Book Description

Since first publication in 2006, Robert A. Rosenstone's History on Film/Film on History has established itself as a classic treatise on the historical film and its role in bringing history to life. In this updated version of his ground-breaking and widely-acclaimed text, Robert Rosenstone argues that to leave history films out of the discussion of the meaning of the past is to ignore a major factor in our understanding of past events. He champions the dramatic feature as a legitimate way of doing history, even though it is largely fictional. He examines what history films convey about the past and how they convey it, demonstrating the need to learn how to read and understand this new visual world. Integrating detailed analysis of individual history films, such as Glory, Reds, October and Schindler's List, this new edition includes: A new introduction, outlining the impact this work has had on the topic of history and film as well as general developments in the field ; New, up-to-date 'Guide to Key Reading' ; Detailed examinations of a variety of films - American, European, Mexican and Soviet - made in different political systems and climates ; A chapter focusing on Oliver Stone as a brilliant historian of the Vietnam era ; A chapter on recent Holocaust films, showing how a group of works, taken together, can provide a wide-ranging understanding of a single historical event. With its useful guidance on how to effectively analyse films as historical interpretations, this new edition will continue to hold its place as a text which not only shows the value of film on history, but also demonstrates how history can work on film.