Leinana,
I wrote a 3000 word essay for one of my undergrad degrees on film and
the construction of history, comparing films like "Shoah" and
"Schindler's List".
I also wrote an article last year about how I preferred "Pearl Harbor"
over "Schindler's List" because at least PH is such a farce no one would
take its version of history seriously. SL's documentary style and
serious, authentic treatment seems much more "honest." Therefore it's
all the more capable of 'rewriting history' to suit its own agenda.
Lastly, I've just completed an Honours thesis on Godzilla. Elements of
the thesis are to do with the original Japanese Godzilla film and how it
attempts to reimagine the Japanese wartime experience by displacing the
atomic bomb's devastating effects onto this prehistoric monster that was
awoken by weapons tests.
If you're interested in any of these papers or you're curious about any
of the references I used, feel free to contact me.
Cheers,
Justine
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-----Original Message-----
From: Film-Philosophy Salon [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of leinana myers
Sent: Thursday, 7 November 2002 4:35 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject:
Hello,
I am working on a paper concerning ways in which films 're-write'
history:
on the one hand an example such as _The Sorrow and the Pity_, which
rewrote
the history of France's role under the Occupation by dismantling the
national myth of universal resistance, and on the other hand some more
recent films which rewrite history more--I think--in terms of their
agenda
and/or framing of history. _Black Hawk Down_ immediately comes to mind,
with
its pro-America "jingoism" as the BBC called it, or even the currently
showing (in NY) _The Grey Zone_, which in its narration of a *true*
story
and attention to historic accuracy, nevertheless presents an overall
one-dimensional version of the history of the Sonderkommando. I suppose
the
main point I am trying to argue with _The Grey Zone_ is that, because it
presents in many a ways a *true* chapter of this history, it ends up
representing in the minds of many viewers *the* definitive history, in
its
entirety and without other complexities--and any reader of Arendt (or
history in general) will know that _The Grey Zone_ is far from
presenting
the *entire* complex, difficult story.
It would be helpful if any of you could throw out the names of some
books/essays/articles, etc. that deal with history and film, and how
film
represents and/or changes history, or other films that might be useful
for
me, or even your opinions on _The Grey Zone_...
Thanks in advance,
Leinana Myers
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