Representing History in Film: Advantages and Disadvantages
- Cody Mitchell
- Jun 16
- 12 min read
Introduction
This essay will address the advantages and disadvantages of historical feature films and will compare them to other representations of the past. It will argue that, while there are inevitable problems with movies as history, films have many advantages over other forms of representation and that the few serious concerns are not insurmountable. This article will look at concerns over the accuracy and objectivity of historical recreations as well as the popularity and influence of films today.
While there are many areas in which historical films are inferior to other forms of historical representation, the sheer influence that movies have in today's culture should motivate historians to work to ensure that they are reliable and as objective as possible. The astonishing popularity of movies means that they are, perhaps, the largest and most influential source of historical information for most of the population.
History films are an unavoidable part of most students’ educations, so, rather than ignoring them, scholars should harness the power of film to enable more people to gain an understanding of the past. Films also enable a level of emotional interaction with, and understanding of, history that few other types of representations allow for.
While there are a number of risks associated with historical films, the advantages that they can provide, in terms of realistic and empathetic understandings of the past, far outweigh the negatives.
Inaccuracy and Historical Films
Generally, historically themed films are more prone to inaccuracy when attempting to recreate the past than are other forms of historical representation. The major motivating factors in producing feature films are normally financial.
Hollywood is a business and is not primarily committed to the preservation of historical knowledge. Doherty put it well when he said that, because Hollywood’s principal purpose is to create entertaining media, ‘the medium cannot be expected to surrender the pleasures of spectacle and story for static pageants that meet the rigorous standards of a scholarly monograph.’[1]
This reversal of priorities troubles most scholarly historians who believe that commercialised history will inevitably be of mediocre scholarly quality.[2] In an interview with historian Mark Carnes, film director Oliver Stone explained that movies are created to be ‘gripping’, interesting for viewers and ‘watchable’.[3] While he used generally accepted historical facts 'where he could,' Stone conceded that, in his own films, he sometimes had to invent what he called ‘additional material’ to fill in the gaps.[4]
There have been numerous controversies—some more serious than others—over historically themed feature films. For example, Pearl Harbor, directed by Michael Bay, received much criticism from academic historians for its lack of historicity and alleged revisionism when it was released in 2001.
In a review of the film, historian Lawrence Suid accused Bay of trying to ‘have it both ways’ with historicity in Pearl Harbor.[5] He argued that, while Bay claims to have attempted to present the event in a historically accurate manner, little in the film ‘bears even a remote resemblance to actual events' of Pearl Harbor.[6] Historian Frank Wetta lamented at the end of his review that Pearl Harbor could have been both a ‘great film' as well as a 'great history lesson’, but, instead, it was 'only a movie’.[7]
Due to the commercialised and dramatised nature of the movie production industry, factual accuracy can be a significant concern when attempting to use historical films as representations of the past.
Political Agendas in History Films
Errors or mistruths in historical films are not always the result of ignorance or money; often, political prejudices are a motivating factor. People inevitably view political and cultural ideas through the lenses of experience and historical lessons.
Again, prejudice and bias are not unique to historical film. Few forms of historical representation (physical artefacts being one) are completely free of these flaws. Due to their emotional power, however, movies provide the perfect medium for presenting a particular, politicised narrative of the past as the ‘correct’ one.
For example, in Pearl Harbor, one of the main reasons for Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor is depicted to be a result of America’s refusal to supply Japan with oil. This portrayal has been condemned by historians as an incorrect representation of history and a dismissal of the reality of Japanese imperial ambitions.[8]
Whether the producers of Pearl Harbor were attempting to rewrite the past for their own purposes or whether they merely thought the ‘adjustment’ would make a better film is not clear. If believed, however, it is clear that the portrayal could have had a significant impact on people’s views of the realities of the Second World War.
In a review of Pearl Harbor, Lawrence Suid points to another serious historical error in the film. In the story, shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Admiral Husband Kimmel received an alert message regarding the seriousness of the situation with Japan.[9] By then, it is too late to prevent the catastrophe.[10]
In reality, Kimmel received the message well before the attack.[11] Bay admits that this was done to create what he calls ‘dramatic irony’, but the seriousness of such a historical rewrite should not be understated.[12]
While political messages may be more overt in historical feature films, they are not confined to dramas alone. For example, it is commonly believed that historical documentaries are innately more accurate than dramatised films. This is not true. As O’Connor points out, ultimately, both are ‘carefully structured creations’ from ‘particular point[s] of view’ and are equally vulnerable to bias.[13] In fact, the belief that documentaries are more accurate could well cause them to have greater damage as people may be less critical of them.
