History Film Analysis

Introduction

The purpose of this exercise is to allow students to learn more about analyzing and using professional dramatic films as a resource for understanding history. Students must locate an approved movie/film using the list below. Depending on which course you are taking, only certain movies may be used for a course. View the film. Then write an analysis of the movie. This calls for a short essay with a thesis, evidence, and conclusion that closely follow the directions below. You are not doing a general summary or review of the movie; and you are not doing a formal film critique of the movie—you are focusing on the historical qualities of the film. Follow these instructions carefully.

Instructions

Write a persuasive essay containing a minimum of seven (7) well edited paragraphs critically analyzing the film as follows: 1. Identify the primary (single) point of the film. Was the movie, for example, sympathetic or critical? How did the movie attempt to persuade the audience to accept this point of view? Provide a background and historical setting for the film and its perspective using and citing sources as needed. Paragraph one. 2. Describe in detail the movie’s point of view. This may be critical of a period or person, or even a way of thinking. It might also be positive in tone. The movie might use sarcasm, humor, or other literary approaches to convey tone and message. Your thesis should correctly identify the perspective of the movie. Then briefly describe the plot of the movie, the film’s tone and theme, and the primary characters. Paragraph two. 3. Describe and analyze in detail at least three major scenes that were historically significant in the movie and that support the movie thesis, (do NOT describe aspects of technical film making such as acting, directing, editing, design, set design, photography, soundtrack, costumes, script writing—you are likely not experts at these techniques. These aspects of film making are associated with the film’s aesthetic qualities but not central to historical accuracy). The first scene description becomes paragraph three. a. Each scene’s historical analysis should include accuracy of the character(s) b. Accuracy of the setting c. And accuracy of the scene’s sequence of events; and the movie’s use of evidence d. And an analysis of the scene’s contribution to the movie’s point of view 4. Describe and analyze in detail your second scene next—using the above arguments. This is paragraph four. 5. Describe and analyze in detail your third scene next as paragraph five. It must be in support of your thesis. 6. Compare the movie’s story and evidence to sources or textbooks you have read in history courses and assess the movie’s accuracy as a statement of history—also assess the movie’s usefulness as history instruction. If this comparison does involve other sources, they must be recognized and properly cited. Paragraph six. 7. Analyze your own personal reaction and conclusions to the movie. Who might benefit from seeing the film? Overall, how strong are the historical arguments of the film? Paragraph seven. 8. Add CMS style sources if used. Write the paper in CMS style. Cite your film using Chicago style rules for a film entry. In order, this includes: Performers Last name,

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first name. Film Title in Italics. Medium. Directed by first name last name. Distributor City: Distributor, date.

Day-Lewis, Daniel, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones. Lincoln. DVD. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Los Angeles: DreamWorks, 2012.

9. For help with CMS style, see www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html

Logical Arguments

Be careful that you do not make errors of logic and argument as you judge films for their historical contributions. Here are a few logical traps to avoid: 1. Presentism—avoid using your present day ideas, values, or technological skills to judge films. For example the older black and white movie Midway, is much more accurate historically than the newer, full color, love-story Pearl Harbor. 2. Personal biases—avoid using your personal, cultural, or religious biases to judge films. If desired you can make a personal statement in your conclusions. 3. Personal judgments—avoid clichés and sweeping colloquialisms like “I hated the film”, or “it was awesome”. You are doing a critical analysis of the historical qualities of the movie and such personal statements do not help. 4. Expert judgments—if you are a professional nurse, a retired combat veteran, or other expert and wish to use your professional judgment to help analyze a film, fine. But mostly you will need to rely on other sources for expertise. Every semester some student writes something like “that was the best battle scene ever” when, in fact, that student had had no experience in battle. Do not write about what you do not know. 5. Cherry Picking—avoid picking the easy scenes, or ones you like. Dig into the movie and look for elements which raise questions. One cherry-picks or uses the fallacy of exclusions when one examines only one side of an issue. Ask if the movie is holding back some of the story. Look for evidence counter to the movie’s theme. 6. Character and emotional biases—avoid judging a film on its likability, a character, a favorite performer, the soundtrack, or the ending. 7. Spoilers are OK—tell and evaluate the whole story—you do not need to worry about “spoiling” the ending.

Your review should be honest, fair and be our own work. It should also be critical--so look carefully for historical errors. Many of Hollywood’s most acclaimed films contain outrageous errors. The film Lincoln shows the president slapping one of his sons when historians agree it is unlikely Lincoln would ever have done such a thing. The baseball film Eight Men Out shows the accused players kicked out of baseball immediately, yet the Chicago White Sox actually played the rest of the 1919 season. In the film Glory, the African American soldiers begin the drama greeting each other as fellow soldiers who escaped the South, when almost all actually came from the North. The 2001 movie Pearl Harbor erroneously had U.S. Admiral H.E. Kimmel out on a golf course—when in fact the four-star admiral was in his office and was slightly injured by glass shattered from a .50 caliber shell. Depending on the movie, even these errors may still be “acceptable”, if the movie point of view delivers a consistent message—so you need to think carefully. You will need to do some research to verify elements of the film you review. You may not use your text as anything other than a general reference.

