| Papers [1-15] of 100 :: [Page 1 of 7] | | Go to page : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 —> | Search results on "HISTORICAL ACCURACY FILMS": |
|
|
Historical Accuracy of Films, 2004.
An analysis of what makes a quality historical movie.
900 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 31.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper analyzes what makes a quality historical movie. The analysis focuses on authenticity and accuracy, and the paper includes why it is difficult to render historical authenticity and accuracy in the case of particular personages and/or events.
From the Paper
"The production of historical film requires a number of considerations in order to be considered a great historical film with respect to accuracy. From authenticity to avoiding inventions added for their own sake, producing a great historical film requires more than producing a merely successful narrative film. Films like "The Birth of a Nation" and "Gone with the Wind" may be considered great films about the Civil War but they are prevented from being considered great historical films because they are not historically accurate."
| |
|
The Historical Accuracy of Ammianus Marcellinus, 2002.
Review of how Roman historian Ammianus Ammianus historical account of Roman emperors and Roman nobility.
1,900 words (approx. 7.6 pages), 5 sources, $ 71.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
The text provided by the Roman historian Ammianus Ammianus in the book Ammianus Marcellinus: The Late Roman Empire indicates that Ammianus was witness to the dubious functioning's of both Roman Emperors and the nobility of the period.
| |
|
Historical Fiction in Film: Quo Vadis, 2001.
Examines the background and historical accuracy of the legendary Hollywood movie "Quo Vadis".
1,046 words (approx. 4.2 pages), 3 sources, $ 36.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This essay examines historical fiction as seen in the famous Hollywoood movie Quo Vadis. The successes and failures of the film in accurately portraying Roman history and the struggle between early Christianity and Roman society are analyzed. Through a look at real historical sources, we can see that for the most part the film is an entertaining but flawed example of the retelling of a historical event and the personalities of that time. For example, the film leads viewers to believe that this period of history was the climax of the conflict between imperial Rome and early Christianity, but in fact Nero was no worse for the Christians than many other emperors before and after his reign.
From the Paper
"The characters of Marcus Vinicius and Lygia in the film are symbolic of the rift between imperial Rome and the early Christians, however, they are fictional characters and did not exist in ancient Rome. Galba was in fact the real leader who replaced Nero (he does in the film as well), but he was a seventy-year old man who only ruled for about six months before he was executed by rivals in the forum and replaced by Otho."
| |
|
Film: "The Lion in Winter", 2007.
This paper discusses the historical context and accuracy of the
film "The Lion in Winter" (1968), directed by Anthony Harvey and based on the original stage play by James Goldman.
3,050 words (approx. 12.2 pages), 10 sources, MLA, $ 89.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper describes the great historical epic film,"The Lion in Winter" about the later life of Henry II Plantagenet, King of England, from 1142 to 1189 A.D, when Henry was embroiled in a family dispute concerning his successor to the throne of England in 1183. The author believes that, because of its realistic portrayal of the characters, plot, setting and time frame, this film stands out as one of the best historical epics produced during the 1960s. The paper stresses that (1) the portrayal of the Plantagenet family is considered to be a true representatation of the actual persons and (2) the location of the film is in or near the King's residence in England.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Filmic Narrative
Historical Context
Historical Accuracy
Critical Assessment
From the Paper
"Regarding Henry II's family, it could be said that within this often turbulent and violent arena, "war was their pleasure, but marriage was their business." This war aspect of the Plantagenets was based in part on Henry's complete unwillingness to share his special heritage with his wife and sons, a heritage of the Anglo-Saxon line via his grandmother Matilda and his father as the hereditary Count of Anjou. Also, through his marriage to Eleanor, Henry II laid claim to Aquitaine and other areas of France, including Brittany, Normandy, Gascony, Toulouse, Maine and Poitou, all of which made up the Angevin Empire."
| |
|
Film Essays, 2003.
Considers the historical accuracy of three films.
4,140 words (approx. 16.6 pages), 9 sources, APA, $ 143.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
The paper presents three film essays that elaborate on how each film is either representative or not of the historical era it depicts. Films under consideration are: "The Last of the Mohicans", "Little Women" and "The Crucible".
