Anita,
Your experience and mine are similar. We spent time reading books such as Nancy Drew, Hans Brinker and the Silver Ice Skates, Grims fairy Tales (scary), and books along those lines. We lived near Valley Forge and would take Field Trips there. My interest in history came from the stories my mother told us about little known aspects of History.
Anita
-- "Anita L. Henderson" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Dear Eric and David:
Your own experiences echo mine. I grew up watching the Grey Ghost, all the historical Walt Disney movies such as Johnny Shiloh,Willie and the Yank, Treasure Island, The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh, Kidnapped, etc as well as western movies. Those films coupled with my dad's and uncles' WWII stories got me interested in history especially military, CW and western cavalry and black history. This spurred me into doing more in depth reading on my own and now I take part in Civil War living history primarily as a black civilian (I interpret both a free or an enslaved cook depending on the event) and also do a mounted cavalry bugler as well. I have documentation on a black woman who rode with the 8th NY cavalry so I am not trying to make a political statement ;-)! I recall at a prerelease screening of the movie The Patriot sponsored by the Smithsonian this issue was forefront in the presentation. The movie was the first commercial film that the Smithsonian had acted as historical advisers for. Rex Ellis who is now at CW but was at SI spoke to the need to improve the accuracy of historical film as the SI's reason for setting up this new division. He spoke to the frustrations of historians trying to make it right vs. the Hollywood director/producer's artistic need for interpretation and telling a good story. They were able to win some significant accuracy battles but lost a few as well. The Patriot though not perfect by a long shot, was an improvement over some past 18th century films though I still have a problem with the Mel Gibson employing free black laborers in SC......the PC crowd evidently put that one in ;-0!! One contemporary CW movie that I feel was ruined by the lack of respect for the role of geographic place was Cold Mountain. I realize that it was cheaper for them to film there BUT the Carpathian mountains in Romania DO NOT look like the Blue Ridge!!!! Why they didn't film in NC is beyond me like they did in Last of the Mohicans. The Smokies never looked better in that film! I just saw a preview of the New World on HBO and on first glance it looked pretty good from an accuracy perspective: period clothing, hair styles, weaponry, etc. I can't speak with any authority regarding the Powhatan tribe as I am not familiar with 17th century VA native tribes dress/hair styles, etc. They did look pretty good though and thank goodness used an all native cast/extras for the tribe members. I also like the fact that they filmed on the peninsula seven miles from the original settlement which will help create a sense a place in the film that I spoke of earlier. Of course the proof is in the pudding and will reserve final judgment till I see the film.
Anita L. Henderson
Woodbine, MD
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society
http://www.agsas.org
-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Johnson <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 16:56:52 -0500
Subject: Re: New World Movie
I have to echo David's comments here. I'm not defending specific decisions
in any film, but I do know that compelling imagery and a sense of history
that was generated on film were large reasons for my love of history and
subsequent pursuit of undergraduate and graduate studies in the field.
For me, it wasn't so much about what I was being taught, it was about (to
use Freeman Tilden's term) what was being *evoked.* Once history got its
hooks in me that way, it was up to me to study and learn the *real* stories
behind the stories I saw on film--which added a whole new layer of
fascination.
I guess I don't expect historical fiction on film to be particularly factual
(though I certainly applaud it when it is). Its service to the historian,
in my opinion, comes from giving people a sense of wonder about a/the
historical world.
Best,
--Eric
Eric D. M. Johnson
Proprietor
The Village Factsmith Historical Research & Consulting
http://www.factsmith.com/
[log in to unmask]
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Kiracofe" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2006 4:29 PM
Subject: Re: New World Movie
> Maybe I'm just not inclined to bash Hollywood movies (too easy), but
> actually I find there is a lot of educational value in looking at movies
> as a form of interpretation -- a historiographical approach if you will.
To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions
at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions
at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions
at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
|
