The enemy on the screen

Hollywood anti-Nazism in Brazil during World War II

Abstract

Abstract: During World War II, cinema assumed a leading role in constructing political and social narratives, establishing itself as a powerful propaganda tool. This article examines the circulation of anti-Nazi Hollywood films in Brazil, analyzing censorship interventions and the mediation of cinematic works in newspapers and magazines during World War II. To this end, it will explore not only the context of production in Hollywood, but also the impacts of its circulation in Brazil, where the cultural policy of the Vargas government oscillated between strict censorship and collaboration with the allied forces. The research seeks to reveal how these cinematic productions influenced the social and political perception of the time, especially in the representation of Nazism and, crucially, in the construction of the image of the enemy.

Keywords: Cultural History; Cinema; World War II; Hollywood; Anti-Nazi films.