The head of state as war leader in Hollywood and in French cinema The interweaving threads of soft and hard power

Cinematic representations of the head of state as war leader vary considerably between France and the United States. In Hollywood, an instrument of American soft power, the president of the United States is usually depicted as using hard power. In French cinema, by contrast, the French president is a very unobtrusive hero, despite being “head of the armed forces.” Nevertheless, an Americanization of attitudes and a presidentialization of military authority can be noted.