Soviet Cinema and the enemies of Soviet values: East-West relations through the lens of Soviet movies

Abstract

The study of cinema as a tool of ideological and political influence for Soviet propaganda is an important subject for studies of the Cold War. The following paper examines the portrayal of enemies of the Soviet Union in Soviet movies. The focus is on the times under post-WW2 leaders, namely Stalin, Khrushchev and Brezhnev. The discussion of the wide range of instruments used by filmmakers is organised in terms of two distinct thematic frameworks in the article: that of gender discourse and spy movies. The paper illustrates the portrayal of Western characters and the Western lifestyle through Soviet narratives. This often entailed de-humanizing American women and de-masculinizing American men or glorifying Soviet spies as the national heroes.