Final answer:
Editing in films was a powerful propaganda tool during the 1930s and 40s, shaping public opinion during wartime. Films served both as entertainment and propaganda, influencing both American and global audiences. The film industry saw significant evolution technically and thematically, embedding patriotic and ideological messages within various film genres.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the 1930s and 40s, the technique of editing in films was particularly influential in shaping public opinion and emotions amidst the turmoils of wartime. Movies not only acted as a source of distraction during the hardships of the Great Depression and World War II but also served as a powerful tool for propaganda, with newsreels, documentaries, and feature films conveying patriotic and ideological messages.
Directors such as Frank Capra with his Why We Fight series and various other national film industries including those of Germany, Italy, Japan, and the Soviet Union, utilized film as a medium to encourage support for the war effort and to portray enemies in a negative light. The film industry in Hollywood and beyond evolved significantly during this era, both technically and thematically, taking on topics ranging from heroic wartime narratives to espionage and science fiction.
As an escapism from wartime reality, the American public frequented movie theaters, seeing films as a primary entertainment source as well as a means of staying informed about the war. The use of censorship in various combatant nations further channeled the type of information that reached civilians, often highlighting a pro-war stance and diminishing the reported severity of war's consequences.