I have moved away from Randolph and have had to go to a different school. My new US History teacher does not think I can improve my thinking skills or learn anything of value from watching movies. But I a, going to prove her wrong by showing that it is possible to develop great analytical skills and explore real events, circumstances, attitudes by watching movies in a critical way, and doing some research.
Being an analytical thinker means, to be able to break down something and being able to look at it in a different way. By watching the movie Glory, I was able to analyze the movie and do some research to come to the conclusion that, it is one of the most historically accurate and the most moving movie ever made about the war. I thought that in the movie 12 Years a Slave, that it was extraordinary and daring to make a movie about a man who was free but is kidnapped into slavery. I have never seen nor heard a movie about this kind of format until we watched it in class. According to Steven Rea from Philadelphia Inquirer, “the subject of slavery, from the perspective of the enslaved, has never really been addressed on-screen before. McQueen, the black British director, remedies this failing fearlessly.” Being a filmmaker who wants to depict historical events in a way that will still draw a paying audience into the theater, and having to condense events that took years to occur in a two-hour timeframe is a challenge. Even though it may be a challenge, if the filmmakers care about their reason to make the movie and get it out to the public, then it should not be impossible. Just like in the movie 12 Years a Slave the filmmaker McQueen said, “This film for me is about love,” and also referring to the movie as “discussion about human dignity...It’s a fight for soul, it’s a war for his spirit.” He wanted to make a movie of a type that has never really been made before so that we, the free people can empathize with it because we can imagine being free like we are but horrifyingly being kidnapped and becoming a slave. Because of McQueen’s passion for 12 Years a Slave it should not be impossible to condense events that took years to occur into a two-hour time frame. Films can convey “truths” about history, or can provide inspiration, or even insight specific historical facts are changed. The movie Glory conveyed ‘truths” about history. All of the most important events in the film happened just as they are shown, like the outcome of Zwick, and the key characters did exist. However sometimes like in the movie 12 Years a Slave some things are not as accurate as they seem. According to History vs. Hollywood, “The real Edwin Epps was crueler than the actor…” Edwin was a very cruel man in the movie, if they did portray him as he really was than it would be much harder for viewers to keep watching. They needed to do what is best for the viewers. Also, according to History vs. Hollywood, “Patsy never did beg Solomon to take her life.” I believe they added this to add drama and interested to show how much pain Patsy had gone through. Sometimes, filmmakers will add things that may not have actually occurred in history just to add some drama and show how the character is feeling.
In conclusion, I am analytical in my thinking and can develop an argument and use evidence to support it. I can also show challenges that a filmmaker may face and understand how a film can convey “truths” about history, or insight specific historical facts that are changed. As you can see, 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.
12 Years a Slave (2013)
According to History vs. Hollywood “Like in the movie, the real Solomon Northup was tricked and sold into slavery in 1841 and did not regain his freedom until January 3, 1853.”
Glory
'12 Years a Slave': An essential story, well told at last
According to Philly .com “the subject of slavery, from the perspective of the enslaved, has never really been addressed on-screen before. McQueen, the black British director, remedies this failing, fearlessly”
Glory
12 Years a Slave
Glory’s Non-Issue
According to Reel American History, “ the most powerful and historically accurate movie about that war ever made.”
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