O’Connor emphasises the fact that ‘far more important than the type of films are the questions we ask of it’.[14] Viewers must rely, to a ‘great extent’, on the historians and filmmakers involved in the production to be able to answer questions regarding the quality of the historical research.[15]
Just as historians examine each other’s work through the peer-review process, scholars should continually examine and critique the content of films. It is important that the makers of historical films are held accountable and that viewers are made aware of the potential for bias, revisionism and propaganda in dramatic history films.
The Influence of Historical Films
The influence that historical films have today is massive in comparison to most other forms of historical representation.
Doherty writes that the ‘grim truth’ is that the general historical knowledge of Americans is now more influenced by the films they see than by their formal education.[16] He argues that for historians to simply avoid discussion over historical films is a serious mistake; rather, they should consider and analyse them carefully in an effort to act as a counterbalance to mistruth.[17] The question historians ought to be asking of history films is not whether they ought to be used for study, but ‘how to make the best use of [them]?‘[18]
Feature films are continuing as an incredibly popular form of entertainment and are increasingly replacing conventional text formats in education. In Australia, the annual gross box office for films has more than doubled since 1995.[19]
We need to accept the fact that film and television are, in the words of Weinstein, the ‘great history educators’ of today.[20]
Using historical films in education may be hazardous; however, it also presents great opportunities for teachers. Historically themed films provide the prospect of encouraging a greater in-depth engagement with history by a larger number of people than is possible through any other medium. In terms of reach, films are only surpassed by online traffic; however, whereas online users tend to scan over only a small percentage of the total text on a page, films provide an immersive, in-depth experience.[21]
Films can clearly prove to be incredibly valuable resources for teachers.[22] The worst approach scholarly historians could take would be to disengage altogether from discourse regarding popular-level history films.
Historians cannot change how people engage with history; however, they can ensure that the history that people engage with is accurate. The net result of historical scholars jettisoning the historical film industry is that movies will become less accurate while continuing to be watched and believed by many.
Historians and academics should not ignore the power and impact films have on Australian students; they should, rather, seek to utilise the power of visual media for educational purposes.
The Accessibility of History
Perhaps the single biggest advantage that historical films have over other representations of the past is their ability to engage audiences and provoke further study. This is, of course, part of the reason history movies have become so popular in recent decades.
Students are far more likely to watch a well-crafted historical drama than they are to subscribe to a historical journal or even read popular historical novels. Experts argue that films are engaging for students and, consequently, encourage them to undertake further study on the topic using other formats of historical information.[23]
Other scholars have argued that dramatised historical films serve to express an understanding of how people really experienced life in the past.[24] They bring an element of realism and authenticity that is unavailable by other means.
Physical objects, for example, while providing some insight into the lives of ancient peoples, often fail to engage students in a true understanding of historical lifestyles. Engaging films, coupled with at least foundational critical thinking and analytical skills, can provide an incredible learning platform for students. They can allow students to develop empathy while not naively accepting what is presented as fact.
Doherty writes that films can communicate the ‘felt emotion’ of a historical event with ‘power and precision’ that other forms of historical representation would be ‘lucky to match’.[25] Ultimately, ‘the fact that history serves Hollywood more often than Hollywood serves history does not mean Hollywood cannot be of service to historians’.[26]
As long as they are factually accurate, historical features have the potential to greatly enhance our understanding of the past and our empathy with those who lived before us.
Critical Thinking and Historical Films
Equipping students with critical analysis skills can counter many of the negatives associated with historical films.
Alan Marcus writes that teachers have a responsibility to consider the impact that films have on students’ understandings of the past.[27] The important thing is to ‘bear in mind the differences’ between professional academic writing and film as a representation of history.[28]
While scholarly writing is absorbed in a culture of critique and inspection, the film industry does not currently have this level of accountability. All forms of historical representation should be carefully considered and interpreted; however, this is perhaps even more essential with dramatised films.
Educators do a significant disservice to their students when they fail to equip them with adequate tools to critically examine the content of historical films.
O’Connor argues that a critical understanding of historical film—what he calls ‘visual literacy’—is an ‘essential tool for citizenship in contemporary America’.[29] This does not mean that the teacher must necessarily present commentary or analysis on the content being presented.
