Hollywood & History What are the dangers of using Hollywood films to study history?Hollywood films CRAP!!!!

Hannibal cards & poster (1960) 2) How do the movie clips about Hannibal reflect the present (when they were made)? 3) Why can’t the Italian film, Scipio Africanus (1937) be understood without a grasp of historical context? Scipio Africanus still (1937) 1) How do these clips connect to what you’ve learned about Hannibal from class & readings?

Kingdom of Heaven (2005) Scene 35: Balian’s 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. 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.

1) What is the film’s message regarding industrialization? Be specific. 2) In what ways does Chaplin convey this message? Explain. 3) How do Chaplin’s views contrast with the excerpts from Taylor’s Principles of Scientific Management (1911)? Modern Times (1936)

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. Hyena eating a human corpse MAIN POINT: Historical interpretation is IMPOSSIBLE without an understanding of context.

Modern Field Guide versus Medieval Bestiary Aberdeen Bestiary (ca. 1200) Both are books about animals, but are they the same? Field Guide to North American Wildlife (1981)

The Scopes “Monkey” Trial (July 1925) The Warfare Model...? vs. RELIGIONSCIENCE “Inherit the Wind dramatically illustrates why so many Americans continue to believe in the mythical war between science and religion. But in doing so, It sacrifices the far more complex historical reality.” Ronald Numbers, “Inherit the Wind” (Isis, 1993)

Hollywood versus History 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 “Inherit the Wind does not pretend to be journalism. It might have been yesterday. It could be tomorrow...” Jerome Lawrence & Robert E. Lee

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?

Hollywood & History What useful purposes do Hollywood movies serve for the study of history? Well, I hope that the public realizes that you can’t have blockbuster documentaries; that you’re never going to find a film that is absolutely true, and that if you’re going to make it appealing to the general audience, you’ve 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, they’re fascinated by the subject, they’ll 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) Television and movies are a major source of information now. It’s not books. It’s 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