Throughout the twentieth and twenty first centuries, feature films rather than books have been the medium from which many people have gained knowledge of history and a consciousness of the past. This course will address the issue of how we can assess and evaluate the contribution of popular film to our sense of the past. How have popular feature films represented, reconstructed and interpreted the past? What can film do that a history book cannot? It will look at an array of film genres: historical feature film, biopic, docudrama, animation, musical. A number of specific films will be examined (1) as representations or interpretations of history; (2) as forms of evidence for social, cultural and political history; and (3) in the context of the history of the film industry.

One 2,500 word essay (55%) and one 1,500 word synoptic essay (45%). Details will be finalised in consultation with students.

One lecture and one tutorial, plus up to three hours for film viewing each week.

If this course is to be included in a History major, any first year History courses to the value of twelve units. If it is to be included in a Film Studies major, Intro to Film Studies FILM1001, otherwise any first year courses to the value of twelve units.

Rosenstone, R, Visions of the Past, Harvard UP, 1995.
Landy, M, (ed), The Historical Film, Rutgers, 2001.

This course can be counted towards a History or Film Studies major.