Writing Requirements

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Add your name, the course title, section number and semester at the bottom of your film analysis. Write professionally in a convincing tone. Avoid clichés, colloquialisms, and forms of idiomatic expression. Write in the past tense; avoid the use of personal pronouns; and write in the active voice. Edit and polish your writing. Use 12 point non-serif fonts, double spacing, and one inch margins. Do not use a cover page. Edit and proof your spelling using both spell-check and manual reading. Using this required font and spacing seven paragraphs will produce a minimum three to four page paper. Be sure this is your work. If other sources are used, cite those using CMS. Use no quotes. Write in Microsoft Word, rtf format, or PDF format only. Save a copy. Upload a copy to the dropbox as instructed. Files uploaded must be .doc; .rtf; or .pdf file types.

Approved Film List (by course)

Latin American History (for History 109 only) Frida, 2002, Bio-pic of the famous Mexican artist I, the Worst of All, 1990, story of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz Buried Mirror: Reflections on Spain & the New World, 1992, Fuentes’s cultural history* Like Water for Chocolate, 1992, life in revolutionary Mexico Aguirre, the Wrath of God, 1972, escapades of Don Lope de Aguirre Viva Zapata, 1952, bio of revolutionary Indian fighting dictatorship Apocalypto, 2006, fictional death of Mayan empire (bloody with many factual errors) The Alamo, 2004 version only, Texas-Mexico war Missing, 1982, American writer is imprisoned in 1970s Chile South of the Border, 2009, a documentary of five modern Latin states Evita, 1996, musical about Evita—be careful to follow narrator, not just the soundtrack *Fuentes’ work is a 5 DVD set, so you would need to select three scenes.

Early Colonial and Revolutionary Eras (for History 201 only) The Crucible, 1996, Salem Witchcraft I, the Worst of All, 1990, story of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz 1492: Conquest of Paradise, 1992, Columbus and impact on Natives The Mission, 1986, Spain and Portugal fight over Native American tribe Aguirre, the Wrath of God, 1972, escapades of Don Lope de Aguirre Amistad, 1997, Colonial slavery on trial Black Robe, 1991, Jesuits and Algonquians in Quebec Drums along the Mohawk, 1939, revolution in New York The Patriot, 2000, Revolutionary America The Last of the Mohicans, 1992, based on Cooper’s novel of French Indian War A Midwife’s Tale, 1998, story of Revolutionary era diarist Martha Ballard (PBS)

Constitutional and Early National Period (for History 201 only) The Last of the Mohicans, 1992, French Indian War

Civil War & Reconstruction Era (for History 201 & 202 and 230) The Civil War, by K. Burns, 1990, PBS** Lincoln, 2012, Lincoln’s skills at critical moments The Horse Soldiers, 1959, Union soldiers behind the lines Glory, 1989, 54th Mass. Regiment North and South, 1985, two men from the two sides Cold Mountain, 2003, a defector and woman fight the war Andersonville, 1996, prison camps Gettysburg, 1993, epic battle Gods and Generals, 2003, Stonewall Jackson

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Shenandoah, 1965, a family in the valley of war The Red Badge of Courage, 1951, untested soldier fights Beloved, 1998, mother kills daughter to prevent her from life as a slave Rio Grande, 1950, former Union officers fight in the West 12 Years a Slave, 2013, free African American is kidnapped to spend 12 years as a slave **Burns’ work is a 5 DVD set and counts as one movie, so you would need to select three scenes.

American West (for History 202 only) Chisum, 1970, version of Lincoln County, New Mexico land war Heaven’s Gate, 1980, immigrants in 1890s Wyoming Fort Apache, 1948, western wars against Native Americas High Noon, 1952, lone western marshal Dances with Wolves, 1990, Native Americans and a solider Tombstone, 1993, Western law enforcement and western heroes Red River, 1948, cattle drives Wyatt Earp, 1994, bio pic of famed westerner The Searchers, 1956, post Civil War in Texas-Indian battles Rio Grande, 1950, former Union officers fight in the West The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, 2007, bandit Jesse James

American Industrialization, Gilded Age, and Progressive Reform (for History 202 only) Hester Street, 1975, New York’s lower east side Molly Maguires, 1970, Irish miners’ strike in 1876 The Great White Hope, 1970, Fictionalized story of Jack Johnson, a Black boxing champion

World War I (for History 202 only) All Quiet on the Western Front, 1930, WWI The Lost Battalion, 2001, Americans trapped behind German lines Flyboys, 2006, American pilots as the Lafayette Escadrille in WWI Reds, 1981, bio of radical journalist and idealist John Reed and his communist sympathies

