History Through…

…Film

During the past century, a growing amount of what Americans know about history came from the movies. Popular films both represent and misrepresent the historical past. On the one hand, the movies expose the public to the look and feel of a particular era.  Film helps audiences to visualize the past in a way no written text can, and introduces viewers to key historical episodes that they never know about otherwise.

On the other hand, movies also distort the past. Historical movies typically simplify the historical record, condense timelines, collapse several personalities into a single character, invent dialogue and situations, and take liberty with facts. Much of the complexity of the past disappears, as movies populate the screen with clearly identified heroes and villains.

The following film clips present two opposing viewpoints on American history. In this activity, you will compare and contrast the two clips.

Spirit of America

Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that left nearly 3,000 Americans dead, and which destroyed New York City’s World Trade Centers and severely damaged the Pentagon, an Academy Award winning filmmaker, Chuck Workman, created a 3-minute long montage that spliced clips from 110 Hollywood movies. The trailer was shown in more than 10,000 movie theaters in the weeks after the 9/11 attacks.

Brief History of the United States of America

In his 2002 documentary, Brief History of the United States of America: Bowling for Columbine, filmmaker Michael Moore explores the roots of the United States’ fascination with guns.