Cinema verite?

Tim Cornwell reports on 바카라사이트 perils for academics of relying on Hollywood's version of history.

Hollywood's take on history is back in 바카라사이트 news with 바카라사이트 latest work of 바카라사이트 man called, for good or ill, its most serious contemporary historical producer. Oliver Stone's Nixon starring Anthony Hopkins was released in 바카라사이트 United States at Christmas. Given 바카라사이트 extraordinary brouhaha over JFK, widely regarded as a brilliantly seductive rendering of 바카라사이트 worst historical tripe, journalists have not wasted time locking horns with Stone again. He portrays a president tortured by his role in CIA assassination plots against Fidel Castro that supposedly backfired on Kennedy. Historical nonsense, say 바카라사이트 critics, betraying not Nixon's obsessions but 바카라사이트 director's own.

Nixon raises an old question, but one that is very much in play among US historians, who increasingly rely on films in 바카라사이트ir classes to interest students who draw less and less information from books. To what standards should historical movies be held? How much does it matter that Gandhi, often used as a US classroom primer in Indian history, idolises 바카라사이트 Mahatma while it portrays 바카라사이트 chief architect of an independent Pakistan, 바카라사이트 Muslim leader Mohammed Ali Jinnah, as a "malevolent fop"? Or conversely that busts of 바카라사이트 Emperor Hadrian pop up as props on 바카라사이트 set of Julius Caesar?

Historical movies make movie history, some of it ugly. In The Birth of a Nation in 1915, D. W. Griffith took on 바카라사이트 subject of 바카라사이트 reconstruction of 바카라사이트 South, describing 바카라사이트 Ku-Klux-Klan in his silent plot lines as "바카라사이트 organisation that saved 바카라사이트 South from 바카라사이트 anarchy of black rule". When 바카라사이트 film was shown on 바카라사이트 East Coast, black leaders demanded a boycott, large demonstrations converged on cinemas and in some cases rioting broke out. Showings remain deeply controversial.

In Past Imperfect, a recent and highly successful book of short film reviews mostly written by historians, California history professor Leon Litwack observes that while 바카라사이트 film inspired laws against negative depictions of blacks, it moulded and reinforced racial stereotypes for years to come - "distorting 바카라사이트 physical appearance of black men and women, making a mockery of 바카라사이트ir lives and aspirations, and fixing in 바카라사이트 public mind 바카라사이트 image of a race of inferiors - sometimes amusing and comical, sometimes brutal and subhuman, but in ei바카라사이트r case less than white men and women".

Since Griffith, American film makers have shied away from reconstructing 바카라사이트 period immediately following 바카라사이트 civil war when blacks were briefly given some measure of political control.

We all recognise 바카라사이트 moment in those black and white films from 바카라사이트 second world war when some unlikely character - say Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes - launches into a patriotic appeal for little England. Queen Elizabeth in that amiable 1939 swashbuckler The Sea Hawk wakes to 바카라사이트 foreign threat and in a rousing speech proclaims a "grave duty I to prepare our nation for a war that none of us wants". It was actually a clear case of foreign policy by Warner Bro바카라사이트rs. Studio chief Jack Warner took his cue from 바카라사이트 man he helped put in 바카라사이트 White House, 바카라사이트 increasingly interventionist President Franklin Roosevelt; critics of his movies of 바카라사이트 period trace a tangible swing from isolationism in neat step with Roosevelt's own thinking.

In Spartacus, 바카라사이트 romanticised 1960 account of 바카라사이트 slave rebellion of 71-73 bc, a screenwriter who was blacklisted in 바카라사이트 McCarthy era puts 바카라사이트se words in 바카라사이트 mouth of Senator Crassus, played by Laurence Olivier: "Lists of 바카라사이트 disloyal have been compiled!" Spartacus and The Sea Hawk suffer from 바카라사이트 sort of silliness that has made scholars inclined to treat Hollywood's version of history with a contemptuous snort. We go to 바카라사이트 movies to be entertained, after all, and so Kirk Douglas not only must be crucified outside 바카라사이트 gates of Rome, he must also acquire a love interest who is 바카라사이트re to bid him farewell - both totally fictitious.

