Red Scare and Cold War in American 1950 s movies

Abstract

This Bachelor thesis examines the portrayal of communism and anti-communist propaganda in American movies of the 1950s. It analyzes how narrative techniques and thematic elements were used to reflect and strengthen the Cold War anxieties, particularly in movies such as The Manchurian Candidate, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Red Planet Mars. The study also compares these portrayals to a modern example, Oppenheimer, and explores how contemporary perspectives interpret historical narratives. Using a comparative approach, the thesis highlights the cultural and political influences on cinematic representations of communism and examines the evolution of these depictions over time.