From the Paper
"The Last of the Mohicans directed by George B Seitz and starring Randolph Scott is a film based on James Fenimore Cooper's novel of the same name. The film revolves around William Pitt's efforts to persuade George II to expel ...'
| |
|
The Warner Brothers Film "The Patriot", 2005.
A look at the historical accuracy of the film "The Patriot".
1,076 words (approx. 4.3 pages), 4 sources, APA, $ 37.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper critiques the war film "The Patriot" starring Mel Gibson and explains why the historical message in the film is not an accurate account of the war. The paper points out that "The Patriot" is, in fact, nothing more than a standard revenge tale that uses the Revolutionary War as a backdrop.
From the Paper
"Mel Gibson's character in The Patriot appears to have been based on the real-life Revolutionary War figure of Brigadier General Francis Marion, whose trademark use of swamps and bogs to evade being captured by the British garnered him the nickname of "The Swamp Fox." But when historians like Bart McDowell point out that Marion "was an avowed racist who hunted American natives for sport and often raped his own slaves"
(145), it is easy to understand why director Emmerich renamed his main protagonist in order to avoid controversy. Unfortunately, as previously stated, The Patriot is replete with historical inaccuracies, a fact due in part to the very nature of filmmaking which at times underplays historical and factual realities, a reflection of what is known as "literary license" where "the screenwriter inserts false premises and events into the story in order to intensify the plotline and the overall action" (Dennison 36). "
| |
|
The Art Film and the Genre Film, 2004.
Art and genre criticism in four classic films.
3,048 words (approx. 12.2 pages), 48 sources, MLA, $ 89.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
An analysis of two genre films and two art films - Antonioni's "Blow Up," Kelly/Donen's "Singin' in the Rain", Truffaut's "The 400 Blows", and Sirk's "All That Heaven Allows". The validity of both genre and art film criticism are examined.
From the Paper
"By its failure to accommodate the excess generated by its subject matter, All That Heaven Allows is not only critiquing the genre of melodrama, it also exposes the contradictions and conflicts present in American bourgeois society (Bourget, 1995, 45). However the subversive excess and contradictions present in the film prevent it from being ?just another melodrama?. Sirk worked within yet against the constraints of the Hollywood studio system to subvert the genre, and although the film is superficially a generic 1950s Hollywood melodrama, Sirk?s characteristic stylistic technique marks him as an auteur, a position usually associated with the art rather than the genre film."
| |
|
Seventies Films Versus Today's Films, 2001.
A comparison between films from different periods in time, and the differences in their entertainment methods.
2,625 words (approx. 10.5 pages), 8 sources, $ 79.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
A comparison of three honored films from the seventies, "Easy Rider", "Five Easy Pieces", and "The Godfather" and two films from the the year 2000, "The Gladiator" and "Erin Brokovich". The paper considers how they differ in the realm of providing distracting entertainment versus probing consideration of timely issues, concluding that seventies films left a more lasting vision.
From the Paper
"What do we want from our movies? Do we seek simple escape or deeper understanding of our lives? Can a movie be both probing and entertaining? Are entertainment, eye candy and special effects enough, or do we seek something deeper? Do we want to look inside ourselves and ask questions, or to merely stay on the surface, distract ourselves, and deny that there is anything more to be considered? These questions arise when comparing three movies from the 1970s with two films nominated for Academy Awards in the 2000. The films considered are: from the seventies, Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, and The Godfather, and from 2000, Gladiator and, Erin Brokovich. Pauline Kael, the well-know New Yorker film critic, commenting on how she got hooked on films, agrees another critic, Paul Coates, that in its ideal form, ?Cinema is the dream of an afterlife from which to comprehend this one? (Kael 63). In light of this quote, the films from the seventies embody elements which through the focused vision of the director offer mythic qualities that provide not only entertainment but an opportunity for viewers to examine their lives. That in accomplishing this, they provide images that remain in the mind?s eye could be considered the tradition of the seventies. In contrast, recent films Gladiator and Erin Brokovich are entertaining distractions, providing no lasting vision."
| |
|
Film Studies: Analyzing Three Films within the Context of South East and Asian Historical Perspectives, 2005.
The Chinese Communist Party soon came to power after years of exile and puppet rule that Pu Yi had experienced in the ever changing political and gove...
