Why We Fight: The Narrative, Sound, and Imagery of the ‘Orientation’

The brink of World War II: a pivotal moment in American history. At a time when Hitler and his sideline of willful henchmen were subduing the civilians overseas with both physical and psychological warfare, the confidence of those Americans whom opposed this – the rise of the Third Reich – was at an abysmal low. Not only did the fear of warfare overseas seem unpalatable (the taste of World War I still curdled in the U.S. soldiers’ throats), but the effort, the knowledge, and the motivation was simply not there; this was a struggle Europe and Asia would have to deal with themselves. The American mindset reflected a genuine apathy, asking ‘Why should We fight?’ So, in an engagement labeled ‘orientation’ rather than ‘indoctrination,’ the U.S. forces backed Lt. Col. Frank Capra, an accomplished and well-known Hollywood director, to produce the documentary Prelude to War, the first in the “Why We Fight” series, that would educate the people and mobilize the American war effort. By using a unique mix of imagery, sound, and narrative structure, Capra’s Prelude to War succeeded in reversing the isolationists’ collective questioning and motivated the American people to join the war.
As soon as the opening credits have finished informing the audience that Prelude to War is an Office of War Information production, the United States’ flag appears. As it waves in the wind, it reminds Americans of their democratic freedom – the foundation of contemporary civilized society and the projection of all that is good in the world. Yet it also reminds them of something else: the impending evil that is anxious to overwhelm those it belongs to with brute force. An explosion booms through the screen and provides for an even more explicit reminder; with the attack on Pearl Harbor still fresh in the audience’s memory, the bombs that are shown being dropped over Britain, France, China, etc., resonate deeply.

Still, it is not only the Axis power’s bombings that the narrator warns of; there is an impending doom for the consciousness of peaceful populations throughout the world. Here is where Capra inserts some interesting superimpositions: tanks seemingly drive over enslaved European civilians; trenches being dug for the Axis powers; and, as the audience is transported back to the U.S., a contrasting view of a thriving industrialized society. Angelic choirs sweep in and, as a result, viewers cannot help but to tap into their religious reasoning and feel their spirits yearning to conquer this evil.

Although the narrator mentions the philosophical responsibilities that bind a multitude of the world’s religious prophets – Moses, Mohammed, Confucius, and Christ – the need to explicate an ethical code of humanity arises; the narrator must emphasize the struggle that the world must endure in order to remain civilized. “Fighting, living, dying – for what?” he asks. “Freedom.” He emulates: just as the prophets have fought in the past, so do the politicians around the world today. More superimpositions glide across the screen as the audience is hit with another wave of emotion: quintessential American images and monuments melt together as the Liberty Bell rings out in glory.

Yet Capra didn’t want to get too soft on his viewers. He is quick to accost any isolationists in the audience with grim reality. The Axis is killing freedom. This isn’t like World War I; this is a “betrayal.” The Axis are rounding up “a human herd.” People of the world are being robbed of their humanity – even the unknowing audience. The planet is slowly being overrun by evil – depicted by an animated montage of Europe and Asia’s maps being warped and darkened by the three symbols of the Axis powers.

The narrator sternly announces, “Trouble always comes in three.” It’s a strange statement; one that implies an unholy trinity of scourge that will transform its slave nations into devilish lands. Prelude to War is full of signifiers like this – one’s that wish to capture the essence and attitude of the pro-war movement. Throughout the film, the Axis’ symbols are blown to huge proportions, casting shadows over the free world. They represent false idols that pollute the landscape and reduce thinking people to worshipping fools, projecting a godless world and condemning salvation. Indeed, this is the pivotal moment in the battle of God vs. the Devil; it is the climax of the fight against evil, with the entire world’s future at stake.

Capra chooses to utilize the images of children to best symbolize this corruption of the optimistic world’s future. Perhaps the American audience doesn’t quite feel for the grown people of Europe and Asia – they should be able to take care of themselves. Prelude to War’s cause is caught by the safety net Capra has set up; no one can resist the untainted innocence of children. If Americans still need a response to ‘why we fight,’ it can be seen in this section of the film. The answer: for the children.

Kids, however, serve another symbolic purpose in Prelude to War. With a cross fade, the children onscreen are transformed into Axis soldiers. The narrator lets the audience know that they are only multiplying and, with a despotic tune droning, they are shown marching throughout the land. This is a [black-and-white] contrast to the images of our children – singing angelically in their choir.

With the answers that have already prevailed as to why we fight, another deeper one emerges in the conclusion of the film. This one addresses the isolationists directly, informing them that passivism not only fails to fight against evil, it actually aids it. Worst of all, “this isn’t just a war,” says the narrator. This is the ultimate battle between righteousness and wickedness – in which one must die, and one must live. With the liberty bell reinstating this message, there is a resounding need for triumph on America’s part. Prelude to War had done its job as a documentary-it gave audiences a taste of its world and told them what they wanted them to do for it, to fight.