Hollywood

1
Hollywood History What are the dangers of using
Hollywood films to study history?
CRAP!!!!
2
1) How do these clips connect to what youve
learned about Hannibal from class readings?
2) How do the movie clips about Hannibal reflect
the present (when they were made)?
3) Why cant the Italian film, Scipio Africanus
(1937) be understood without a grasp of
historical context?
Scipio Africanus still (1937)
Hannibal cards poster (1960)
3
Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
1) In what ways does the film reflect both the
past and the present? 2) In what ways does it
shape or distort our view of the Crusades?
Scene 8 Godfrey to Balian A better world than
has ever been seen. A kingdom of conscience. A
kingdom of heaven. There is peace between
Christian and Muslim. We live together. Or,
between Saladin and the king, we try. Did you
think that lay at the end of Crusade? It does.
Scene 35 Balians Speech Which is more holy? The
wall? The mosque? The sepulcher? Who has claim?
No one has claim. All have claim! We defend
this city not to protect these stones, but the
people living within these walls.
4
Modern Times (1936)
1) What is the films message regarding
industrialization? Be specific.
2) In what ways does Chaplin convey this message?
Explain.
3) How do Chaplins views contrast with the
excerpts from Taylors Principles of Scientific
Management (1911)?
5
Key Concepts Context Interpretation
CONTEXT Background information or the big
picture that gives meaning to a particular
historical topic, event, or idea.
INTERPRETATION Giving meaning to a source by
describing, explaining, placing it in its
proper historical context.
MAIN POINT Historical interpretation is
IMPOSSIBLE without an understanding of context.
Hyena eating a human corpse
6
Modern Field Guide versus Medieval Bestiary
Both are books about animals, but are they the
same?
Aberdeen Bestiary (ca. 1200)
Field Guide to North American Wildlife (1981)
7
The Scopes Monkey Trial (July 1925)
The Warfare Model . . .?
vs.
8
Hollywood versus History
Inherit the Wind does not pretend to be
journalism. It might have been yesterday. It
could be tomorrow . . .
Jerome Lawrence Robert E. Lee
How well does the film Inherit the Wind reflect
the historical reality of the Scopes Trial?

• the movie is NOT about the trial
• Scopes Dayton v. Cates Hillsboro
• Bryan v. Brady
• Darrow v. Drummond

9
2001 A Space Odyssey (1968) Interpretation
Context
1) Interpret each scene from the movie
2) What is the overall story or message?
3) Why does historical context help us understand
these clips on a deeper level?
10
Hollywood History
What useful purposes do Hollywood movies serve
for the study of history?
Television and movies are a major source of
information now. Its not books. Its not what
they learn in the classroom. And I think what
happens is our perception of ourselves and our
understanding of the past, are being distorted
for the purpose of reaching a larger
audience. Steve Gillon, University of Oklahoma
The History Channel
Well, I hope that the public realizes that you
cant have blockbuster documentaries that youre
never going to find a film that is absolutely
true, and that if youre going to make it
appealing to the general audience, youve got to
do some compromising . . . I hope that people use
movies as a vehicle to then go and learn more--if
they see a movie, theyre fascinated by the
subject, theyll use that as an opportunity to
maybe, you know, read a book or maybe look at an
actual documentary, rather than just trust what
they see on the big screen. Don Lynch, Lehrer
News Hour (1998)