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 6 sources, $ 53.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
The Chinese Communist Party soon came to power after years of exile and puppet rule that Pu Yi had experienced in the ever changing political and governmental landscapes of China. In 1950 Pu Yi was forced to leave his Soviet township and soon became a prisoner of the new Communist Party politics.
From the Paper
ABSTRACT TOO SHORT
Film Studies: Analyzing Three Films within the Context of South East and Asian Historical Perspectives Essay 1: Understanding the Premise of Vietnamese Communism within the Film: Full Metal Jacket The film Full Metal Jacket (1987), directed by Stanley Kubrick, offers an American point of view of a Vietnamese conflict that depended heavily on the communist (NLF) National Liberation Front. The communist resistance to American pressure to abdicate to the puppet regimes of older leaders, such as Ngo Dinh Diem, resulted in the NLF being called the "Viet Cong" or a "Democratic Dictatorship" within military and governmental propaganda. The reason for this is reflected in the film, as the Tet Offensive becomes the symbolic part of the movie where the Americans begin to lose the war, marking the American military's last real ground-based initiative to take the country. In this manner, a historical perspective of the NLF can be analyzed, but
| |
|
Historical Inaccuracies of "Michael Collins", 2002.
An analysis of this film from an historical reference point of view.
5,800 words (approx. 23.2 pages), 22 sources, APA, $ 139.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
"Michael Collins" is an engaging film that looks at the early 20th century Irish patriot. This paper looks at the historical accuracy of the film by comparing and contrasting the events and people in the film with the actual events. It looks at the characters, the events, the political agenda and the implications made throughout the film.
From the Paper
"One of the most dynamic figures in 20th century Ireland was Michael Collins. For centuries heroic leaders tried to free Ireland from Great Britain. Their rebellions plans were spectacular in idea and more spectacular in their failure. While previous revolutionaries were bold yet unrealistic, Collins was able to take on the British and drive them out of Ireland. He was a dynamic leader with a complex personality. While he helped orchestrate a guerilla campaign against the British authorities, Collins hated violence. Collins could be ruthless and compassionate at the same time. He was always ready with a quick joke. This made his personality even tougher to capture. Even with these complexities, Neill Jordan?s political goals force him to take too many liberties in depicting key people and events Collins?s life."
| |
|
Historical Facts and Social facts, 2004.
Summary and review of E. H. Carr's book about the accuracy of historical facts, entitled "The Historian and His Facts".
986 words (approx. 3.9 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 35.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper outlines the E. H. Carr's theory in his book, "The Historian and His Facts", which argues that that a historical fact can never be a hard fact that can be taken at face value because it is really just a reflection of the historian?s thought process. The paper summarizes Carr's arguments, which support his theory, and cites the examples used by Carr, which add credibility to his views. The paper also reviews Carr's belief that hard historical facts can not exist independently and objectively of the historian because the view of the past is always colored by the present. Finally, the paper looks at how Durkheim's definition of social facts can both relate to and refute Carr's theory.
From the Paper
"Carr presents several logical and highly persuasive arguments in support of his argument. For instance, he submits that our picture of Greece in the fifth century B.C. is largely based by the documentation and picture left behind by a select group of people in Athens and to that extent is not truly representative since very little was recorded of the history of the Spartan or Corinthian civilizations. Similarly, he questions the current day picture of the medieval man as deeply concerned with religion since the facts of medieval history have almost all been selected by people who were professionally occupied in the theory and practice of religion and who, therefore, may have focused on recording all facts relating to it."
| |
|
Historical Objectivity in "Apocalypto", 2008.
An analysis of the historical objectivity in Mel Gibson's epic film "Apocalypto".
775 words (approx. 3.1 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 27.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper discusses the issue of historical objectivity in Mel Gibson's film "Apocalypto". The paper holds that the film juxtaposes beauty and violence in a world saturated, graphically, in human tragedy. More specifically, the paper addresses a question raised by many reviewers: even if graphic violence serves a cinematic purpose, was "Apocalypto" guilty of portraying Mayan people as excessively violent, depraved, and even subhuman? The paper maintains that this question illuminates not only the film at hand, but also illustrates the expectations that audiences bring to films, and suggests the extent to which Hollywood caters to, manipulates, or disregards these expectations. The paper posits that perhaps fault lies less with Gibson's misunderstanding of history than it does with the critics' refusal to view the film as an unbound work of art. The paper concludes that, to a veteran filmmaker like Gibson, accuracy and fairness may simply be tools like any other, as malleable as lighting, acting, or props, just as easily manipulated to create the emotional thrust for which Hollywood has remained renowned.
