apocalyptic fiction had a significant bilateral role during those times and influenced the contemporary nuclear discourse. This is illustrated by analyzing two popular apocalyptic movies, "On the Beach" (1959) and "The Day After" (1983). Both films portray a worst-case scenario in which the protagonists are confronted with the disastrous consequences of a nuclear war. These movies are not just blockbusters for entertainment but fuel and contribute to the ongoing nuclear discourse about the Cold War era and its politics of deterrence.
In its theoretical part, this thesis provides an overview of the Cold War era and reveals how the beginning of the Atomic Age changed the dynamics of power and politics forever. It focuses on the international cultural discourse concerned with nuclear weaponry and illustrates how the politics of deterrence came into being. Afterwards, this thesis focuses on the US- specific nuclear discourse and how it was portrayed in US mainstream media.
Additionally, this thesis engages with the Cold War as a concept of thought. It aims at providing a deeper understanding of its intrinsic mechanisms and explains why the Cold War can be classified as a war against people’s imagination. Therefore, this thesis provides an overview of modern apocalypticism research and investigates the role of narratives in the Atomic Age.
In its analytical part, the films On the Beach (1959) and The Day After (1983) are interpreted as crisis texts according to the paradigm of apocalypticism. According to this analytical approach, this film analysis focuses on the films’ contemporary cultural context and investigates how their narratives are related to the political and cultural events of the Cold War.
Furthermore, this thesis investigates how the bilateral relationship between fiction and reality impact the films and their public reception. Thus, this thesis demonstrates how the films serve as an example of how and why the Cold War can be classified as a war against people’s imagination.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Nuclear Apocalypticism
2.1 Apocalyptic Films as Crisis Texts
2.2 The Modern Apocalypse
2.3 Apocalyptic Narratives
2.4 The Nuclear Apocalypse
2.5 The Role of Narratives in the Atomic Age
3 The Cold War: A Brief Summary
3.1 Unraveling Alliances and Growing Tensions
3.2 The Struggle between Superpowers
3.3 The Cuban Missile Crisis
3.4 Proxy Wars and Changing Dynamics
3.5 Locating the Films on the Timeline
4 The Atomic Bomb in International Cultural Discourse
4.1 Phase 1: The US Monopoly
4.2 Transitional Phase: The End of the US Monopoly
4.3 Phase 2: The Arms Race and New Controversies
5 Ideas and Innovations of the Atomic Age
6 US-Specific Media Coverage of the Nuclear Discourse
6.1 Life Magazine
6.2 One World or None
6.3 The Nuclear Sublime
6.4 The Silent Killer and the Walking Dead
7 The Politics of Deterrence and the Imaginary War
7.1 The Metaphorical Nature of the Cold War
7.2 A War against Imagination
7.3 The Exceptional Role of Film and Fiction in the Imaginary War
8 Preliminaries for the Analysis
8.1 Film Production and Release Dates
8.2 Synopses
8.2.1 On the Beach (1959)
8.2.2 The Day After (1983)
9 The Staging of a Nuclear Apocalypse
9.1 Worldbuilding and Narrative Development
9.2 Focalization
9.3 Settings
9.4 Casting Decisions
10 On the Beach and The Day After as Crisis Texts
10.1 Emotional Reactions and Coping Strategies
10.1.1 Denial
10.1.2 Regret and Search for Purpose
10.1.3 Work as a Form of Escapism
10.2 Suggested Solutions
10.3 Hopes and Fears Expressed in the Films
10.4 Castro Gomez’s Narrative Functions in the Two Films
11 Relationship between Fiction and Reality in On the Beach and The Day After
12 Conclusion
13 Bibliography
13.1 Primary Sources:
13.2 Secondary Sources:
Research Objectives and Themes
This thesis examines the bilateral relationship between apocalyptic fiction and the political reality of the US Cold War era, analyzing how media narratives both reflected and shaped cultural perceptions of nuclear threat. The central research question explores how two key films, On the Beach (1959) and The Day After (1983), functioned as "crisis texts" that navigated the politics of deterrence and the human imagination in an age of existential uncertainty.
- The interpretation of apocalyptic cinema as psychological and cultural "crisis texts."
- The conceptualization of the Cold War as a "war against the imagination" reliant on fictitious scenarios.
- The comparative analysis of narrative techniques, worldbuilding, and character coping mechanisms in response to nuclear threat.
- The investigation of public reception and the blurring of boundaries between entertainment and real-world political discourse.
Excerpt from the Book
The Metaphorical Nature of the Cold War
Early on, critical thinkers such as the novelist and social critic George Orwell contemplated the far-reaching societal and international consequences that the discovery of the atomic bomb would bring to the world. Years later, Matthew Grant and Benjamin Ziemann also investigate the metaphorical character of the Cold War and how the atomic bomb is used as a symbol for nuclear warfare. In their work, Grant and Ziemann “consider the historical relevance of political, cultural and artistic ramifications of nuclear weapons as signifiers for a new type of conflict” (chap. 1). They also refer to one of Orwell’s newspaper articles, in which the author was one of the first to question the true extent of the atomic bomb’s impact on a global scale.
