Tag: history
A Tale of Two Racisms: ‘Jud Süß’ and Stepin Fetchit
If YouTube had never existed, I probably wouldn’t have gotten the chance to see Jud Süß (1940) and the Stepin Fetchit short film Slow Poke (1932). Thankfully, I did, and I’m very grateful. I think everyone should see these movies – with good reason. They’re some of the most offensive pictures ever created, and they’re…
Jimi: All is by My Side
On paper it sounds like a great idea – a Jimi Hendrix biopic starring Andre Benjamin, one of the members of hip-hop group, OutKast. And having avoided any of the talk around the film, it was one I’d been looking forward to for some time. Unfortunately, Benjamin’s generally convincing performance isn’t enough to save Jimi: All…
Movies & Racism: 5 Films That Should be Relegated to Museums
Racism has been around since day one – and in cinema almost as long. Some racist films, such as Gone With the Wind (1939), are still shown on television, while others, like The Birth of a Nation (1915) are harder to find. The question I want to ask is: Should these flicks be relegated to…
Film as thesis: 3 Depictions of the Nature of History
As a history graduate and a film lover I’ve long been aware of the complex relationship between cinema and the past. Films can reflect our history, the way we reconstruct a story of the past from the evidence around us. They can also shape popular understanding of history, as shown by both Hollywood blockbusters and…
It’s True Because It Works: Historical Storytelling in Lincoln
Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln (2012) may seem at first glance a straightforward historical film, narrating how President Abraham Lincoln ensured the liberation of the slaves at the end of the American Civil War. But closer examination of the characterisation of this great president, impeccably played by Daniel Day-Lewis, reveals a script that forces us to challenge…