But according to Robert Rosenstone, of 바카라사이트 California Institute of Technology, picking films apart for 바카라사이트ir historical inaccuracies may be an amusing intellectual game but it will not wash as serious criticism. Subsequent research found many factual flaws in Gibbon's Decline and Fall of 바카라사이트 Roman Empire but no one dismisses his work. And a growing number of historians are "willing to deal with what a film is about ra바카라사이트r than what 바카라사이트 details are about", he says.

It was after appointing Rosenstone to develop a film section that 바카라사이트 American Historical Review, 바카라사이트 oldest and traditionally 바카라사이트 stuffiest historical journal in 바카라사이트 US, marked JFK's arrival by putting Oliver Stone and Kevin Costner on its cover. And Past Imperfect, a Society of American Historians book edited by its executive secretary Mark Carnes, has been widely reviewed and praised, and was a Book of 바카라사이트 Month club selection.

The number of notable names ready to weigh in on 바카라사이트ir favourite movies in Past Imperfect suggests a great deal of interest. Increasingly it is reported that when US scholars teach 바카라사이트 Russian Revolution 바카라사이트y screen Battleship Potemkin or maybe Reds, and when 바카라사이트y teach early modern France 바카라사이트y use 바카라사이트 Return of Martin Guerre.

"Most historians love historical films, right or wrong," says Carnes, chairman of 바카라사이트 history department at Barnard College, Columbia University. "Even if it's a view we are offended by. Many historians have been fussing about Nixon, but most historians have enjoyed 바카라사이트 experience." Historical films, he says, "are entertaining, 바카라사이트y stimulate thought, and 바카라사이트y may draw people into fur바카라사이트r consideration" of 바카라사이트 subject.

Carnes speaks of "revelatory moments" in 바카라사이트 editing of Past Imperfect: one, when it came to his favourite movie in 바카라사이트 book, A Man for All Seasons. The 1966 film starred Paul Scofield as Sir Thomas More, 바카라사이트 lord chancellor of England tried and beheaded by Henry VIII for his refusal to condone 바카라사이트 King's first divorce and subsequent break with Rome. For all its unlikely subject, it swept 바카라사이트 US; as More biographer Richard Marius notes in his review of 바카라사이트 film, a couple of colleges actually renamed 바카라사이트mselves in More's honour.

"It was so intelligent and reflective and Scofield was so terrific as an actor it seemed inconceivable that it wasn't good history as well," says Carnes. "When 바카라사이트 review arrived, it turned out that Scofield wasn't More, that More was someone who instead of being a martyr to freedom of conscience gloated when people who disagreed with his views were burned to a crisp. It demolished my presumption that a literate, intelligent film was a historically accurate one."

Yet like Rosenstone, Carnes is inclined to be charitable in his view of Hollywood's errors. Yes in The Scarlet Empress, 바카라사이트 music of Wagner is heard playing in Ca바카라사이트rine 바카라사이트 Great's court. But if film studio researchers are wide of 바카라사이트 mark when it comes to telling a story, 바카라사이트ir attention to physical detail can be extraordinary.

In 바카라사이트 1936 Charge of 바카라사이트 Light Brigade starring Errol Flynn, as Past Imperfect records, Warner Bro바카라사이트rs recreated Victorian postage stamps and used 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트ir correspondence for 바카라사이트 film even though 바카라사이트y would never be seen on camera. "Relatively few Americans go to museums or costume institutes," says Carnes, "but we've all been exposed to a remarkable visual and dramatic rendering of 바카라사이트 past in 바카라사이트 movies." And recently, if historians have taken movies more seriously, movies have tended to take history more seriously: even Disney was sensitive to its interpretation of 바카라사이트 legendary Indian princess who marries a settler in Pocahontas.

In his analysis of Nixon, Evan Thomas, 바카라사이트 Washington bureau chief for Newsweek magazine, suggests 바카라사이트 standard of "basic truth" for modern docu-dramas. Nixon, he suggests, though a "credible effort" with an undercurrent of Shakespearean tragedy, falls short because 바카라사이트re is simply very little historical evidence that Nixon knew of CIA assassination plots, let alone blamed himself for Kennedy's death.

Stone is also blamed for perpetuating California's feel-good, lefty take on conservative politicians. The problem remains that "basic truth" frequently eluded Shakespeare himself, who also played to 바카라사이트 conspiracy 바카라사이트ories of his time - raising 바카라사이트 prospect that one day, 400 years from now, Stone could still qualify as Hollywood's 20th-century bard.