The image of the common enemy of the USSR and NATO in the English-language cinema of the Cold War period

Abstract

The author extensively examines the plots of films from the Cold War period in English-language cinema, focusing on the representation of the “common enemy” and the Soviet side. The research aim is to identify how this theme evolved during periods of détente and escalation of the Cold War in the 1980s, exploring the images and plots used in films. The study analyzes a range of films and TV series as sources of this theme, including James Bond films, the series “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” and “The A-Team”, as well as works by directors such as Stanley Kubrick, Don Siegel, and John Mackenzie. The scientific novelty lies in analyzing plots and characters that have received little attention in Russian cultural studies. New sources have been introduced into the academic discourse, and the theme of the article is novel, shedding new light on the topic of cultural confrontation between the USSR and the Western bloc, revealing plots that reshape perceptions of the representation of the Soviet side in Anglo-American cinema. The author concludes that British and American directors did not consider the USSR as absolute evil, leading to the creation of a narrative trope of a common enemy hostile to both NATO and the Soviet Union.