Red Dawn and the Power of Propaganda - Renegade Cut 

Fun fact: The Soviet t-72 replica used in the movie looked so real that the cia asked where they got it from!

In war both sides sees themselves as the hero.

I always loved the part in the movie where the crack Elite Russian Paratroopers wasted their very finite amount of supplies and ammunition blowing up a highschool.

I think in one way its about how U.S.A despratly wants to be the underdog. So on this and even star wars they always want to view themselves as the rebels they want to be viet cong becuse its not cool to be the invader.

Learned about a Turkish film series called "Valley of the Wolves." In "Valley of the Wolves: Iraq," the (Turkish) protagonists hunt down an American commander in Iraq who commits a series of war crimes against Iraqi civilians and even executes his own men. I was surprised to learn we were so vilified, until I started to think of how many "American Sniper" and "True Lies" type films I'd watched over my lifetime in which people from the Middle East are stripped down to evil caricatures (as in the latter) or reduced to completely voiceless thugs (as in the former). So much easier to recognize it when someone else does it...

You didn't mention one piece: how the Communists are portrayed as evil and powerful enough to invade the US, but largely too incompetent to track down and destroy a pack of teenagers that start out with no military background and only a bare modicum of survival skills. This fits with propagandistic pieces where the enemy is all powerful unless the people stand up to them at which point they become incompetent and inpotent. It's worth comparing the reality of insurgent warfare with how it plays out in it's romanticized format in Red Dawn. In reality, such irregular forces tend to suffer horrible attrition relative to conventional forces and this attrition is at it's worse during the initial phases when the insurgents are still learning the ropes. Taking exchange ratios in the Soviet War in Afghanistan, which the film in some ways tries to emulate, the entirety of the Wolverines should have been wiped out after killing those first three Soviet soldiers. This is the prime reason that insurgents needs a constant supply of fresh recruits constantly volunteering, if not being forcibly conscripted, from the local populace. But it isn't until very late of the film that the Wolverine's suffer serious losses at the hands of what are supposed to be much better equipped and trained Soviet/Soviet-aligned forces and only after killing hundreds of them. And fresh recruits to the Wolverines are usually treated as extraordinary exceptions instead of the rule. Nor would the aforementioned attrition come from enemy action. Just learning to survive in the wilderness and how to fight as insurgents would probably have killed the majority of the original Wolverines even before the Russians have their say. Explosives making is the most obvious example: for every Iraqi insurgent bombmaker who manages to master his craft, another five die from mistakes made learning how to make explosives.

He was difficult to work with- “ah come on how bad can it be, just shouting at people or something” - and known to point guns at people - “holy shit, that’s mad!”

Holy crap. Do you realize Conan the Barbarian was written by John Milus and Oliver Stone? That's quite a mixture of politics lol

this movie was made in response to the movie "the day after" which showed the effects of a nuclear attack, and this movie was expressly made to appeal to those who saw that movie as anti-war propaganda.

I fucking love red dawn WOLVERINES !

Whenever I watched this movie as a kid, I never got the impression that the execution of Daryl was being portrayed as a good thing. I always felt as if it was the beginning of the end for the Wolverines, and that the viewer was supposed to be shocked that they had gone so far as to kill their friend. The fact that Jed isn’t the one who shoots Daryl, and that the kid who does was the one that was portrayed throughout the movie as a morally dubious and exceptionally brutal and cruel person further signified to me that the execution wasn’t a good thing. Maybe this is just my personal read on the scene, but I can’t help but feel that’s also how it was intended by the filmmakers. Other than that I do agree with a lot of your other points though.

Wasn't one of the main goals of the film to breed sympathy for the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan?

"BAd subreddit posts", not sure against who, but shots have been fired.

Cool to hear the old theme tune in there again. One aspect that could have been mentioned, is that there is a subtext in the movie, that is not that it's satirizing right wing views, but rather, that the Soviets represent the federal government, and the people of the town represent American gun owners. I read in an article somewhere that Milius said that much himself, but can't really find it right now (google search is mudied by results about the remake). Another quirk, of course, is that a major inspiration for the Wolverines was the Taliban, which obviously didn't age well.

BTW The National Review has always hated Ayn Rand. Look carefully at magazine cover shown at 6:54. They hate her because of her atheism.

