Changing History for Cinematic Purposes #8
In class on Monday, Kirk asked the class how we thought movies dealt with history and historical events. This brought up an interesting point that I had never really considered. To what extent do films accurately portray facts in history? How far from the truth will movies stray to appeal to the audience? Where can we draw the line in terms of an exciting movie that is historically false versus a boring movie that is truthful? And more importantly, do filmmakers have a right to change the truth in order to tell a good story?When Kirk first asked this question, I was rather upset to think that movies dealing with history would blatantly disregard fact to make a movie. I have always found movies to play a very influential role in shaping public opinion. Therefore, I have always thought that movies should live up to this role and portray fact as accurately as possible. Then, as the class discussion progressed, movies like Titanic and Pearl Harbor came to mind. I started to wonder, how responsible for public opinion can we really hold movies. In Pearl Harbor, for example, the focus of the story is on the love triangle between three fictional characters: Rafe McCawley, Danny Walker, and Evelyn Johnson. I know that when I went to see this movie, I didn’t really expect to learn about the ins and outs of the December 7th attack on Hawaii. I went to see whether Josh Hartnett or Ben Affleck would get the girl. However, in seeing such a movie I came out with a better understanding for people’s lives at the time. I came to the realization during this discussion that movies are not meant to inform the public as much as to entertain them. That is why documentaries attract a completely different crowd than chick flick’s do.
I guess this discussion brought it to my attention that movies aren’t necessarily made to teach. And if this is true, then why can’t filmmakers use certain events from history to tell an intriguing story? The public’s knowledge or lack thereof should not stop Hollywood from producing entertaining movies. After all, there’s a reason movies don’t claim to be “based entirely on a true story.”
posted by Layne @ 4:21 PM
2 Comments:
Well movies may not be made to teach in the way you think about teaching. Movies aren't necessarily teaching the history but are using it as an aide to promote another topic or idea. Like in Cradle Will Rock, the movie may not have been entirely accurate, I'm not sure, but instead was used to convey the point that you should do what you believe is good, no matter what anyone else says.
-Ann
I think almost all stories - movies, books, plays, etc. - are made to teach something, even if they don't do it outright. Everything has a reason, a moral, or something that the audience is intended to take away from it.
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