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"Historical" Movies

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donroc
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Post by donroc » Tue December 2nd, 2008, 10:50 pm

I wish a Masterpiece Theater and British mystery Channel would be created because the various PBS stations do not show all programs available. And, I am ready for more Poldark and Upstairs Downstairs marathons.
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Bodo the Apostate, a novel set during the reign of Louis the Pious and end of the Carolingian Empire.

http://www.donaldmichaelplatt.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXZthhY6 ... annel_page

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Leyland
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"Movies no place to learn real history"

Post by Leyland » Wed December 3rd, 2008, 9:56 pm

Ya think? ;) Check out the entire article:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28021559/


Does a filmmaker have a responsibility to get it right, historically speaking?

“Unless the film is presented as a documentary, no strict adherence to the historical record is mandated,” said film critic James Berardinelli, whose reviews can be found on his Web site, reelviews.net. “When a movie is presented as fiction, even if it is ‘based on a true story,’ a certain amount of dramatic license is expected.”


So fellow HFOer's, is it all or nothing, do you think? He implies an historically set movie is not acceptable to an audience unless the writers/producers change history - otherwise they had better stick to branding it as a documentary. Does this mean actual history just isn't entertaining enough without revisions?

chuck
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Post by chuck » Thu December 4th, 2008, 1:26 am

Just finished watching "Captain Blood" I must have seen it twenty times.....Still a
mesmerizing experience....Glorious black and white....Flynn and De Haviland at their best and a cast of thousands.....Rathbone and Flynn sword fight on the beach...one of the best ever.....

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donroc
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Post by donroc » Thu December 4th, 2008, 2:50 am

[quote=""chuck""]Just finished watching "Captain Blood" I must have seen it twenty times.....Still a
mesmerizing experience....Glorious black and white....Flynn and De Haviland at their best and a cast of thousands.....Rathbone and Flynn sword fight on the beach...one of the best ever.....[/quote]

Just saw it too. Wonderful film. Did not miss color at all. Rathbone was said to be the best swordsman in Hollywood in the 1930s and perhaps 1940s as well.
Image

Bodo the Apostate, a novel set during the reign of Louis the Pious and end of the Carolingian Empire.

http://www.donaldmichaelplatt.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXZthhY6 ... annel_page

Ash
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Post by Ash » Thu December 4th, 2008, 3:19 am

Interesting article, Leland. I have heard the debate before, both about movies and books. I tend to be a traditionalist; if it is a story about an historic event or person, there needs to be enough accuracy for me to understand the event. At the same time I like to be entertained, and don't mind some diversion from the facts, as long as its obvious what the director or writer is doing. But while a writer can use author notes to explain himself, a movie does not have that luxury. I think people assume that these historical movies are indeed documentaries, which is bothersome when you consider that The Patriot and Amadaeus were both inaccurate in many important ways. I understand that a movie needs to be entertaining, but too often historical accuracy means dress it up nice and pretty with period costumes and sets, and their job is done. For me anyway, its not.
Does this mean actual history just isn't entertaining enough without revisions?
One would think so, certainly I can think of many examples of entertaining history, and a good director and screenwriter can figure out a way to make it so. The Madness of King George is a good example of an entertaining and historical accurage fom.. It can be done. I just wish more directors would take the trouble to do so.
Last edited by Ash on Thu December 4th, 2008, 3:22 am, edited 1 time in total.

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donroc
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Post by donroc » Thu December 4th, 2008, 4:14 am

One of the worst, most flagrant deviations from historical fact in cinema history appeared in the Errol Flynn and Warners stock company film, The Sante Fe Trail. Only the names of Custer, Jeb Stuart, John Brown, Harpers Ferry, and Jefferson Davis were historical.
Image

Bodo the Apostate, a novel set during the reign of Louis the Pious and end of the Carolingian Empire.

http://www.donaldmichaelplatt.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXZthhY6 ... annel_page

chuck
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Santa Fe Trail

Post by chuck » Thu December 4th, 2008, 5:04 am

[quote=""donroc""]One of the worst, most flagrant deviations from historical fact in cinema history appeared in the Errol Flynn and Warners stock company film, The Sante Fe Trail. Only the names of Custer, Jeb Stuart, John Brown, Harpers Ferry, and Jefferson Davis were historical.[/quote]

I totally agree with you....Was Robert E. Lee portrayed? Can't remember....not one of my favorites, because of the fairy tale.......BTW Basil Rathbone and Flynn in Robin Hood the final swordfight...outstanding.....Basil Rathbone and George Saunders were favorites, could play the cad or villein with great integrity....And both were above average actors....My opinion they stole the show in many films.....They deserve to be ranked with the Hollywood greats of the 30's and 40's......

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MLE (Emily Cotton)
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Interest in HF: started in childhood with the classics, which, IMHO are HF even if they were contemporary when written.
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Preferred HF: Currently prefer 1600 and earlier, but I'll read anything that keeps me turning the page.
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Post by MLE (Emily Cotton) » Thu December 4th, 2008, 5:47 am

Has anyone heard of the Charles I film 'To Kill a King'? Is it accurate?

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Telynor
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Post by Telynor » Thu December 4th, 2008, 6:11 am

[quote=""donroc""]Just saw it too. Wonderful film. Did not miss color at all. Rathbone was said to be the best swordsman in Hollywood in the 1930s and perhaps 1940s as well.[/quote]

Yep, he was. As a former fencer, I love watching him work. The next time you watch "The Court Jester" watch for his sequences with Danny Kaye. What BR told Kaye was to simply hold up his sword, and he would come in and do all the heavy work. Another way to tell a really good swordsman is to watch the person moving -backwards- during a dueling sequence, they've got the trickier part to do. It wasn't until the Richard Lester musketeer films that swordplay got decent again in Hollywood.

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donroc
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Post by donroc » Thu December 4th, 2008, 12:27 pm

[quote=""chuck""]I totally agree with you....Was Robert E. Lee portrayed? Can't remember....not one of my favorites, because of the fairy tale.......BTW Basil Rathbone and Flynn in Robin Hood the final swordfight...outstanding.....Basil Rathbone and George Saunders were favorites, could play the cad or villein with great integrity....And both were above average actors....My opinion they stole the show in many films.....They deserve to be ranked with the Hollywood greats of the 30's and 40's......[/quote]

From age six when I first saw Robin Hood until about eleven, Flynn was my favorite screen hero. After I saw George Sanders in The Picture of Dorian Gray and as the Saint, Falcon, and assorted suave characters, he became my social role model in a way regarding manners, affected insoucience, and diaphramic speech. Then and now, I have looked forward to watching him.

For Sanders fans and other who enjoy historical films, I strongly recommend watching the little known and rarely seen A Scandal in Paris, in which he plays a debonair thief who becomes Chief of Police.
Image

Bodo the Apostate, a novel set during the reign of Louis the Pious and end of the Carolingian Empire.

http://www.donaldmichaelplatt.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXZthhY6 ... annel_page

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