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.