The Twenties and Depression (for History 202 only) Inherit the Wind, 1960, the Scopes case. Eight Men Out, 1988, case of baseball scandal in 1919 World Series Iron Jawed Angels, 2004, activists and women’s suffrage Jazz, by K. Burns &PBS, 2000, American music*** Not for Ourselves Alone, by K. Burns & PBS, 1999, leading suffragists*** The Grapes of Wrath, 1940, the depression. Dillinger, 1973, depression era bank robber The Great Gatsby, the 1974 version only, dramatic version of Fitzgerald’s novel Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, 1939, the politics of Washington Rosewood, 1997, dramatization of racially motivated massacre in Florida in 1923 Funny Girl, 1968, bio pic of singer comedian Fanny Brice Bonnie and Clyde, 1967, Depression-era gangsters Of Mice and Men, 1992, depression drifters look for work Cinderella Man, 2005, 1930s boxer James Braddock *** Burns’ work is a multi DVD set and counts as one movie, so you would need to select three scenes.

World War II (for History 202 only) Band of Brothers, 2001, 101st in WWII Patton, 1970, controversial General’s role in WWII

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Tora! Tora! Tora!, 1970, Japanese torpedo attack on Pearl The Longest Day, 1959, D Day Midway, 1976, Battle of Midway Anzio, 1968, battle for Rome Schindler’s List, 1993, Holocaust The Pianist, 2002, Polish Jewish pianist struggles in ghetto Saving Private Ryan, 1998, effort to save a last living son To Hell and Back, 1955, story of Audie Murphy Fat Man & Little Boy, 1989, Manhattan Project Sands of Iwo Jima, 1949, dramatized battle for Iwo Jima A League of Their Own, 1992, early female pro baseball Bataan, 1943, desperate men defend against Japanese Saints and Soldiers, 2003, lost U.S. soldiers after Melmedy Massacre The Best Years of Our Lives, 1946, vets return home to see massive change Monuments Men, 2014, incomplete dramatized story of MFAA Windtalkers, 2002, code talking Navajo Marines in Pacific

Cold War & 1950-1980 (for History 202 only) Long Days Journey into Night, 1962, self-story of Eugene O’Neill The Hunt for the Red October, 1990 cold war thriller The Missiles of October, 1974, Cuban missile crisis Black Hawk Down, 2001, battle in Somalia Dr. Strangelove, 1964, satirical film of nuclear age Good Night and Good Luck, 2005, anti-McCarthyism The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit, 1956, modern American business career Rebel Without a Cause, 1955, troubled youth of the 1950s Thirteen Days, 2000, Cuban missile crisis Purple Rain, 1984, story of Prince and his music Walk the Line, 2005, story of Johnny Cash Jersey Boys, 2014, bio-pic/musical of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

Modern Civil Rights Era (for History 202 only) Malcolm X, 1992, biography Ghosts of Mississippi, 1996, assassination of Medgar Evers To Kill a Mockingbird, 1962, Southern discrimination The Help, 2011, African American maids during the 1960s Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, 1967, interracial marriage The Long Walk Home, 1990, dramatic view of Montgomery bus boycott Incident at Oglala, 1992, biased dramatization of Pine Ridge Indians v. FBI Mississippi Burning, 1988, two FBI agents track killings of civil rights workers Lee Daniels’ The Butler, 2013, dramatized story of Eugene Allen, a Whitehouse butler

Vietnam (for History 202 only) Platoon, 1968, Vietnam. Apocalypse Now, 1979, Vietnam Hamburger Hill, 1987, battle for hill #937 in ‘Nam The Deer Hunter, 1979, impact of Vietnam Hearts and Minds, 1974, conflicting opinions on Vietnam

Recent & Other Issues (for History 202 only) The Right Stuff, 1983, re 1st space flight Apollo 13, 1995, spaceflight emergency Norma Rae, 1979, textile unions

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Erin Brockovich, 2000, fighting pollution All the President’s Men, 1976, Watergate Silkwood, 1983, story of Karen Silkwood The Great Debaters, 2005, small college debate team excels Do the Right Thing, 1989, racial and social ills trouble Brooklyn Philadelphia, 1993, gay rights issues The Color Purple, 1985, African American women in rural South Freedom Writers, 2007, teacher develops award winning writers from at-risk students And the Band Played On, 1993, AIDS in San Francisco 42, 2013, story of Jackie Robinson, first African-American pro Baseball player

You may find movies online, for rent or purchase, in the MCT Library and other libraries. Be sure you use a complete and authorized version of the film. If a special version is assigned, use only that version. Please note that this is a voluntary assignment and several films may have language or scenes offensive to you—if that is the case use your judgment and avoid these movies. Also please note that while this is my approved list (because they are mostly historically accurate and based on an historical theme or event of significance)—some are very flawed and I am not endorsing any movie’s content, or veracity.

Grading Rubric

Grading Rubric 1. State movie thesis/perspective-2/2 2. Plot & character description-2/2 3. Analysis of Scene one-3/3 4. Analysis of Scene two-3/3 5. Analysis of Scene three-3/3 6. Overall analysis and conclusion-3/3 7. Editing and writing-2/2 8. CMS and source use-2/2 9. Total-20/20

Good Luck!

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