NA 2 - File 4A: History goes to the movies

Dear students & readers of this blog,
                                           
These days, at our Advanced level class, we are talking about history and movies. First of all, it might be interesting to distinguish between two concepts that are confusing for a Spanish speaker: 'historical' and 'historic'

HISTORIC: Something that is important in history, or likely to be considered important at some time in the future. E.g. ...the historic changes in Eastern Europe.

HISTORICAL: People, situations or things that existed in the past, or that are considered a part of history. E.g. ...an important historical figure.    (source: Collins cobuild dictionary)

What is it, then, that makes a film historical? According to some, a film can be considered as historical when it is based on a real event, or is set in a historical period. But the real issue here is accuracy. How accurate should film screenwiters and directors be? How faithful should films be to historical events? According to this, what historical films you know?

In class, we saw three clips corresponding to three wll-known historical films:

"They may take our lives, but they'll never take OUR FREEDOM!!!! - "Braveheart", Mel Gibson, 1995. Based on the Battle of Stirling (13th century) - The English rule Scotland. William Wallace, Scottish hero and leader of a rebellion against the English, speaks to the discouraged armies before the battle.

 "As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again" - "Gone with the wind", Victor Fleming, 1939. Based on the American Civil War (1861-1865) . Scarlett O'Hara, starving and desperate, after almost being sick for eating a turnip she pulls from the ground, rises from the ground, and vows she'll do whatever it takes not to be hungry again.

 "I'm Spartacus!!!!" - "Spartacus", Stanley Kubrick, 1960. Based on the Rebellion of the slaves led by the gladiator Spartacus in the 1st century BC. - After the rebellion of the slaves is crashed, general Marcus Licinius Crassus promises the captives that they will not be punished if they will identify Spartacus. But the reaction of the slaves is somewhat unexpected: one by one, each or them stand out and shout "I'm Spartacus"

Here is a clip of one of my favourite historical film, not historically accurate at all, but fun just the same.

"My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius". The gladiator, and former general Maximus, whose family has been killed by emperor Commodus, finds himself at last in front of his enemy, whom he wants to take revenge on, and swears he will avenged his family. "My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, Commander of the Armies of the North, leader of the Phoenix legions, loyal servant to the true emperor Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son. Husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or in the next" - "Gladiator", Ridley Scott, 2000.

Which is your favourite sequence of a historical film? Please click on COMMENTS to tell us about it, indicating the name of the film, the director and the year it was released, and briefly describing what happens in the scene and what historical event it is based on.