What if some of the greatest art ever made also served a terrible purpose and had a hidden political agenda? The short documentary segment The Cold War, When Art Took Sides (part of a larger docuseries titled You, Myself and Art - Who We Are Through the Medium of Art) uncovers some of the hidden motives behind the movements in American culture and art as the Cold War began.
The documentary, created, directed, and edited by Thomas Deshays, (director of the documentaries Opening and Giant!) begins by establishing the background to the Cold War, explaining the shift in American culture towards a desire for dominance in the cultural arena. Deshays considers artists such as Diego Rivera and James Baldwin, who engaged with American culture—sometimes with motives of their own.
After the introduction, the documentary considers two significant shapers of the art movement in America towards individualism and freedom of expression: The Congress of Cultural Freedom, and Jackson Pollock. The documentary unfolds the little-known agenda of the Congress of Cultural Freedom during the Cold War era and unveils how this organization helped support artists such as Paul Pollock with hopes to further the cause of American supremacy over the Soviet Union.
Overall, the segment within the documentary serves to highlight how art was during the Cold War to serve a political agenda in the United States. The documentary presents significant figures from the time period and presents clear criticisms from expert analysts. At times, however, the analysis of the art becomes somewhat tedious and hard to follow for an average watcher, while the voiceover can be heavy-handed in its teaching. Furthermore, the segment is part of a series and assumes the viewer has prior knowledge of the previous segments.
What academic subjects would this film be suitable for?
Professors of history and art should consider screening this film in their classrooms.
What kind of film series would this documentary fit in?
A documentary series on art history would benefit from this segment. A series on the Cold War would be well-rounded if this was included.
What schools or colleges is this documentary appropriate for?
This series would be an excellent documentary resource for any college class on art—its purpose, and place in history.