Critical Conversations: bridging pathways forward to greater understanding and creative solutions.

Race, War, and the Cinematic Myth of America

Research Open House 2022

Eric Trenkamp
School of Art, Film/Video

In the monograph Race, War, and the Cinematic Myth of America: Dust That Never Settles, I explore the evolution of the ever-changing image of White superiority in American cinema, which can be traced from the earliest silent Westerns, through decades of war films, and up to the modern-day comic book genre.

jacket cover for Race, War, and the Cinematic Myth of America
Race, War, and the Cinematic Myth of America: Dust That Never Settles was written by Eric Trenkamp, assistant chair of the Film/Video department, and published by Rowman and Littlefield.

Through an analysis of a wide variety of Hollywood films, I demonstrate the industry’s history of popularizing White supremacy and the ways in which these films can act as propaganda to support various dehumanizing US policies, both abroad and at home.

comparison of imagery from The Dark Knight and the attack on the World Trade Center
Promotional images for Warner Bros. The Dark Knight (2008) intentionally evoke audience’s emotional associations with the World Trade Center attack.