The Facts of War: Cinematic Intelligence and the Office of Strategic Services
The Facts of War: Cinematic Intelligence and the Office of Strategic Services
This chapter tells the story of the OSS Field Photographic Unit (FPU) and its impact on American cinema and society. Led by the legendary Hollywood film director John Ford, the FPU produced training, reconnaissance and propaganda films for the CIA’s wartime predecessor. In doing so, it is argued here, they made a significant contribution to what theorist Paul Virilio termed “the logistics of perception”, or the ways and means by which war is perceived. By helping to transform the second-hand experience of war from a predominantly textual to a mostly visual experience, the FPU left a profound legacy.
Keywords: John Ford, Office of Strategic Services, OSS, Field Photographic Unit, Paul Virilio, Nuremberg Trials, Nazi War Crimes, Combat Film, Combat Photography
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