Recreating American Mythology. Vietnam Veterans in Oliver Stone's "Born on the Fourth of July" and "Heaven & Earth"

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The paper explores the evolution of American war films, particularly in the context of the Vietnam War, contrasting the myth of U.S. invincibility with the harsh realities faced by soldiers. It highlights how traditional war movies and westerns, which thrived during and after World War II, failed to capture the complexities and horrors of the Vietnam conflict. Following the war, filmmakers shifted their focus, creating a new narrative that rejected previous glorifications and instead portrayed the chaos and trauma experienced by soldiers, thereby reconstructing the American myth.