Images for "Learning history Through Film"

This is a picture of the actual slave record of Solomon Northup, as Plat Hamillon, being sold. 

A drawn picture of Soloman Northup.

A picture of Patsy, very upset about something, from 12 Years a Slave.

A picture, from the movie Glory, of the regiment at Fort Wagner fighting for their lives on the front.

A picture, from the movie Glory, of the regiment in their clothes practicing for battle.

Learning History Through Film

           In the first quarter of junior year we have watched Glory and 12 Years a Slave. Our study topic for the first quarter was pre- Civil War, and I truly believe that watching Glory and 12 Years a Slave has helped me get a better understanding on what happened, and the attitudes of those affected by the historical events. My new teacher claims that movies can not teach you anything historically or accurately, and I just do not agree with that. I believe that it is possible to develop great analytical skills and explore real events, circumstances, and attitudes just by watching movies in a critical way, and doing some research. In class the past few days we have been asked to just do some research on Glory and 12 Years a slave. I have researched opinions from the directors, movie reviews, awards for the movies, and also the accuracy of the movies. I have come to realize that if it were not for visually seeing the actions done in the movies that I would not have empathized with people from the 1800’s. I would have had a general sympathy for those who were done wrong, but not empathy and understanding. To me, I believe there are three important things in learning and understanding history; having a general and accurate understanding of what happened, having empathy for those affected, and thinking analytically.

           

            Having a general and accurate understanding of what happened in history is probably the first thing needed in order to be able to remember and know what happened. Before watching Glory and 12 Years a Slave, I knew a lot about historic slavery and blacks. I knew that these African Americans were treated like objects rather than people, and I knew that they were held on terms that no living human being should ever be held on. When watching Glory, I took many notes on what was happening throughout the whole movie, and really opened my mind up to analytical thinking. Prior to this film, I did not know a lot about the 54^th Regiment in Massachusetts, and this was the base line to the whole film. I learned from the film that there was a regiment of blacks, free and runaways, that came together with a white commander in order to fight. Their first big battle, Fort Wagner on July 18, 1863 was a mile marker for these blacks. Their own commander had doubts about how capable they truly were, and what their fight was going to look like, just due to the color of their skin. In the end, this group of men came together, and lost a lot of men, but finally made a stance against the racist concerns of people with dark skin. This film won many awards for best supporting actor, best sound, and best cinematography, according to IMDb.com. Watching Glory gave me the best understanding of the 54^th Regiment that I could have gotten. Now on to 12 Years a Slave, this movie is based completely on the free man Solomon Northup who got kidnapped, and sold as a slave named Plat who worked as a slave for 12 years. I knew how rough slavery was and how unfair the living conditions and punishments were, however watching this film allowed me to see how separate jobs in the slavery business worked. I learned that there were kidnappers who whenever they saw a black man they grabbed and stole. I also learned that these kidnappers would sell to a slave ship, to which traveled to different ports all over the United States for slave auctions. The slaves were then taken to plantations and worked under a head master who owned the property. The head masters had over seers who watched the slaves work and practice to see if what they were doing was acceptable. If not, they were slapped, whipped, hung, or even killed. 12 Years a Slave did a really thorough job of telling the story of Solomon Northup, due to the book 12 Years a Slave, written by Northup himself. This movie won best motion picture, best performance of supporting actor, best film, and best writing, according to IMDb.com. The awards given to these movies show that their accuracy was valued and recognized and awarded for their conveyance of specific historical facts. Watching the films helps get a personal and accurate understanding of historical events.

           

            In order to understand history, one must be able to empathize and relate to historical people affected during those times that are being discussed. For most people, one must visually see something or hear actual words in order to empathize with anyone about anything. Watching Glory allowed me to see what the people in the 54^th Regiment looked like, what they wore, what living conditions they were given, and how they were treated. I truly feel bad that these hard working- men had to live in tents snow or shine. That they had to wear hard shoes that rubbed without socks all day every day for practice. That they had to win a battle against the South, in order to be talked about. That they had to cry and get whipped if they stepped out of line. I can honestly say that if I did not watch the film Glory, I would not have known what any of these things looked like nor would I have felt for them and connected with them, in the way that I did. Like I said before, they won best cinematography and best sound, showing that the filmmaker really went through a lot of hard work, in order for viewers to really hear and see what went on in Massachusetts during the 1800’s. However, if I am being completely honest, 12 Years a Slave was directed and filmed on a whole other level. There were several parts of this film when there were tears coming from my eyes, and where I felt as if my heart was getting ripped out of me, because the pictures and words were so brutal in this movie. The viewer of 12 Years a Slave actually see Solomon walking around his town free with his family, to then seeing him lying in a cell with rags as clothes, locked in shackles. Solomon later on in the film says, “I do not want to survive, I want to live.”. This quote in itself is heart throbbing knowing that a once free man does not want to just survive as a slave, day to day, by just a little sleep and a little bread… but that he wants to live as a free man eating however much of whatever he wants and sleeping as long as he pleases. Seeing his face, seeing his tears, when whipped or when committing the whip to Patsy. Seeing and hearing Eliza’s sobbing as she weeps for her children back. Hearing the scream come from Tibeats as Solomon beats him in the field. Watching Epps’ wife throw the glass whisky jug at Patsy’s face. And most hurtful to me, seeing Patsy’s gooey and scarred back, as she cries as hard as she can. All of this creates the most empathetic kind of feeling I have ever felt while watching a movie. These two movies allow anyone to be able to empathize and cry with people who lived 200 years a go. Which to me, causes the deepest and most analytical understanding of history that there is.

