Characteristics of historical movies

Costumes

• One of the easiest ways to pick out an historical film is take a look at the costumes being worn by the actors

• This is often one of the biggest challenges in making an historical film – everything from clothing to accessories to undergarments should be accurate in a film

• Additionally, the sets and props must be accurate as well – tools, homes, methods of transportation, etc.

Gone With the Wind

• Gone With the Wind is set during the Civil War. When we watch the film, one of the first scenes shows Scarlett’s Mammy lacing her corset – an undergarment modern women don’t wear. In the completed outfit, you’ll notice the hoop skirt, containing a fabric petticoat with casings like rope, steel, nylon, or whalebone to create the volume.

Saving Private Ryan

• In war films, filmmakers are challenged with getting uniforms, insignia, rankings, weapons, etc. correct. This is especially important when making a movie about the recent enough past that people living could correct the error!

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio

• The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio is set in the 1950s when men typically wore suits and hats when they left the house and women nearly always wore dresses, hats, girdles, and gloves.

Speech

• One decision a director makes in an historical film is that of how each character will speak

• Many historical films are set outside an English speaking country yet the characters are speaking English

• In these films, some directors make the decision to have the character speak English but with an accent that would indicate the country of origin

• Other directors choose to have characters speak in American English with no foreign accent

• In the World War I film Joyeux Noel (Merry Christmas), the director made the choice to allow each nationality to speak their own language with their own accents – this of course requires the viewer to read subtitles in some scenes

Social behavior• Another element of an historical film is that of

social etiquette and behavior• You may see this commonly in the following

ways:– Gender roles, particularly in the roles of women– Relationships between men and women including

friendships (or lack thereof), dating customs, etc.– Relationships between people of different cultures

and races– Associations (or lack thereof) between the rich

and poor– Expectations parents have of their children

Is the film historically accurate?

• Most all historical films are inaccurate in some way – this is done for various reasons– To simplify the plot for a shorter running time– To persuade the viewer to feel a certain way about

a particular character, group of characters, or event

– The story may be based around a fictional character

Is there any bias in the film?

• Let’s face it: all films are designed to tell you a story from someone’s particular point of view (most often the director)

• When comparing the information in the film to the historical record, you will almost always find historical problems

Watch for bias• When watching a movie, watch out for bias –

research a director or filmmaker enough to tell what their bias is: – What is their agenda? – What do they want you to believe is fact when you

finish watching the movie?• Watch for elements of propaganda (information or

ideas designed to influence attitudes or behaviors to benefit the sponsor, either directly or indirectly)

• In short, don’t believe everything you see! Use your brain and investigate anything that doesn’t seem right to you

Example of Propaganda

• The following film is an example of propaganda used by the US Government during World War II

• Can you think of any modern examples of propaganda?