Assignment: HOLLYWOOD HISTORY
Historical times and events have provided material for artists and storytellers from ancient times to the present. In art, in stories passed down orally, in written works both nonfiction and fiction, and--since the early 20th century-- on film, history has been recorded and portrayed - often with powerful effect.
Works of fiction-novels and feature films-are not history texts or documentaries and are not written or produced to teach history per se. But they can affect how people feel and think.
Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, 1852, played its part in how peopie viewed slavery.
D.W. Griffith's 1915 movie "Birth of a Nation" glorified the KuKuxKlan and white supremacy.
Alex Haley's novel Roots , as an ABC television miniseries, touched a generation of viewers in 1977.
For Project II, choose a feature film set in a historical period from the Civil War to the 1960s. Discuss the following points in a 5 paragraph essay in the order given below.
Paragraph ONE: State the movie title, year, a BRIEF summary of the plot, and what a review said about the film from a reputable source. (NOT Goodreads or viewer reviews on Amazon, etc.)
Paragraph TWO: Using historical sources(s), give a summary of this time period in US history: its place in history, important issues, etc.
Paragraph THREE: Demonstrate using examples from the film (storyline, dialogue, setting) how this movie shows this time period.
Paragraph FOUR: Discuss what this movie does that a strictly factual account does not by stating your point and then illustrating it with an example. THEN discuss the opposite: What does a strictly factual account do that this movie did not do and illustrate this point with an example.
Paragraph FIVE: Give your review of this film from a historical knowledge view point by discussing how this movie does or does not teach viewers about this time period. Defend your position. End with a concluding sentence that lets the reader know you are done.
PROJECT II PAPER REQUIREMENTS:
5 paragraphs covering the material as given above
MLA format with a minimum of 3 in-text quotations and a Works Cited page with a minimum of 3 sources.
College level writing: NO incomplete sentences, run-on sentences, or subject-verb agreement issues.