I had a lot of preconceptions about propaganda films before friendly fire.

I thought they'd be thinly veiled Warbonds commercials with wooden perfect characters bombing Tokyo with enough hot apple pies to force their surrender to

our perfectly pomated generals. God bless America or whatever. Air Force is positioned to be exactly that,

but right away you're introduced to a B-17 bomber crew

chock full of shadowy past, imperfections and regrets.

It's a film that says,

your heroes aren't perfect almost as much as you don't have to be either.

And that's inspiring in some way.

But the film is disturbing in some others.

I guess I just sort of assumed that the major thrust of a U.S. propaganda film of this era

would be exclusively about its one-sidedness and not resorting to just making

shit up, but this film does, and what it and others made up had atrocious consequences for Asian Americans at the time.

Yes, the attack on Pearl Harbor was bad, infamously so,

sufficiently tragic to invite the response at GOT even. This film is based on real

events and real people and their real and true stories are sufficient to inspire noble enlistment.

Did we really need to make up lies about Japanese Americans participating in the attack?

No, clearly.

But does it ruin the film? It might for some people. But it also makes you think

about how people formulate their opinions based on the media and entertainment they consume.

And the creeping effect of a lie believed by enough people

affecting holy shit I think I'm writing a film paper right now and it's with that kind of

consideration that I suggest going into watching an artifact like this.

...