Prelude to War
| Why We Fight: Prelude to War | |
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Film
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| Directed by | Frank Capra |
| Produced by | Frank Capra |
| Written by |
Anthony Veiller Eric Knight |
| Narrated by | Walter Huston |
| Music by |
Uncredited: Hugo Friedhofer Leigh Harline Arthur Lange Cyril J. Mockridge Alfred Newman David Raksin |
| Cinematography | Robert Flaherty |
| Edited by | William Hornbeck |
| Distributed by | War Activities Committee of the Motion Pictures Industry |
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Release date
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Running time
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53 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Prelude to War is the first film of Frank Capra’s Why We Fight propaganda film series, commissioned by the Office of War Information (OWI) and George C. Marshall. It was made to convince American troops of the necessity of combating the Axis Powers during World War II. The film was based on the idea that those in the service would be more willing and able fighters if they knew the background and reason for their participation in the war. It was later released to the general American public as a rallying cry for support of the war.
In an edit added to the film before public release, a comment by Henry L. Stimson, the Secretary of War at the time, was quoted to create trust with the audience, “the purpose of these films is to give factual information as to the causes, the events leading up to our entry into the war and the principles for which we are fighting.”
The purpose of the OWI was to use mass communication to sell the war and to define Americans' perception of the reality of war; therefore, they released Prelude to War to further these goals. The film commences with an explanation of how Americans were brought into the war through heroic motives to protect countries unable to protect themselves. America had this duty to righteousness and Christian values throughout history, according to the values and beliefs set forth by the founding fathers.
The documentary makes use of compare and contrast methods throughout the film in order to transmit its heroic message. The primary images used within the film to portray the opponents of America are introduced by Henry Wallace as the “free world” — a brightly illuminated planet of the Allies, and a “slave world” as a planet deep in shadow of the Axis Powers.
It examines the differences between the U.S. and the fascist states of Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler and Yamamoto, portraying the latter countries working together as gangsters to conquer the world. In order to do this, Capra made use of footage from Triumph of the Will, but with different narration designed to support the Allied cause.
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Wikipedia