On the contrary, it is far better for the students to come to their own conclusions, discovering for themselves the inevitable shortcomings of films as a method for historical understanding. Teachers must, however, be responsible for giving their pupils the skills to learn from, assess and interpret the contents of the films they watch.[30]
O’Connor points out that just teaching ‘students to be cynics’ is ‘neither productive nor educational’.[31] Woelders recommends gradually ‘scaffolding students’ viewings of historically themed films’ to empower them to analyse and learn from multiple perspectives of the past—drawing their own conclusions from the evidence available.[32]
As is the case with any historical education, educators cannot simply let students absorb the information in historical feature films without ensuring that they are aware of the potential for bias and inaccuracy. Neither can they assume the full responsibility for reversing the bias or correcting the inaccuracy of the films.
Teachers and professors must gradually equip their pupils to be able to consider and interpret the content of films critically and intelligently on their own.[33]
Conclusion: Advantage or Disadvantage?
When using historical films to represent and recreate the past, educators should exercise incredible caution.
As with any representation of history, film has the ability to cause confusion for or mislead those who are not well equipped with the appropriate historical skills.
This article has examined a number of disadvantages and advantages that historically themed films have when compared with other representations of the past.
As outlined, movies provide some of the most influential media for emotional manipulation and can cause students to gain inaccurate or biased understandings of historical events. However, teachers can counter these problems by equipping students with the necessary critical thinking skills.
Without ‘visual literacy,’ historical movies could cause incalculable damage to people’s knowledge of history.[34] With it, students are capable of countering many of the issues associated with Hollywood’s representation of the past.
Furthermore, because they are so widely used, movies have the power to give wide audiences a more accurate understanding of history than many other historical formats—provided they are factually correct. Unlike digital, written or other visual forms of historical representation, a well-crafted history film can give a fairly precise visual and emotional recreation of the way things were centuries ago.
Movies are certainly not perfect representations of the past; however, rather than abandoning the historical filmmaking process, historical scholars should become actively involved in it.
Filmmakers must not be left to their own devices; they should be held to account.
Only then can the full historical potential of films be realised.
Editor's Note: This article was first written in 2019 as an essay for an undergraduate historical methodology unit on classical political thinkers. It has been published largely unaltered.
Bibliography
References
Anon. ‘Cinema industry trends gross box office and admissions’, Screen Australia, https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/cinema/industry-trends/box-office, accessed 25 May 2019.
Carnes, Mark C. ‘Past imperfect: History according to the movies: A conversation between Mark C. Carnes and Oliver Stone’, Cineaste, vol. 22, 1997, pp. 33-37, http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.une.edu.au/docview/204762107, accessed 22 May 2019.
Davis, Natalie Zemon, Slaves on Screen: Film and Historical Vision, Toronto, Vintage Canada, 2000.
Doherty, Thomas, ‘Film and history, foxes and hedgehogs’, Magazine of History, vol. 16, 2002, pp. 13-15, https://www.jstor.org/stable/25163543, accessed 26 May 2019.
Liles, Ray E. ‘The use of feature films as teaching tools in social work education’, Journal of Teaching in Social Work, vol. 27, 2007, pp. 45-60, doi: 10.1300/ J067v27n03_04, accessed 26 May 2019.
Marcus, Alan S. ‘"It is as it was": Feature film in the history classroom’, The Social Studies, vol. 96, 2005, pp. 61-67, https://doi-org.ezproxy.une.edu.au/10.3200/TSSS.96.2.61-67, accessed 20 May 2019.
Metzger, Scott Alan, ‘Pedagogy and the historical feature film: Toward historical literacy’, Film & History, vol. 37, 2007, pp. 67-75, http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.une.edu.au/docview/214061265, accessed 20 May 2019.
Metzger, Scott Alan, ‘Maximizing the educational power of history movies in the classroom’, The Social Studies, vol. 101, 2010, pp. 127–136, doi:10.1080/00377990903284047, accessed 21 May 2019.
O’Connor, John E. ‘History in images/images in history: Reflections on the importance of film and television study for an understanding of the past’, The American Historical Review, vol. 93, 1988, pp. 1200-1209, doi:10.2307/1873535, accessed 20 May 2019.
Reynaud, Daniel, ‘Dealing with historical movies in the history and English classroom’, TEACH Journal of Christian Education, vol. 2, 2008, p. 48, https://research.avondale.edu.au/teach/vol2/iss2/13, accessed 21 May 2019.
Rosenstone, Robert A. ‘The historical film as real history’, Film-Historia, vol. 5, 1995, pp. 5-23, http://www.culturahistorica.es/rosenstone/historical_film.pdf, accessed 18 May.