Fun Fact: Harry Anderson Middle School in Omaha Ne are the Anderson M.S. Wolverines. And yes it is because of this movie. The first class of 8th graders attending the school were allowed to vote on the mascot that was used and they picked this. How many impressionable young kids in the 35 years since the school opened in 1986 have absorbed this movies message once they learn where their school mascot comes from.

I am an anarchist but this is one of my favorite movies from my childhood and is one of my guilty pleasures😭

I still find it somewhat funny that the Soviet Union would be able to land in America and even funnier that they'd make much progress. Like how did they get past the Allied fleet? I don't believe that the Soviet Union has ever had a fleet that can stand up to America let alone it's allied also. Edit: The funniest part of all would be that a bunch of random Carriabian countries formed together and took out Mexico and was able to also invade America. America would most defiantly not be ok with a hostile regime building up in the south and would strike them before they gain power.

Considering Walter Sobchak is based on John Milius, I'd say change the dialogue wth lines from the great lebowski

I saw this in the summer of 1984 with my dad.

When someone says intellectuals can’t be strong-willed. The first thing that pubs in my head is then what is Teddy Roosevelt then?

Professor Michael Parenti did a great historical analysis of this and many other US propaganda films called ''Rambo and the Swarthy Hordes''. He's got a great sense of humour, he's informative, and is probably the most well informed expert on Eastern Bloc history in English speaking academia. If you search the title within the quotation marks you'll find it on youtube. I feel like it compliments this video real well.

Rocky IV is another example of propaganda from that era.

I loved this film as a kid and it's still a guilty pleasure, but it really does have a lot of gall. The general theme of youths in resistance is compelling to me, but pitting middle American youths against Soviets and their Latin American allies in the 1980s is a slap in the face to the hundreds of thousands of people in South and Central America who got to experience the real version of the first 15 minutes of this film- courtesy of US policy, tax dollars, equipment and training. I think they *should* do a remake of this film, this time placed in actual events. Set it in any given country the US government has interfered in in the last seventy years, you'll have an enormous series of locales to film in.

Even knowing all this, I can't help but enjoy the film almost as a strange artifact from another world. It's somewhat like the enjoyment I get from the recent deluge of Christian propoganda films. However, Red Dawn is actually infinitely more well made than those pieces of trash.

Red Dawn is an outstanding movie and no one can change my mind

Glad you’re examining the messages of propaganda in this film. Flipping the narrative is what needs to be seen when one country invades another. If we as a country would not tolerate an occupation, why should other countries permit one? That 70s show has the perfect quote: “The three branches of the government are Military, Corporate, and Hollywood.” -Hyde

Rocky 4, Rambo 3 and Red Dawn, are obvious propaganda films.they are so over the top they are entertaining. Top Gun is a very subtle propaganda movie, I think is far more dangerous than the likes of Red Dawn

.... Can I still enjoy Conan the Barbarian?

I see it as the sequel to "If the Footmen Tire You..." The strange fixation on a hypothetical invasion of Cuba into the US is particularly fascinating in both examples, especially the idea of Cuban death squads roaming the country to slaughter the good Americans seemingly only to anger the population. Red Dawn adds the great plot idea that Highschool students in a small town in the center of the country completely destroy the invading Cuban/Soviet forces, as well as make the Cuban military abandon Communism through the display of their patriotism.

I like the movie. I’m a liberal I really didn’t see it as right wing propaganda. More like an alternative history idea. The Cold War had one foot in the coffin by the time this movie came out

When I watched Red Dawn, one thing that stuck with me is that the American insurgents use Vietnamese-style trap doors (something you showcase at 13:40). It's fascinating how the whole movie is a complete reversal of historical facts to the point of not only casting the US as the invaded country but also appropriating fighting techniques that were used against it.

Interesting parts of the movie for me, besides the trauma the teens experience is the more humanizing parts - like when we follow the Cuban officer and his hatred of the war, the scene where they are betrayed by one of their own and have to determine without any external guidance how to deal with the traitor, and even smaller moments like the scene where the bumper sticker says, “you can have my gun when you tear it from my cold dead hand,” only to see an invader pry a hand gun from the grip of a corpse. The movie is haunting on a level that seems almost anti-war. No e of the action scenes are heroic, it’s desperate firing from cover and ambushes. As well as dealing with issues in the harshest, realist light. I honestly think they film wants it both ways (these are are heroes/war is hell) and does so amazingly well.

