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Film & History
"Hollywood makes films for the money. Same reason McDonald's makes burgers. Sometimes McDonald's gets it right, but we don't speak of its contribution to the culinary arts. Sometimes Hollywood makes good films about the past, but that is incidental to the main purpose: money." - Mark C. Carnes, Professor of History at Barnard College, Columbia University
Search the Library Catalog
Search Tips
Search for books on your topic in the library catalog. In addition to searching for books on your topic, you may also want to search by broader terms to include the cultural and/or historical context of the film.
Sample keywords include:
- film adaptations
- film criticism
- film genre and criticism (historical films or war films and criticism)
- film title or director (Flags of Our Fathers or Clint Eastwood)
- motion pictures and history
- historical event (Iwo Jima)
Select 'Request Item' to have books from other NOVA libraries sent to Loudoun for pick up. If your book is at Loudoun be sure to write down the call number in order to locate the book on the shelf.
E-books and e-videos are accessible through the catalog. If you see any in your search results, click 'Online access' to open.
Library Databases
The best way to locate articles is through the library databases. Go to Databases by Subject and look under Communication Studies, Film, & Theatre (CST) to find a list of relevant databases. Depending on the scope of your topic, you may also want to look in the subject listing History (HIS) to information on historical events. You can also perform a search in the databases below.
Remember not to write sentences in the search box. Search by keyword, film/book title and/or name of director/author.
Look for additional keywords or subjects offered. Also make sure to look for toolbars that provide print, email, and citation options.
- Academic Search Complete (EBSCO) This link opens in a new windowA multi-disciplinary database which offers information in many areas of academic study. This database supports high-level research in the key areas of academic study by providing access to journals, periodicals, reports, books and more. (VIVA)
- Communication & Mass Media Complete (EBSCO) This link opens in a new windowJournal articles related to communication and mass media studies. (VIVA)
- U.S. History (Gale In Context) This link opens in a new windowIncludes U.S. History reference articles, periodical articles, images, and primary documents. (NVCC)
- Military & Government Collection (EBSCO) This link opens in a new windowCurrent news for all branches of the military, from periodicals, academic journals and other related content. Content also includes country reports and relevant government documents. (VIVA)
- America: History & Life with Full Text (EBSCO) This link opens in a new windowCitations, with full-text links to JSTOR. Provides abstracts of scholarly literature (journal articles, dissertations, book and media reviews) on the history and culture of the U.S. and Canada. (VIVA)
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowScholarly journals; does not include the most recent few years. (NVCC)
Suggested Resources
Bringing History to Life Through Film by
In Bringing History to Life through Film: The Art of Cinematic Storytelling, Kathryn Anne Morey brings together essays that explore the controversial issue of film as a purveyor of history. Examining a range of films, including highly regarded features like The Last of the Mohicans and Pan’s Labyrinth, as well as blockbuster franchises like Pirates of the Caribbean, chapters demonstrate that the debate surrounding the role of history on film is still as raw as ever.
Hollywood and the American Historical Film by
This definitive interdisciplinary collection by leading scholars probes the theoretical and historical contexts of films made about the American past, from silent film to the present. The book offers a fresh assessment of studio era historical filmmaking and its legacy across a range of genres.
Call Number: PN1995.9.H5 H63 2012
Hollywood and War by
Discussing such classic films as Sergeant York, Air Force, and All Quiet on the Western Front, as well as more modern blockbusters like Apocalypse Now and Saving Private Ryan, this outstanding volume focuses on Hollywood and its production of war films. The topics covered include: the early formation of war cinema; the apotheosis of the Hollywood war film; the ascendancy of ambivalence; Hollywood and the war since Vietnam; and, war as a way of seeing. For any student of film studies or American cultural studies, this is a valuable companion.
Call Number: PN1995.9.W3 H65 2006
Clint Eastwood's America by
The steady rise of Clint Eastwood's career parallels a pressing desire in American society over the past five decades for a figure and story of purpose, meaning, and redemption. This timely examination of Clint Eastwood's oeuvre against the backdrop of contemporary America will be fascinating reading for students of film and popular culture, as well as readers with interests in Eastwood's work, American film and culture.
Call Number: PN1998.3.E325 G57x 2014
A Companion to the Historical Film by
Broad in scope, this interdisciplinary collection of original scholarship on historical film features essays that explore the many facets of this expanding field and provide a platform for promising avenues of research. Offers a unique collection of cutting edge research that questions the intention behind and influence of historical film.
Inspired by True Events by
An up-to-date and indispensable guide for film history buffs of all kind, this book surveys more than 500 major films based on true stories and historical subject matter.
Causes Won, Lost, and Forgotten by
More than 60,000 books have been published on the Civil War. Most Americans, though, get their ideas about the war--why it was fought, what was won, what was lost--not from books but from movies, television, and other popular media. In an engaging and accessible survey, Gary W. Gallagher guides readers through the stories told in recent film and art, showing how these stories have both reflected and influenced the political, social, and racial currents of their times.
