Boms over Burma. How does this show propaganda? History Essay

Bombs Over Burma
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Bombs Over Burma
Introduction
The Southeast Asian country of Burma was considered pivotal in World War II. The victory of the war at this front was termed "allied" because, despite Burma being a British colony, it was a combined effort of the Burmese troops, China, the British Empire, and the United States. However, they were in a heated war front with the Japanese, Thailand, and Free India. Burma was a vital front because of its centrality in the distribution of supplies and medicine.
Bombs Over Burma is a 1942 American war film based on a story by Milton Raison and directed by Joseph H. Lewis. The film highlights the horror and gore of the war and the brevity of a young lady teacher Lin Yang who was recruited to help with the dangerous mission of protecting the Allied supply line from Burma into China and being an informant against the Japanese in the disguise of checking school supplies. Despite the danger involved, her resolve to help was strengthened when one of her young students was killed in a Japanese air raid. She later became a part of Allied representatives departing from Lashio on a bus traveling the Burma Road to China. They are forced to spend the night at a monastery when a bridge is bombed, followed by more targeted bombings of a supply convoy that could only mean that amongst themselves, they had an enemy informant.
The Japanese invasion of Burma in 1942 was one of their last significant successes on land during the Second World War that saw a weakened British and Indian forces and their allied China forced out of the country. Japanese primary purpose for Burma's invasion was to cut the Burma Road, which was the only remaining. That was why, as seen in the movie, the bombing of the convoys on the road was crucial. The Japanese ally conveyed the information about convoys and where they would be at specific times to aid in the air raids that Japanese troops were so effective in. These raids were quite effective, as depicted in the Monastery passengers' panic wave and especially allies to China. With no more roads, both food and medical necessities would be cut off, further weakening Chinese forces. Lin Yang needed to find the spy and hopefully curb their information in good time if China would get a fighting chance.
Propaganda and the Message Being sent
As all this was happening, it did seem that Burma was very low on its defense. At the beginning of the movie, people run desperately for their lives as bombs rain on them. There is not much in terms of defense. At the time, the British forces had two weak defenses at Burma and were unable to keep up with the Japanese's constant air raids. That, in turn, gave the Japanese a much-needed advancement towards the North of the Burma-China road. In grim of such times, Lin Yang's success was paramount. In the movie, she risks her life to figure out who is an ally and who is not. With nothing but courage, she first scrutinizes the priest but finds out they are on the same side and that his radio gadget will come in handy to convey a message once they figured out who the spy was.
For a long time, the British had not thought that Burma would ever...