In Hollywood movies, Russians can be found quite often, and, as a rule, as negative characters. Moreover, in many films the Russians look rather ridiculous: earflaps, quilted jackets, felt boots. What is the reason for this one-sided approach?
Russian bears
Hollywood film factories produce hundreds of films every year, and in some of them the Russians are the main opponents of the goodies. It can be the "omnipotent" Russian mafia, Russian intelligence, crazy generals or just maniacs. Of course, according to the requirements of the genre of a cheap action movie, the negative character should not evoke much sympathy, but in the case of the Russians, this effect is achieved through a creepy accent, stupid outfits and the constant use of vodka.
In fact, Hollywood exploits well-established stereotypes from the Cold War era, when many Americans were seriously afraid of a communist landing in Washington. The efforts of American propaganda have borne fruit, and in the minds of many US residents, Russians still remain bear-like alcoholics who resist eternal winter with the help of triuchs, on which a red star with a hammer and sickle is always present. By the way, it always snows in all American films in Russia, regardless of the season.
Despite the huge number of Russians living in America, there are still ridiculous mistakes in Hollywood cinema. This mainly concerns Russian inscriptions.
The aftermath of the cold war
During the Cold War, the United States set itself the task of winning not only the technological competition or arms race, but also on the ideological front. The Soviet Union was the main opposite of America, which means that it was necessary to demonstrate how much the American way of life is better than the Russian one.
Despite the fact that the confrontation between the United States and the USSR ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union, stereotypes about Russians in America have not disappeared anywhere. Many Russian emigrants only strengthened the Americans in the idea of the incomprehensibility of the mysterious Russian soul.
The most terrible and ruthless Russians look in a series of films about the gallant American soldier Rambo, where the Soviet military looks and behaves like bloodthirsty maniacs.
In the 1920s, America faced a wave of emigration from Italy, which brought into the country not only pizza and pasta, but also organized crime, that is, the mafia. The situation with Russian migrants aroused unpleasant associations among Americans, especially since Russian organized crime did penetrate the United States, although not as comprehensively as the Italian mafia. Nevertheless, the Russian mafia remains one of the most effective horror stories in Hollywood films.
