A Semester of Change

At the beginning of this semester, I had very little experience to what I would classify as studying history. I had taken the required history classes in early high school such as US History and World History. These courses provided me with a very basic outline for my historical perspective. This in turn means that any and all additional knowledge I have gained about history stems from conversations and more importantly films.

There have been a number of historical films that I have seen throughout my life that have helped shape this perspective. These include The Patriot, The Pianist, Hidden Figures, Braveheart,  and many more. These films are still surpassed in number and information when considering the films watched during the course of the class.

These films as a whole give the viewers a good perspective on how different historical events occurred. Unfortunately, it can also be said that a large majority of the population has a similar experience as me to where I have had very little formal history education. This means that writers and directors have a certain level of responsibility when it comes to being historically accurate within films. A large majority of the historical films that we watched within this class are historically accurate to a certain degree, but most individuals will take these films very literally, due to this reason writers and directors must be historically accurate.

Within our society there needs to be a conversation discussing the shared responsibility between directors and viewers on the historical knowledge that is gained and shared through film. As discussed, writers and directors need to make an attempt to maintain and improve the historical accuracy of their films. Additionally, viewers need to do a better job of checking the facts within these films for accuracy when using these as their primary source of historical knowledge. Hopefully through these two measures we can move as a society to greater knowledge of history through the resource of film.

The Sorceress and The Anchoress

The Sorceress and The Anchoress are two films that speak to a similar theme in a couple different manners. These films describe what life was like for two different women within the middle ages that struggle finding their place within society, and struggling with the power of the church. These films can be viewed on a couple of different levels, first looking at the very basic meaning of the film and interpreting the plot of the film. The level being discussed is that of a greater detail, discussing the role of the characters, how the women are portrayed within the film, who holds the power within society, and the tactics that filmmakers utilize.

These two films differ in many ways, but both investigate the elements that were discussed. In both films, the females are presented as a sort of submissive characters that are dependent upon men. The power of the church is very prevalent in both of these films, as women struggle to make decisions while being limited by the churches divine authority.  Not only is this power displayed consistently by the church but also by the male figures that are within the film. This appears to be historically accurate as within this time period male figures were the dominant authority and female characters had the primary role of caring for the children and raising the child. The films however both utilize the technology available to enhance the mood being portrayed by the director. In both cases, the film was intended to be somber, with a very reflective mood. This was achieved through soft colors and black and white between the respective films. This allows the viewer to get the mood of the movie through the emotions being portrayed by the actor as well as the color of the film.

High’s and Low’s: A Summary

Throughout the past two and a half weeks, we have watched a number of films through this class. (12 to be exact) Of these 12 films there are naturally going to be some that stand out as personal favorites, and others who sink to the bottom of the list. One thing worth noting however, is that all of these films have been proven to be significant or to some distinction, good, by someone or a group of people. This reinforces that the enjoyment a person gets from any particular film comes directly from the person.

With that being said, here is my take on which films I felt were best throughout these past two or so weeks. The first film that we watched that really stood out to me would have to be The Adventures of Robin Hood. I had no problems at all instantly being drawn into the plot of the film, the acting, and the emotions that were trying to be portrayed. Yes, there were moments where I was able to observe some of the unavoidable blunders created by the technology available, but it was not anywhere close to taking away from the film. Next, I found Court Jester to be particularly enjoyable due to the whimsy and complete 180 degree turn that was made from The Adventures of Robin Hood to Court Jester. I found Court Jester to be filled with humor and laughter, partially due to the content itself, and partially due to the context of just having watched the previous film.

Lastly, I will take the chance to touch on the film that I felt was the least enjoyable to this point. As mentioned, all films that we have watched have great historical and cinematic importance, but there were some films that I just did not get as much enjoyment from. One of those films was the first film that we watched, The Passion of Joan of Arc. This film was not enjoyable for a couple of different reasons, extending past the fact that it is a silent film. The limitations of the technology, that placed restrictions on the film, really placed a restriction on how much I could enjoy the film. Additionally, I felt that the exaggeration of the actors in almost every setting made me want to view it as comical despite my knowing that it was a very serious film.

I could elaborate in much greater length on the pro’s and con’s of all 12 films that we have watched through the past couple weeks, but I feel this abridged list gives a good idea of cinematic experience that we have had throughout this class.

A Journey Through the Decades

Throughout the first 2 weeks of this course we have been exposed to a number of different films, each of which bringing something new to the table. From The Passion of Joan of Arc to Alexander Nevsky, to Court Jester and The Seventh Seal, there have been some drastic differences in film. In the beginning of the class, the first film we watched was The Passion of Joan of Arc. This film was a silent film that was made in Italy in the early 20th century that utilized black and white film, close-up shots, and dramatic facial expressions to convey the purpose of this film. As 21st century viewers I feel that we were able to understand what was being told. but not necessarily connect with the film due to the large gap between the reality of that movie production and what we are accustomed to. We see different variations in this reality throughout the first couple films that we viewed as us as viewers, try to find something that we can connect with.

As we get deeper into our selection of films, we start to see the films we watch, become more and more relatable to something that we would see today in the 21st century. This was made possible due to an increase in technology allowing for color film, an increase in the popularity of movies allowing for more robust and realistic sets, and an increase in the quality of acting that we see in these films, allowing for greater plot development and viewer engagement.

The last film that we watched, The Vikings, really started to embrace this change in the feel of the film. As I was watching it, I started to forget that I was watching a film from 50+ years ago, and started to focus more on the film in itself. The emotions that were being portrayed, the plot development, how the characters interact, and interpreting the general purpose of the film. This really does show the great bounds that have been made between the films that we have watched, going from black and white silent films, to bright, colorful, full audio films, that truly have taken us on a journey through the decades.

A Tale of Two Richards

Between The Crusades and The Adventures of Robin Hood, we as viewers get two very different perspectives on one particular time period. These two films differ both in technology available, vantage point, and overall plot.

Within The Crusades, the film focuses particularly on Richard the Lion Heart, his departure for the First Crusade, and his newfound love interest. Throughout the film we see the evolution of Richard as the main character, softening his heart throughout the film. In the beginning of the film we see Richard very against any sort of relationship, which leads him to join the Crusades in a way to escape his pledge to marry the Princess of France. In the early stages of the Crusade, Richard comes off very brash in his first encounter with Bellengaria, and she quickly grows a distaste for him. Throughout the development of the film, we see Richard grow to be more affectionate and caring for Bellengaria and she warms up to him. In the end of the film we see Richard be the warm, and caring individual that he is portrayed as in other films such as The Adventures of Robin Hood.

In The Adventures of Robin Hood, we see the film take place in the same time period as The Crusades, however the plot takes place in a much different setting. The film takes place back in England, during the First Crusade, while Richard is away. Prince John has taken over the throne and is attempting to solidify this position permanently. Robin Hood is a common individual who is utilizing his skills as an archer to steal from the rich and give to the poor. Towards the end of the film we see the introduction of Richard’s character, where he comes in as a very charismatic, and mysterious individual. Throughout the end of the film, we see Richard being very thankful for the work that Robin Hood has been doing, and the loyalty that he has shown.

In the conclusion of The Adventures of Robin Hood, we see the typical portrayal of Richard the Lionheart, a King who is legend to be very kind, caring and courageous. This is consistent with the portrayal at the end of The Crusades, but Richard goes through a very different development as a character throughout the film. Which is more accurate however, only history can tell us, but it is very adament that these two films give us a tale of two Richards.