The Columbia Companion to American History on Film: How the Movies Have Portrayed the American Past
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AlbakiReads Editorial A reference guide to the distance between American history and its screen versions
A reference guide to the distance between American history and its screen versions
Edited by Peter Rollins, this 671-page companion gathers essays by more than seventy scholars on films that depict the American past. Its entries consider major eras, wars, public figures, social groups, institutions, places, recurring themes, and national myths, asking how cinematic interpretations relate to historical sources and scholarship. The book also traces how portrayals have shifted in response to technological, social, political, and historiographical changes. Extensive cross-references, a filmography, notes, and selected bibliographies make it structured for consultation as well as sustained research. Alongside well-known titles such as The Birth of a Nation, Roots, Apocalypse Now, and Saving Private Ryan, it frames film as a powerful—and contestable—way historical memory is formed.
Good fit for readers who enjoy
- Students and teachers developing high-school or college courses on U.S. history and film
- Researchers examining historical representation in American cinema
- Film enthusiasts interested in the relationship between Hollywood storytelling and historical evidence
Themes
American history on filmHistorical accuracy and interpretationHollywood and public memoryWar, identity, and national mythsFilm historiography
Based on publisher information and book metadata.
Book Overview American history has always been an irresistible source of inspiration for filmmakers, and today, for good or ill, most Americans'sense o...
American history has always been an irresistible source of inspiration for filmmakers, and today, for good or ill, most Americans'sense of the past likely comes more from Hollywood than from the works of historians. In important films such as The Birth of a Nation (1915), Roots (1977), Apocalypse Now (1979), and Saving Private Ryan (1998), how much is entertainment and how much is rooted in historical fact? In The Columbia Companion to American History on Film, more than seventy scholars consider the gap between history and Hollywood. They examine how filmmakers have presented and interpreted the most important events, topics, eras, and figures in the American past, often comparing the film versions of events with the interpretations of the best historians who have explored the topic.
Divided into eight broad categories--Eras; Wars and Other Major Events; Notable People; Groups; Institutions and Movements; Places; Themes and Topics; and Myths and Heroes--the volume features extensive cross-references, a filmography (of discussed and relevant films), notes, and a bibliography of selected historical works on each subject. The Columbia Companion to American History on Film is also an important resource for teachers, with extensive information for research or for course development appropriate for both high school and college students.
Though each essay reflects the unique body of film and print works covering the subject at hand, every essay addresses several fundamental questions:
- What are the key films on this topic?
- What sources did the filmmaker use, and how did the film deviate (or remain true to) its sources?
- How have film interpretations of a particular historical topic changed, and what sorts of factors--technological, social, political, historiographical--have affected their evolution?
- Have filmmakers altered the historical record with a view to enhancing drama or to enhance the "truth" of their putative message?
Book Details Format: Paperback | Pages: 671 | Language: English | Publisher: COLUMBIA UNIV PR | ISBN: 0231112238
FormatPaperback
Pages671
LanguageEnglish
ISBN0231112238
EAN9780231112239
PublisherCOLUMBIA UNIV PR
Publication Date2006-11-21
Edition1
AccessoriesNo Accessory
ConditionNew
Product TypeQUALITY PAPERBACK BOOKS
Weight2.48 Pounds
Length9.64 Inches
Width6.84 Inches
Height1.44 Inches
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