Popular Culture Review Vol. 8, No. 2, August 1997 | Page 76

72 JPo£ular_CuUure__Rev^ American Dream as they are depicted in other Vietnam War films are important issues that should be explored further. In particular, other work such as Oliver Stone's Platoon should be examined to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the myth of American soldiers. U.S. military involvement in the 1991 Gulf War also raises questions for scholars. For example, will motion picture films portray the Gulf War in ways that resemble the recent wave of Vietnam films? The box-office hit Courage Under Fire is, to date, the most notable release with a Gulf War theme. Future research could compare and contrast its thematic approach against the most recent Vietnam War films discussed here. One additional question to consider is whether the public assessment of the Gulf War will eventually resemble the anti-war sentiments found in Born on the Fourth of July. Two factors may have a significant effect on public opinion regarding the Gulf War: the short duration of the Gulf War and the relative "success" of the military mission. Analysis of public opinion polls conducted before, during and after the Gulf War indicate that "from the standpoint of American public opinion, as well as of world history perhaps, the war was really quite a minor event."^^ Nevertheless, scholars may use the social value theory of Rushing and Frentz and its application presented here to study the response of Gulf War veterans and the long-term assessment by American society. The Vietnam War shattered the American myth of invincibility, leaving society to struggle with the events in Southeast Asia. Popular culture forms were a useful tool in helping society to understand the complexity of the war. Born on the Fourth of July illustrates the shift in values that can occur when the dominant myth fails to resolve social problems. The American military presence in Vietnam presented one such problem. Re-making myths is a process which requires understanding the past in a way that prepares us to face the future. John Heilman speculates, "Americans can seek, through the mental rehearsal of art, a meaningful structure for the narrative of actual experience they will make their future."^^ Born on the Fourth of July moves us closer to facing that future. University of Nevada, Las Vegas Barbara Pickering