Has anyone seen the beast the tank movie made by us about a Russian tank crew in Afghanistan

I learned that in Russia there is a brand of toiletries named red dawn. They used to be Красная Заря but they changed it to French to look more fancy. Aube Rouge

can anyone tell me what the song is that's playing at 8:44? it's familiar but I just can't quite place it. thanks

What are your feelings towards video games of a similar nature such as Freedom Fighters, or the Homefront series?

the deadmau5 in this video caught me off guard. good selection of score, and good message.

Wait wait! Then Red Dawn wasn't an ironic film????

Would really enjoy your view on the newer Red Dawn.

0:35 - Now there's some music that takes me back...

A year or two years later, a TV mini-series called ‘Amerika’ starring Kris Kristofferson is made. It takes place in the US under the Soviet occupation. Never seen it but I believe it’s anti-Soviet propaganda.

They just made the soviets behave like the US military lmao

10:45 Just curious, what's that flag on the windshield there?

I'd still consider it enjoyable 80's cheese. I get if you don't enjoy the more exploitation style films but i think there is still fun to have with movies like this around the right friends.

What music did you use for this? Thanks.

This movie is awesome. Especially compared to the last remake which is crap.

So I'm confused by the sentence, "The Soviet Union is portrayed in almost Orwellian terms". I mean yeah, that would be appropriate, wouldn't it?

At least the original Red Dawn was ideologically driven. The clown factory that made the remake changed the aggressors from Chinese to the DPRK so they could sell the movie in China. The funny part is even with the changes it still never made it over there.

I’m still spooked by helicopters because of this movie.

"Audience manipulation" .....That pretty much sums up the entertainment,corporate,and political businesses right there. Some might include religion in this,but I'm not in the mood to go there:)

In 1987 there was a mini series by ABC called AMERIKA about a successful invasion of USA.

I will have to say it isn't very wise to tell the viewer they should hate a movie. Because you say they should. The viewer should determine this on their own.

I was in high school when this movie came out. Its an awesome classic! Its the remake that was terrible.

Would love to see you do a vid essay on John Milius.

This is still a really great movie and very entertaining.

honestly I enjoyed Red Dawn as a typical big dumb action movie, but it was still dumb. I watched it got a good chuckle out of how ridiculous it was and how bad the acting was and moved on.

all enemies, foreign and domestic

background song ?

AVENGE MEEEEEEEEE

I remember whenever both movies were free on RU-vid

"even by Swayzean standards" ... nice one! :D And yes: It is important to detach yourself from a movie such as Red Dawn and remember that you're not watching real people but the filmmakers' "agenda" on screen. In the case of Milius, the nature of that agenda should be clear to anyone who is even slightly familiar with the man and his track-record.

This outta be an interesting comments' section.

Red Dawn is an awesome movie

To be honest, the film abandons any hope of being taken seriously when they mention the Soviet Union was experiencing Famine and yet somehow they are able to raise and feed an army large enough to mount a land invasion of America's heartland with allies who are also not in the best of shape in terms of resources. You would essentially have the bulk of the soviet army stranded in enemy territory since likely half of Russia would have been nuked to kingdom come so the troops in America would have no means of supply, no government to receive orders from, and no homes or families to return to. The entire film presents a scenario so unrealistic, it is only overshadowed by the remake of the movie set in modern times and featuring North Korea as the villain. Alternate history scenarios depicting america falling to another world power at least has some rational explanation for it, Perhaps America should have been the one going through famine and economic hardship, resulting in a cutback on military spending and allowing the Soviets a free hand in Europe, this would lead to unchecked communist revolutions in the world and forcing the major democratic powers to stand down to preserve global trade and avoid war, leaving America the stubborn hold out. You could also have a growing movement within the United states, driven by a starved and impoverished portion of the population, meaning that the enemy the Wolverines would be facing would not only be Soviet and Latin American, but other Americans as well would favor the communist takeover and so insiders could have facilitated the invasion and large groups of Americans cooperating and even openly supporting them. This scenario would have been a little more believable and the film would have represented a true underdog story and could have even inspired sequels as the wolverines would have been the spark to ignite a counter revolution that would eventually lead to reclaiming the US as a democracy, giving a moment of pause to the rest of the world who have been on the sidelines.

This movie was my shit might watch again

What is the background music that starts at 4:35?

Did anybody else notice the Deadmau5 music in the background?

That electronic background music tho... great show.

Is a 1980's film, there are so many things in it that are not real. But, you know the romanticism of wart or resisting an invader is hard to resist.

What's the background song that's playing throughout the video?

