| Unit name | Filming the Past |
|---|---|
| Unit code | HIST30021 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Andy Flack |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
NONE |
| Co-requisites |
NONE |
| School/department | Department of History (Historical Studies) |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Film-makers have been committing history to celluloid since the earliest days of the cinema. From the silent movies of the turn of the twentieth century through the epic Hollywood historical dramas of the forties and fifties to the blockbusters of the modern era, history has provided a seemingly endless supply of plots and characters for viewers to enjoy, and directors and studios to exploit. This unit will encourage students to reflect on the ways in which history has been presented on film. Students may be asked to think critically about what historical films tell us about the societies in which they emerge, for example, or to consider how historical films allow societies to improve their understanding of their own past and come to terms with it. Students will compare film with animation and gaming in terms of their respective capacity to forge relationships between past and present. Finally, students will be encouraged to reflect on aspects of historical cinema that relate to their own fields of interest and to consider whether or not there is an important difference between filmmakers and historians.
On successful completion of this unit students will have developed: 1. A deep understanding of the relationship between film and history 2. the ability to critically analyse and generalise about issues of continuity and change; 3. the ability to select pertinent evidence/data in order to illustrate/demonstrate more general historical points; 4. the ability to derive benefit from and contribute effectively to large group discussion; 5. the ability to identify a particular academic interpretation, evaluate it critically and form an individual viewpoint; 6. the acquisition of advanced writing, research, and presentation skills.
Seminars - 2 hours per week
2-hour exam (100%) [ILOs 1-5]
Robert Burgoyne, The Hollywood Historical Film (Oxford, 2008). Deborah Cartmell & I. Q. Hunter (eds), Retrovisions: Reinventing the Past in Film and Fiction (London, 2001). Natalie Zemon Davis, Slaves on Screen: Film and Historical Vision (Cambridge, MA, 2000). Leger Grindon, Shadows on the Past: Studies in the Historical Fiction Film (Philadelphia, 1994). William Howard Guynn, Writing History in Film (New York; London, 2006). Marcia Landy (ed.), The Historical Film: History and Memory in Media (New Brunswick, 2000).
