With Steven Speilburg making the new movie “Lincoln” this year it got me thinking. Do movies help history stay alive?
“Historical movies have been the only thing that I have ever liked about history. It was always so boring in school and I never really liked it, but movies like “The Patriot” are some of my favorite and that’s history, said BGSU senior Kala Stanley.
Stanley is a cardiac rehab major and says she has always tried to stay pretty far away from the subject. “It’s just not fun,”she said.
This seems to be the common theme that I got from students that I talked to. Not everyone enjoys history, and since we live in such a highly visual society it makes it more likely people will learn from our past.
Ohio State senior Jessica Vitt had the same thoughts as Stanley. “Lets face it. If it were up to people having to pick up a book and learn about history now a days it just simply wouldn’t happen. When it is incorporated into entertainment than it is actually plausible.”
It all makes sense. This year is the 150th year anniversary of the Civil War. Lots of people do not think that something that happened that long ago has much to do with their life today. I am not sure if the anniversary is what prompted Speilburg, but it is pretty cool that it will come out this year.
There are also some conflicting opinions on the matter though. Katie Barnes is a recent college graduate who says she can not stand watching most historical movies. “They are just so inaccurate. Most of the time it is just annoying to watch because directors try to make it interesting by adding drama that was never there,” Barnes said.
Depending on your take, I still think it is pretty awesome that there are historical movies. 150 years later, and we are still churning out Lincoln movies. Pretty impressive if you ask me.
What do you think about history in movies? Leave a comment.
Movies are not the only thing promoting history these days. There are even apps for your phone now! Android just came out with a cool interactive app that is a game for history. You have to make it through levels, and answer questions right to win. Awesome.
http://www.androidapps.com/tech/articles/4163-keep-history-alive-with-these-android-apps
Check out the site above about the history app for the android.
If you want to see Historical movies you can go to my website and watch some of them .
What is interesting to me is how quickly movies come out to document history, rather news stories, of the not so distant past. History movies are required for events which took place a long time ago. Events recorded with quill and paper, oil paint and canvas, or the recorded audio recordings of moving a movie speech.
With cameras in every hand and free distribution to the world, the history we make today will all be movies for those in the future.
So, yes.