To keep the Pentagon satisfied, some Hollywood producers, as you know, turn villains into heroes, cut out central characters, change the delicate political environment, or add military rescue operations to films whose stories do not require this at all. There are no bad guys among the military. There are no close relationships between employees of different ranks. No drunkenness and drugs. No fanaticism and ignorance. The military and the president cannot be put up in a bad light.
One good turn deserves another
"The only thing Hollywood loves more than a good movie is a good deal," says David Robb. This is an American journalist, author of the acclaimed book "Hollywood Operation." (Not to be confused with actor David Robb). Therefore, the producers of such films as “The Best Shooter”, “Volunteers forced” and “The Great Santini”, the author testifies, rewrote their scripts to meet the requirements of the Pentagon. In return, they received low-cost access to military facilities, equipment, troops and equipment, everything necessary for shooting films.
Over the years as a journalist for The Daily Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, Robb has heard about this agreement between the Pentagon and Hollywood studios and decided to conduct his own investigation. He looked through thousands of Pentagon documents, interviewed dozens of screenwriters, producers, and military representatives. The result was David Robb's new book, The Hollywood Operation.
Pentagon help
Cooperation between the US Army and Hollywood has been going on for a very long time. The current “approval” process was established immediately after World War II. Before that, the Pentagon helped producers, but all this was very formal, as now. They have been helping producers since at least 1927. The very first film to receive an Academy Award, Wings - even he received military support.
Selection process
To receive military assistance, the film producer must perform a series of actions, the author of the study writes. The first thing to do is to send a request that states exactly what and when the filmmakers need. Then five copies of the script should be sent to the Pentagon. If you like the script, there will be help; if not, then no. Almost always, they ask for some changes. And you have to make these changes or try to find a compromise, otherwise no one will get anything.
So finally approved. When you make the film, on the set you will always have, as David Robb says, the “military nanny,” or as the Pentagon calls him, the technical adviser — a person from the Pentagon who will ensure that the film is shot as agreed.
After the shooting is completed, the film must be shown to the Pentagon ...
“When the film is finished, they can’t do anything. They can’t arrest you, they can’t stop showing the film,” Robb continues his revelations. “But if you want to collaborate again after they once cheated, you don’t receive. "
So, by what criteria does the Pentagon decide whether to support the film? Most importantly, according to the conclusion of the author of the book, that he "contributed to the preservation and recruitment of personnel." They also say that it should reasonably reflect military operations, and if it is based on historical events, it must be reliable, which is actually a cipher. They are much less interested in truthfulness and accuracy than in a positive image. They often try to change historical facts that negatively affect the image. Such conclusions are made in the "Hollywood operation."
Nothing will change
To change this system, it will be enough if 50 people write to the congressman with the question: "What is happening here?" But this will not happen, the author of the book is sure. On the part of the US Scriptwriters Guild, whose mission is to protect the creative and economic rights of its members, there was not a single protest against the manipulations and script changes by the military. Congress did nothing. Hollywood likes it as it is, the Pentagon likes it as it is. The only one who is truly interested in this is the American people. Their lives are riddled with military propaganda. And they don’t even know about it - this is the main idea of ​​the book by David Robb, which is based not only on their own observations, but also on the opinions of experts.