History and the Movies (50 points) (Due April 10) Your job is to take a film from the list, and first watch it. Then do research on the historical persona or event. You will write a 500 word essay and include at least two sources. In your essay you will present a brief analysis of the film?s plot as well as historical significance, value, and accuracy.
History and the Movies
Some of the movies that were nominated for Best Picture by the Academy Awards and won, were based on an historical fact or an event like Patton, A Beautiful Mind and A Man for All Seasons. Some of the films used fictitious and real characters to tell about an historical era like Gone with the Wind, All Quiet on the Western Front or Casablanca. From the first Best Picture1928 Wings to 2013 Argo, the Academy has nominated 150 films for Best Picture. In 1998 all five movies that were nominated were based on history. All told, 42 have taken home the top prize. That is almost half of the 86 winners.
It has been said, ?Hollywood never lets the facts get into telling a good story.? Although they do indeed tell a good story, the problem that remains for the historian, is that the general public accepts it as the truth. Sometimes the truth is edited out for various reasons, mostly with political correctness. So what is true and what is artistic license?
The Extra Credit Assignment Your job is to take a film from the list, and first watch it. Then do research on the historical persona or event. You will write a 500 word essay and include at least two sources. In your essay you will present a brief analysis of the film?s plot as well as historical significance, value, and accuracy.
As an example I have included Gladiator(2000), from Jackson Spielvogel?s, Western Civilization.
The film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, is a fictional story set in the Roman Empire near the end of the second century C.E. In the movie, Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) informs his son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) that he intends to turn over imperial power to his successful and respected general, Maximus (Russell Crow), in hope that this decent and honest man can restore the Roman senate and revive the Republic. Commodus reacts by killing his father, assuming the position of emperor, and ordering the deaths of Maximus, his wife, and son. Maximus escapes but returns too late to save his wife and child. He is captured and sold into slavery to Proximo (Oliver Reed), who trains him to be a gladiator. Maximus is eventually sent to Rome, where he becomes a superhero in the gladiatorial games in the Roman Colosseum, all. the while awaiting an opportunity to avenge the death of his wife and son by killing Commodus. Maximus becomes involved in a plot with Lucilla Connie Nielson), the emperor?s sister, and Graccus (Derek Jacobi), a Roman senator, to join his army, march on Rome, and overthrow the emperor. When Commodus discovers the plot, he challenges the captured Maximus to a duel in the Colosseum but stabs him first to ensure his own success. Despite his injury, Maximus kills the emperor in combat.
Gladiator is relatively an exciting story, but how much of it is based on historical facts? With the exception of Marcus Aurelius, Commodus and Lucilla, all of the characters are historical fiction. Marcus Aurelius was a kind emperor (unless one was a Christian) with a love of philosophy and died in 180, probably from the plague, and certainly not from his son?s hands, as depicted in the film. Commodus ruled from 180 ? 192, although he was only eighteen when he became emperor, not in his late twenties as in the movie; and he had blond hair not dark hair. Commodus was an unstable and cruel young man who was strongly attracted to the gladiatorial contest the. He was obsessed with performing in the arena, especially with slaughtering animals. He was not killed in the Colosseum, however, but strangled by his wrestling partner on the last day of 192.
Contrary to the movie, Marcus Aurelius had no intentions of restoring Republic; by 180, most Romans had become accustomed to the empire. In fact, Marcus Aurelius had already made his son Commodus a joint ruler in 177. Nor had Marcus Aurelius banned gladiatorial games, as the movie claims. And although Commodus?s sister Lucilla did enter into a plot with some senators to assassinate her brother, the plot of 182 failed, and the conspirators, including Lucilla were executed.
Although Gladiator shows little concern for historical facts, the movie did demonstrate that many people are still interested in ancient history. It became one of the highest earning films of 2000 and won numerous awards including Academy Awards for Best Picture, and Best Actor for Russell Crow. Moreover, the film helped to renew interest in Roman history ? sales of biographies of historical Roman figures and of Marcus Aurelius?s Meditations increased noticeably in the years after the movie was released. (Spielvogel 165)
Works Cited
Spielvogel, Jackson. Western Civilization. Boston: Wadsworth, 2012. Book.
List of Movies to choose from for AMH 2020
? Dances with Wolves (1990)
? There Will be Blood (2007)
? How the West was Won (1963)
? Flyboys (2006)
? Inherit the Wind (2012)
? Seabiscuit (2003)
? Patton (1970)
? The Right Stuff(1983)
? JFK (1991)
? Full Metal Jacket (1987)
? Frost/Nixon(2008)( ?
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