Why use Movies in the Classroom?

Movies purporting to be historically accurate, or mostly so, nonetheless invariably suffer heavy criticism from serious scholars and historians. Why? On the one hand, it is the nature of historical research to be critical of evidence and previous analysis, and to always question what one discovers. On the other hand, some movies are so inaccurate that their version of history is misleading and, potentially, an insult to the general public's intelligence, prompting historians to speak out on their own behalf lest people think that the real past is no better than a poor movie. Despite the criticism, many historical movies provide us with an opportunity to view the past in a way that written texts can never reproduce.

Why use movies in the classroom? Several key reasons come to mind:

1. Movies made contemporaneously to the events they depict can serve as an indicator of social and/or cultural values of the time.
   
   
2. Combined with writing, movie stills can serve to illustrate a complex point.
   
   
3. Movies may motivate students by giving them a "feeling" for the period or by reinforcing lessons learned.
   
   
4. Movies can serve as shapers of historical consciousness.
   
   

Therefore, it is important for students of history to learn how to be critical viewers of film.

Movies, including those claiming to be documentaries, come laden with subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) biases, points of view, and interpretations that the director has chosen to include. Engendering the habit of critical viewing in students allows them to question what is fact or fancy, faulty or accurate analysis, overlooked or overemphasized, objective or subjective, and to make them aware that they are getting a selective view of history.

A major criticism of the film medium is its tendency to oversimplify a complex issue. This is probably unavoidable due to time constraints and the desire to hold an audience's attention without the need for reference cards to keep track of who's who, what happened when, and the like. Despite a film's apparent simplicity, much may be gleaned from it: What does it say about the social/cultural values of the time in which it was produced?, Why did the director choose the viewpoint presented?, What is fact and what was added to generate box office appeal?, In what ways did the movie support or contradict textual readings on the same topic?

Movies present things in dramatic, visual, and direct ways, thereby drawing people to curiosity about the past. A well-made film will not condescend to the viewers but allow them to discuss its points and draw their own conclusions. Film clips or entire movies can add immeasurably to our understanding of history.

Some good references for general use of film or commentary on specific movies include:

• Image as Artifact: The Historical Analysis of Film and TV
  
  
• History Goes to the Movies by Joseph Roquemore
  
  
• Past Imperfect: History According to the Movies by Mark C. Carnes, General Editor.
  
  

The use of visuals in your classroom will add greatly to your students’ positive learning experience about the past. Movies give a sense of action and drama to potentially dry historical dates and events; provide a sense of the times thanks to the director’s choices regarding such things as scene location, building architecture, clothing, means of transportation, etc.; and can help make the connection between the unfamiliar past through the use of familiar actors and actresses.

Entire movies do not need to be viewed, however, to add impact to the textbook reading and classroom discussion. Our goal is to provide you with some selected scenes that illuminate the facts and the questions of the past.

Accompanying questions are designed to spark discussion and encourage interpretive thinking. No one right answer exists to any given question so none are provided. Let your students explore the possibilities of the past!

Times for starting and ending a particular scene are given in hours, minutes, and seconds, and are based on the use of DVDs. For instance, if a scene is said to start at 1:20:03, this indicates the point on the counter for 1 hour, 20 minutes, and 3 seconds. Similarly, :20:03 indicates the point on the counter for 20 minutes and 3 seconds. Use the forward or back buttons on the DVD player or remote to arrive at the correct point, then push play to begin. When the time arrives for a scene to end (indicated by the counter), simply push the stop button. Please note that the seconds go by quickly and you may want to adjust the seconds reading by one or two, either forwards or backwards, to best suit your needs for showing the scene.

Check out our movie reviews (right side column) and related information for specific movies.