The 1960s was a time of great economic prosperity and social progression within America. With the economy thriving as a result of World War II, baby boomers were born into a time that would reshape the ideals of traditional American standards regarding practices of, but not limited to, religion and racial separation. The combination of political, economic, and social structure during the 60s and into the 70s served to provide America with a more concise foundation and definition of its very tenant of freedom within the constitution. Two films that explicitly highlight America’s rapid growth in social and political reform are entitled, The Big Chill and Top Gun. Both films aim to alleviate America’s angst regarding conventional perspective
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Prior to Vietnam, America had experienced great success and economic leverage which resulted in a nationalistic mindset that was driven behind military strength and prowess. Prior films, such as Dr. Strangelove, highlight the filmmakers intention of displaying American prowess through satirical material. One could argue that the questioning of American military dominance started to come under question after the Cuban missile crisis and the drastic miscalculation of foreign nuclear possession by the Soviet Union. Phallic symbols are the main symbolic example of the film. Conversely, after the failure of Vietnam, Top Gun producers wanted to provide reassurance of American superiority by using the same ideology, but different symbols of domineering manlihood represented by the dangerous lifestyle lived by fighter pilots. Although non phallic in nature, the plot and Tom Cruise’s demeanor strikes the hearts of American audiences in a way that creates a strong nationalistic sense of pride in the wake of his rise to fearlessness at the end of the film. The foreign pilots are not distinctly identified due to the fact that the filmmakers wanted to assert American technological power along with the operators like Cruise who control them.
Prior to Vietnam, America had experienced great success and economic leverage which resulted in a nationalistic mindset that was driven behind military strength and prowess. Prior films, such as Dr. Strangelove, highlight the filmmakers intention of displaying American prowess through satirical material. One could argue that the questioning of American military dominance started to come under question after the Cuban missile crisis and the drastic miscalculation of foreign nuclear possession by the Soviet Union. Phallic symbols are the main symbolic example of the film. Conversely, after the failure of Vietnam, Top Gun producers wanted to provide reassurance of American superiority by using the same ideology, but different symbols of domineering manlihood represented by the dangerous lifestyle lived by fighter pilots. Although non phallic in nature, the plot and Tom Cruise’s demeanor strikes the hearts of American audiences in a way that creates a strong nationalistic sense of pride in the wake of his rise to fearlessness at the end of the film. The foreign pilots are not distinctly identified due to the fact that the filmmakers wanted to assert American technological power along with the operators like Cruise who control them.