From the Paper
"Of the two issues, the more straightforward is accuracy. Critical reviewers merrily pointed out Gibson's liberties with the historical record. On its most basic level, "Apocalypto" loosely combines elements of Mayan culture spanning nearly a thousand years. As David Hansen, an archaeologist working for the Global Heritage Fund and the technical advisor for the film, freely points out, "There was nothing in the post-classic period that would match the size and majesty of that pyramid in the film" (Hansen). The arrival of the Spaniards at the conclusion of the film stands out as particularly disjointed since, as many reviewers noted, all of the great Mayan cities had fallen into disarray by the time of the Spanish conquests (Arden)."
| |
|
War Films as Military Propaganda, 2006.
This paper discusses both positive and negative depictions of the US military in films and looks at how the military has made use of some of these films as a propaganda tool.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 4 sources, $ 53.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper discusses the military's use of film as a propaganda tool. The films that examined in the paper are "Battlefield" and "The Manchurian Candidate". Other topics discussed include the Cold War and the use of ideology.
From the Paper
"Depictions of the US Military in film have varied considerably over the years. Some films portray the US Military as a negative force that is being used to repress the average citizen. Others portray the US Military in a very positive light by suggesting that they are the average citizen's last defense against hostile nations. Although both depictions can be found in films from any year there are definitely patterns in the proportions of the depictions. In certain time periods the negative depictions of the US Military will outnumber the positive ones. In other time periods the positive depictions..."
| |
|
Black Films, 1997.
Examines and compares 1930s-1940s and 1960s-1970s films. Discusses the portrayal of black characters and culture, themes, accuracy, audiences, biases and blaxploitation.
2,250 words (approx. 9.0 pages), 5 sources, $ 79.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
From the Paper
"INTRODUCTION
Black films from the 1930s and 1940s were produced by black filmmakers for a black circuit and were rarely seen by white audiences. So-called blaxploitation films from the late 1960s and early 1970s were produced by white filmmakers for a largely urban audience, and these films were shaped for white audiences as well as black. The black films from an earlier era showed a wide range of subject matter, with the mass of films emulating white genres such as detective stories, westerns, comedies, domestic dramas, crime dramas, and so on. The blaxploitation films of the 1970s were much more limited, being primarily crime and action films featuring drug use, violence, sexual situations, and so on, creating an image of blacks that was limited and, in the eyes of many critics, degrading. It would be wrong to argue ..."
| |
|
Horror Films, 2002.
An overview of different views on horror films, with a discussion of the most popular horror films.
2,804 words (approx. 11.2 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 83.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper provides an insight into horror films, from the classics such as "Psycho" to the psychological thrill of "The Silence of the Lambs". It examines the history of the horror film from the first film directed by Georges Melies in 1896 and its development through the period of silent and black-and-white movies to the technological effects of the 21st century. It also attempts to analyze their attraction for people and how the fear and loathing, as well as the almost guilty enjoyment experienced in a movie theater filled with gore lovers, are human psychological needs.
Outline
The Classics
The Psychological Need
The History of the Horror Film
Conclusion
From the Paper
"?Psycho? is seen by many horror fans as the ultimate horror film. Hitchcock plays with the idea of identity and involvement. The viewer is expected to feel drawn into the world of Norman Bates. The suggestion is also that the viewer?s identity is not as important as his or her emotional involvement in the plot. The film universalizes the idea of monstrosity in each individual. It mirrors the audience?s wickedness and guilt back at the audience by means of the ordinary and unassuming Norman. The implication is that everybody has a dark side. The monster therefore appears to have moved closer and closer with the development of the horror film. And now it is inside. Or now its existence is recognized. The monster is no longer something that looks hideous. Instead he or she is as human-looking as everyone else."
|
|
|
