watch two movies (an older and newer film), one from eachof the lists below, that deal with American history in the 20thcentury. Students will, after choosing and watching their films, write a 2-3 page essay (12-pt font, double-spaced) that addresses the following issues/questions:
1) What is the historical drama (i.e., time period, event, set of circumstances) that each of your films represents? Explain.
2) Having watched the films, in your estimation or opinion, what is the overall message or point that each movie attempts to get across or elaborate?
3) Are these films, as you see it, more concerned with accurately representing the past (history), or with saying something about the present (the time when the film was made)? Explain.
4) After viewing one film from the older classic era of Hollywood, and one from more recent times, can you say anything about how the portrayal of American history in the movies has changed over time? For example, has the portrayal of minorities (African Americans, women, and immigrants to the U.S.) in cinema changed at all over the years? Explain.
