The New American War Film, by Robert Burgoyne

The New American War Film by Robert Burgoyne provides an in-depth analysis of the recent paradigm shift from the traditional American war narrative to a new style of war film. As Burgoyne notes, images of war and military bravado have always consumed the American psyche. He references Jacques Rancière, the French philosopher, who has described the phenomenon as the “dominant fiction” (ix). The American war film, according to Burgoyne, frequently taps into this phenomenon often painting a “heightened” portrayal of the American experience (x). Furthermore, he notes that concepts like “heroic sacrifice,” “mystic brotherhood,” and “citizen-soldier” appear to have changed in the new American war film (x–xi).