Studying the Subject of Film

After reading the first chapter of Engaging Cinema, I must say that I am really excited to dive into the actual content of this class. I think it is going to be very intriguing to watch our line up of films and compare them to the real world events that they try to depict. It's not just that I'm excited to see; it's the director's own twist on the content of the film I really want to analyze. I want to see how they change a film from the real story to a version that appeals to the audience - I want to really understand what makes a Hollywood film a climatic "master piece." Sometimes when watching a film the feeling of reality just drops away, and all that is left is how the picture on the screen makes you feel. I would love to get an insight into how directors do this to people, and I'm hopping this class will do that for me.

It's an interesting concept of saying that movies can be a "social danger" or a "social benefit." It's no surprise that movies sometimes inspire real life crimes. I mean some films could almost be considered step by step crime manuals. Many movies have actually spawned copy-cat crimes all over the world. Movies like Fight Club (1999) inspired many young American boys to crate their own "fight clubs," and A Clockwork Orange (1970) inspired so many crimes that it was removed from British distribution. But I don't believe movies can be blamed for all the social distress in our times, sometimes movies have an amazing social message. The movie To Kill a Mocking Bird (1962) brought to light the social issues of the black and white segregation; at a time in our history when the issue was a hot topic. Movies are not all good, but they are not all bad either. It may just go to show what power a person can have when you put a camera in their hands and a social following to match.


Resources:

WatchMojo.com, , prod. Top 10 Real-Life Crimes Inspired by Movies and TV. Youtube.com, 2013. Web. 25 Jan 2014. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0u5zQNtQE0>.

First Thoughts of History Through Film

Q.  What are your thoughts about taking the class History through Film? What do you hope to get out of this class and what strength do you bring to the class that will help us all progress forward as we learn?

A.  I am really hoping this class will be exciting and an awesome learning experience; not just about history but about films as well. I would really like to get an understanding of how Hollywood changes films from their original stories. This class, I'm hoping, will help me gain a better understanding of the film industry -- considering how I am hoping to go in to a career involving film. I actually really enjoy learning about history, and learning through film is a different way of tiring to understand it. I have watched a lot of historical films and hope I can bring good discussion into the class room.