Frontline Special!

While both Bush’s War and Obama’s War were brought to us by the same network, PBS and Frontline, they were very different from one another. They were both good, just took different approaches.

Bush’s War started off by having a lot of little black and white images and videos form a bigger picture of Bush’s face. This intro was accompanied with dramatic music. This really set the tone. A lot of still shots were used through out this production. Usually before an interview there would be a still shot of the individual that was zoomed in directly on them and then it would cut to actual interview footage. The interviews were filmed in a straight on fashion, with the interviewer not being in the shot and the person being interviewed taking up most of the frame. Stills were also featured in retelling the events of 9/11- from the meetings between the Vice President and the CIA to the Twin Towers, stills played a major role. Often when the stills were shown they would be accompanied with a camera-clicking noise. This gives the feeling of credibility to the production- like these pictures actually captured not only that visual moment in time, but also the emotions. Also many of the photos were done in black and white. This highlights and questions the idea of what is right and what is wrong.

Obama’s War was quite different. It began with actual footage captured from a field reporters camera who was staying with the Echo Company. In this footage we see actual battle scenes and even the death of Marine Sharpe. While shocking and unsettling, this footage connects to the viewer. It is very effective in drawing us in. Another interesting scene from Obama’s war was when we first hear Obama’s voice. A U.S. plane is flying over unidentifiable land (nothing) in the Middle East and we hear the voice of President Obama asking what is our purpose in Afghanistan/Iraq. We asked a question of purpose and left with a visual of nothing. It just kinda made me think.