           

            Having a general and accurate understanding of what happened, having empathy for those affected, and thinking analytically are the three things that I believe allow one to learn and understand history. Yes, I believe that watching movies does help you learn history. Yes, it is possible to develop great analytical skills and explore real events, circumstances, and attitudes just by watching movies in a critical way, and doing some research.




Sources:

1.     Rogerebert.com; Glory Movie Review; January 12, 1990

2.     IMDb.com; Glory Movie Awards

3.     Ashbrook.org; History and the Movies: Accuracy The Patriot and Glory; July 2000

4.     Tech.mit.edu; The Tech Online Edition; Glory Director Edward Swick Discusses Motivations Behind the Film; January 24, 1990

5.     Thegaurdien.com; 12 Years a Slave- Movie Review; January 11,2014

6.     Me and my movie notes

7.     IMDb.com; 12 Years a Slave Movie Awards

8.     Screenrant.com; 12 Years a Slave: Accuracy The Movie VS. The True Story; November 4, 2013

9.     nytimes.com; 12 Years Director The Blood and Tears, not the Magnolias; October 17, 2013

Reflection on Paraphrase Practice

In class, I have learned how to paraphrase completely by taking the original author's thoughts and putting them into my own words. I first need to read the passage fully, to a place where I understand exactly what the author is saying, and have no questions at all. I then think of original words and phrases to write down that has the same meaning as the author's but looks completely different. After that, I go through and make sure that I haven't left any of the author's points out, and that I did not add any other, non irrelevant, thoughts to it.

This is what I learned and understand:
- Only use a direct quote when it adds power and style to my writing
- Always make it clear, from context, that I understand the full meaning of the quote
- Whether I quote or paraphrase, I must always be transparent about the source and how I'm using it
- If I use another author's exact words or phrases, to any extent, I have to use the quotation marks and give credit
- If I use another author's presentation of facts to ideas, but put their ideas in my own words, (paraphrase) I better have a good reason for doing so, and I MUST give credit
- Hyperlinking is so easy, there is no excuse for not being transparent about my sources

Practicing Incorporating a Quotation

I really enjoyed the movie "Glory" and I thought it did a great job showing the 54th Regiment. However, after reading the movie review I now don't understand the same concept that Ebert mentions in his review. He says, "I didn't understand why it had to be told so often from the point of view of the 54th's white commanding officer". Why couldn't part of the movie been told from the African American's viewpoints? By coming from the white officer, the viewers of the movie never got to fully understand how the blacks felt. These emotions should have been included in this film since it is about them being the first black soldiers in America.  

In this paragraph I practiced incorporating a quote into my writing. I put some of my thoughts in, along with someone else's who I agreed with. 

Paraphrase Practice

Excerpt from article by Robert Ebert:

"Perhaps one answer is that the significance of the 54th was the way in which it changed white perceptions of black soldiers (changed them slowly enough, to be sure, that the Vietnam War was the first in American history in which troops were not largely segregated). "Glory" is a strong and valuable film no matter whose eyes it is seen through. But there is still, I suspect, another and quite different film to be made from this same material."


My paraphrased article: 

Feasibly one could conclude that the white's slowly changing views of the blacks, is one of the most important things about the 54th Regiment. This did not happen right away, the fact is that it was not until the Vietnam war, that the troops were integrated. The movie "Glory" is a very worthwhile movie, displaying strength and value, for anyone who watches it. However, I really think that the same facts could be used in a completely different way, making a new film.

Film Review

This is my film review, working with Virginia.

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/glory-1989

Personal Reflection

   The last few days we have talked about evidence. The most important thing, I think, that we have learn would be about primary sources. Primary sources are just about the most accurate and true description of any topic, that you can find. A primary source is any picture or writing that you can find from that exact time period. The other day we were told to look for evidence that the pilgrims came to North America for their religion. They came to make their religion stricter in a new place that was easier to center everything around Christianity. To support this as true, I found the Mayflower Compact. This was a direct writing from the day that the pilgrims got off of the ship. This was a writing that stated their motives behind their adventure, which was their religion. This researching showed me how important it was to find primary sources and, how primary sources are the most valid and accurate source there is.

    The last few days we have also talked about the cotton economy in the United States. We learned that cotton was pretty much the most important product in demand at that time. We also learned that without slaves, the cotton production would not have been so high. Basically, the cotton production increase was due to the slave's hard work. However the spinning was done by a professional. Right after the slaves picked and cleaned the cotton, the cotton was then sent to a professional to spin.