In his newspaper article “You and the Atom Bomb,” published in the Tribune on October 19, 1945, Orwell discusses the manufacturing, utilization, and consequences of the atomic bomb. He observes that there had been newspaper coverage on how atomic bombs work and which safety measures should be taken, but one of the most pressing aspects had been neglected: how difficult and expensive these new nuclear weapons were to build. He continues to posit that the history of civilization basically equals a history of weapons. He then draws the conclusion that ages in which the defining weapon of the time was complicated and expensive to build were marked by despotism, whereas times in which the defining weapon was cheap and easy to acquire were ages of the people. One of the most striking examples to support this hypothesis would be the discovery of gun powder, which coincided with the end of feudalism.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Introduces the thesis's premise that the Cold War was a war against the imagination, where film served as both a product and a contributor to the collective nuclear anxiety.
2 Nuclear Apocalypticism: Defines nuclear apocalypticism and introduces the framework of interpreting apocalyptic films as "crisis texts" that serve psychological coping functions.
3 The Cold War: A Brief Summary: Provides historical context for the Cold War, detailing the rise of superpowers, the arms race, and the Cuban Missile Crisis, while contextualizing the release of the selected films.
4 The Atomic Bomb in International Cultural Discourse: Outlines the cultural stages of the atomic era, from US monopoly to the rise of international antinuclear movements and the propaganda campaign for peaceful nuclear energy.
5 Ideas and Innovations of the Atomic Age: Examines the origins of the "atomic" concept, exploring how long-standing literary tropes and dualistic visions shaped the early nuclear discourse.
6 US-Specific Media Coverage of the Nuclear Discourse: Investigates how American media, specifically magazines like Life, constructed influential narratives like "one world or none" and the "nuclear sublime."
7 The Politics of Deterrence and the Imaginary War: Analyzes the Cold War as a conceptual thought experiment, emphasizing how military strategy and nuclear politics became inextricably linked to fictitious, imaginative scenarios.
8 Preliminaries for the Analysis: Offers technical production details and plot summaries for On the Beach (1959) and The Day After (1983) to prepare for the subsequent analysis.
9 The Staging of a Nuclear Apocalypse: Compares the narrative structures, worldbuilding, and focalization techniques used in both films to convey the consequences of nuclear war.
10 On the Beach and The Day After as Crisis Texts: Applies the crisis paradigm to the films, evaluating how characters display coping strategies like denial, work-as-escapism, and the search for purpose.
11 Relationship between Fiction and Reality in On the Beach and The Day After: Discusses the meta-fictional role of these films and their significant reception history, highlighting their impact as political warnings rather than mere entertainment.
12 Conclusion: Summarizes the thesis, reaffirming the role of fictional narratives in shaping reality and the Cold War zeitgeist.
Keywords
Cold War, Nuclear Apocalypse, Crisis Texts, Politics of Deterrence, Collective Imaginary, On the Beach, The Day After, Nuclear Fallout, Media Discourse, Science Fiction, Narratives, Coping Mechanisms, Imaginary War, Atomic Age, Cultural Studies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this thesis?
This thesis examines the role of apocalyptic films in the Cold War era, arguing that they functioned as essential "crisis texts" that both mirrored and shaped societal perceptions of nuclear reality.
What are the central themes discussed?
The core themes include the politics of deterrence, the conceptualization of the Cold War as a war against the imagination, the influence of media coverage on nuclear perception, and the use of film as a psychological coping mechanism.
What is the main research question?
The research investigates how films like On the Beach and The Day After impacted the Cold War zeitgeist and to what extent they served as instruments of hypothetical knowledge in a conflict defined by threats rather than actual warfare.
Which scientific methods are applied?
The study employs a qualitative, context-dependent discursive analysis, incorporating concepts from apocalypticism research and media studies to interpret film narratives within their historical and political environment.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The analysis spans the historical context of the Cold War, the evolution of nuclear discourse in US media, the comparison of the two specific films' narratives and staging techniques, and an exploration of how these stories influenced their contemporary audiences.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include Cold War, nuclear apocalypse, crisis texts, politics of deterrence, collective imaginary, and the cultural impact of nuclear media narratives.
How does the author interpret the role of "imagination" in the Cold War?
The author argues that because a full-scale nuclear war never occurred during the Cold War, the conflict was largely fought in the collective imagination; thus, fictitious narratives became central to defining reality and political agendas.
How did the reception of On the Beach differ from The Day After?
While both were treated with extreme seriousness, The Day After was specifically noted for its documentary-like impact on American television audiences, leading to unprecedented public discussion and psychological counseling efforts by the network.
- Quote paper
- Iris Strimitzer (Author), 2021, On the Relationship between Apocalyptic Films and Reality in US Cold War Culture, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1184030