The Russia-language sign at 1:26 is wrongly spelled - perhaps deliberately, perhaps just through ignorance.

Fun fact: this was meant to be an parallel with the then current Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Make of that what you will.

can you do a similar analysis of the film "midnight express"

You left out Milius' best film THE WIND AND THE LION.

One possible way to explain how the teenagers were able to defeat the Russians so easily is that the many of the Russian soldiers were conscripts who were poorly trained. They could have been hurried through basic training because they needed all the troops they could get for the invasion of America. Didn't we do that in Vietnam?

I've never seen this movie. Curious thing about Operation Red Dawn: the first mission on RTS game Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 is called Operation: Red Dawn. If you're not familiar with it, the premise of the game is that the Soviet Union... invades the United States. Hmmm...

At the time the movie was made, if I am correct, the President of the United States at that time was a former actor.

Is it just me or does Renegade Cut sound a lot quieter now, like “ASMRenegade Cut?”

I remember seeing this movie when I was 18 and thinking that the US has a huge military, why was the only response to a Soviet invasion one helicopter, one F15 Eagle airplane and a couple of tanks? The whole war was won by a group of high school students? Still we all fell into shouting Woverines! and Avenge ME! when playing paintball. I get that it was a hokey pretend movie with a bunch of propaganda in it on both sides, the wolverines and the Soviet and Cuban advisors guys and trying to make the parallels of Vietnam and what the US would do if we got invaded.

I would love you to do a re-do of this video with the newer version of Red Dawn

Song is Strobe by deadmau5 great inclusion btw

For some reason this one never came to my country (in South America). And it's got nothing to do with the propagandistic thing of it, cause we got some of those too. Up until recently (a video of Alternative History Hub) I had never heard of it.

Growing up in a Christian conservative family, this movie was constantly on in our homes--whether watching it on cable or VHS. I was always the black sheep, because I started reading Ebert and Maslin at around age 11--so I came to recognize cinematic crap at a really young age. I've probably seen this movie from start to finish around 15 times, through no choice of my own.

In this context, I would love to hear your take on "american sniper", Leon. As a non-american, I found it unbearable to watch. Apparently it was a big hit in the US...

So now I can't wait to hear what you have to say about Forrest Gump!

I'm as left as it gets, but is it really wrong to enjoy Red Dawn for what it is on the surface? It's a good war movie, with really good practical effects, and a pretty good storyline. It's still one of my favorite movies of all time, and I'm not entirely sure I agree with the video completely. The "bad guys" are portrayed pretty fairly if you watch it more. Colonel Bella truly believes in the cause of Communism, yet doesn't agree with the harsh methods of his side. The Spetsnaz colonel near the end isn't even really a bad dude, he realizes that reprisals against civilians doesn't work, and stops his troops from killing civilians from that point out, and plenty of the Soviet soldiers seem to be just normal people thrust into a global war that they didn't want.

Youngblood Priest joined up with Castro?

I totally get what you’re saying with this film. I didn’t watch this film until I was an adult but heard a lot about growing up and when I finally watched it, didn’t get why people thought so fondly of it. I definitely picked up on some of the more conservative undertones of the film which didn’t help endear me to it. I just felt like the whole thing fell flat me like the characters were all very robotic.

Ironically, got a Marines propaganda ad before this video 🙃

I remember a remake of this

Is the background music Strobe by DeadMau5

I know this is a old video so no one will see this but I just rewatched the 2 versions of red dawn and it always rubbed me the wrong way, I couldn’t put my finger on it until now with this video. And another explaining the original idea for red dawn 2012 I mention this cause for a few years I had a scene written out with a story that kept changing narrative wise, but after watching the movies and video essays I decided to try using the red dawn concept to make an anti war story to criticize nations like the US or Russia who intervene to make sure their policies are the ones that rules. Like a reverse red dawn with a US invasion. It needs ironing out and I just wanna say great work on the video for helping inspire me.

I idolized Milius for his art and I thank you for humanizing him for me. Some decent storytellers can also be hostile jerks.

BUT IT HAD PONYBOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday was homecoming, I went to the parade, the game , walking home , a police car and state trooper scream through town. I said isn't this how "Red Dawn started ????

Great video! I do think, however, you missed the point of the execution scene. I don't think that Patrick Swayze was supposed to be sympathetic.

Megaforce is pretty fun too

But what if I just want to see some Reds get blown away?

I can always tell when a video is especially good and serious cause your voice gets softer while still punctuating your points