Spink, Margaret M. ‘Hollywood does history: In defence of the filmmaker’, Ancient History, vol. 40, 2010, pp. 68-95, http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.une.edu.au/docview/1514894648, accessed 26 May 2019.
Suid, Lawrence, ‘Pearl Harbor’, The Journal of American History, vol. 88, 2001, pp. 1208-1209, doi:10.2307/2700575, accessed 22 May 2019.
Suid, Lawrence, ‘Pearl Harbor: More or less’, Air Power History, vol. 48, 2001, pp. 38-43, http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.une.edu.au/docview/219761005, accessed 22 May 2019.
Walker, Trenia R. ‘Historical literacy: Reading history through film’, The Social Studies, vol. 97, 2006, pp. 30-34, doi:10.3200/TSSS.97.1.30-34, accessed 20 May 2019.
Woelders, Adam, ‘“It makes you think more when you watch things”: Scaffolding for historical inquiry using film in the middle school classroom’, The Social Studies, vol. 98, 2007, p. 145-152, doi:10.3200/TSSS.98.4.145-152, accessed 23 May 2019.
Weinreich, Harald, Hartmut Obendorf, Eelco Herder and Matthias Mayer, ‘Not quite the average: An empirical study of web use’, ACM Transactions on the Web, vol. 2, 2008, pp. 19-20, doi:10.1145/1326561.1326566, accessed 26 May 2019.
Weinstein, Paul B. ‘Movies as the gateway to history: The history and film project’, The History Teacher, vol. 35, 2001, pp. 27-48, doi:10.2307/3054508, accessed 28 May 2019.
Wetta, Frank, ‘Pearl Harbor’, The Journal of Military History, vol. 65, 2001, pp. 1138-1140, doi:10.2307/2677684, accessed 22 May 2019.
Endnotes
[1] Thomas Doherty, ‘Film and history, foxes and hedgehogs’, Magazine of History, 2002, vol. 16, pp. 13-14.
[2] Paul B. Weinstein, ‘Movies as the gateway to history: The history and film project’, The History Teacher, vol. 35, p. 28.
[3] Mark C. Carnes, ‘Past imperfect: History according to the movies’, Cineaste, 1997, vol. 22, p. 34.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Laurence Suid, ‘Pearl Harbor’, The Journal of American History, vol. 88, 2001, p. 1209.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Frank Wetta, ‘Pearl Harbor’, The Journal of Military History, vol. 65, 2001, p. 1140.
[8] Ibid. p. 1139.
[9] Laurence Suid, ‘Pearl Harbor: More or less’, Air Power History, vol. 48, 2001, p. 41.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Ibid.
[13] John E. O’Connor, ‘History in images/images in history: Reflections on the importance of film and television study for an understanding of the past’, The American Historical Review, vol. 93, p. 1206.
[14] Ibid.
[15] Ibid., p. 1208.
[16] Doherty, ‘Film and history’, p. 13.
[17] Ibid.
[18] Ibid.
[19] Anon. ‘Cinema industry trends gross box office and admissions’, Screen Australia, https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/cinema/industry-trends/box-office.
[20] Weinstein, ‘Movies as the gateway’, p. 27.
[21] Harald Weinreich, Hartmut Obendorf, Eelco Herder and Matthias Mayer, ‘Not quite the average: An empirical study of web use’, ACM Transactions on the Web, vol. 2, 2008, pp. 19-20.
[22] Daniel Reynaud, ‘Dealing with historical movies in the history and English classroom’, TEACH Journal of Christian Education, vol. 2, 2008, p. 48.
[23] Woelders, ‘”It make you think more”’, p. 146.
[24] Weinstein, ‘Movies as the gateway’, p. 27-28.
[25] Doherty, ‘Film and history’, p. 15.
[26] Ibid.
[27] Alan S. Marcus, ‘”It is as it was”: Feature film in the history classroom’, The Social Studies, vol. 96, 2005, p. 66.
[28] Natalie Zemon Davis, Slaves on Screen: Film and Historical Vision, Toronto, 2000, p. 15.
[29] O’Connor, ‘History in images’, p. 1208.
[30] Marcus, ‘”It is as it was”’, p. 66.
[31] O’Connor, ‘History in images’, p. 1208.
[32] Adam Woelders, ‘“It makes you think more when you watch things”: Scaffolding for historical inquiry using film in the middle school classroom’, The Social Studies, vol. 98, 2007, p. 150.
[33] O’Connor, ‘History in images’, p. 1209.
[34] Weinstein, ‘Movies as the gateway’, p. 42.
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