- The Puzzle of Historical Criticism Bartel, Christopher. "The Puzzle Of Historical Criticism." Journal Of Aesthetics & Art Criticism 70.2 (2012): 213-222. Academic Search Complete. Web. 29 Mar. 2016. The author discusses issues with historical criticism, or the criticism of historical inaccuracies in fiction. The author explores the idea that historical inaccuracy detracts from the value of fiction and the idea that fiction should be not be subject to historical truth. The author discusses the problem of scope and suggests that some historical inaccuracies are not criticized. The author explores the idea of truth in fiction, drawing on the ideas of Kendall Walton, and suggests that genre and imaginative resistance, including conceptual inconceivability (CI) theory and subjective inconsistency (SI) theory, do not explain the problem of historical criticism. Specific topics include SI theorist Tamar Gendler and historical films including "U-571," "Gladiator," and "A Knight's Tale."
- Historiography and Historiophoty White, Hayden. "Historiography And Historiophoty." American Historical Review 93.5 (1988): 1193. Military & Government Collection. Web. 29 Mar. 2016. Examines the adequacy of representation of history in motion pictures and the challenges it portrays to historiography. Overview of the adequacy of historical films in representing historical events; Characterization of the essence of historiography by historians; Importance of realistic representation of historical events in film making.
- Why We Fight, or Men, War, the Movies, and Metaphor Cardullo, Bert. "Why We Fight, Or Men, War, The Movies, And Metaphor." Midwest Quarterly 52.3 (2011): 239-255. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Mar. 2016. The article explores cinematic representations of the Vietnam War and World War II. Films analyzed include "How I Won the War" directed by Richard Lester, "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Letters From Iwo Jima" directed by Clint Eastwood. The author reflects on Lester's use of the French New Wave style of filmmaking and how his film depicts the usurpation of truth and sentience by war and violence. Eastwood's films are discussed in the context of how they reveal links between the Japanese and American combat experiences during the Battle of Iwo Jima.
- Flags of Our Fathers/Letters from Iwo Jima Braudy, Leo. "Flags of our Fathers/Letters from Iwo Jima." Film Quarterly 60.4 (2007): 16-23. ProQuest. Web. 28 Mar. 2016. This comparative review of Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima sees the two films as a diptych exploring issues of military masculinity, heroism, and myths of American and Japanese national character as they are focused by the battle for Iwo Jima in World War II.
- Lincoln and Historical Accuracy Zarefsky, David. "Lincoln And Historical Accuracy." Rhetoric & Public Affairs 18.1 (2015): 155-159. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 29 Mar. 2016. The article discusses the 2012 film "Lincoln" directed by Steven Spielberg, focusing on how the film captures the various goals of former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln portrayed by actor Daniel Day-Lewis in the film. Other topics include how Lincoln handled the political atmosphere in Washington, D.C. while gathering votes to pass the 13th Amendment, a discussion of Lincoln's goal for the U.S. Civil War, and a discussion of the historical accuracy of the film. It also discusses Lincoln's plans for emancipation of slaves prior to settling on a constitutional amendment.
- Shooting (Down) the Past Historians vs. Hollywood Carnes, Mark C. “Shooting (down) the Past Historians Vs. Hollywood”. Cinéaste 29.2 (2004): 45–49. Web. 7 Apr. 2016 Focuses on production design and the historical motion picture. Problems faced by production designers and motion picture directors when attempting to recreate the past; Basis for the extent of production design; Primary reason for the success of British motion pictures set in the early nineteenth century.
- Getting Historical Movies Right: Hollywood vs. Historians Rile, Karen. "Getting Historical Movies Right: Hollywood vs. Historians." JSTOR Daily, 3 Feb. 2015. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
- Reel American History
- The goal of the Reel American History Project by students at Lehigh University is to stimulate high school, college, and graduate students to think critically about the way movies construct our history.
- AMC Filmsite: Epics-Historical Films
- Epics-Historical Films often take an historical or imagined event, mythic, legendary, or heroic figure, and add an extravagant setting and lavish costumes, accompanied by grandeur and spectacle and a sweeping musical score. Epics, costume dramas, historical dramas, war film epics, medieval romps, or 'period pictures' are tales that often cover a large expanse of time set against a vast, panoramic backdrop. In an episodic manner, they follow the continuing adventures of the hero(s), who are presented in the context of great historical events of the past.
- Making Sense of Films
- Written by Tom Gunning, this guide offers an overview of early film and how historians use it, tips on what questions to ask when watching early films, an annotated bibliography, and a guide to finding and using early film online. Tom Gunning is a Professor in the Art Department and the Cinema and Media Committee at the University of Chicago.