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Every once in a while, there are certain films that're about history or historical events that I decide to go and see, not only because they catch my interest, but I figure I might learn something from them, although other movies I've learned from, also.
Historical films I've enjoyed seeing:
A) Schindler's List This is about a tycoon who saved many European Jewish people from extermination during World War II, and, although not a nice guy initially, seemed to develop a sense of character by rescuing people. As the movie progresses, we see Schindler, a very rich and greedy person, evolve into someone of decency as he rescues people from the ovens and the gas chambers. Moreover, this film shows the inhumanity, and how tough overcoming it can be.
B) Z: Just last night, I saw the film Z for the first time, since it came out 40 years ago, and is about a revolution in Greece back in the early 1960's, where a doctor and olympics champion who leads a revolution for a more peaceful government for the people is murdered by "brownshirt" thugs in the street. This, I think, is U. S. Foreign policy at work, and it shows that meddling in other's affairs can and often has backfired horribly.
C) Missing: This is a film that I saw back in the early 1980's, when it first came out, and is about the United States' foreign policy in Latin America, where people were regularly tortured, and disappeared on a regular basis. An idealistic young woman searches for her husband who, as it turns out, has been murdered by right-wing death squads. The woman's father-in-law, always much more conservative, has a change of heart in the wake of his son's death and becomes more idealistic himself. This film, too, is a real indictment of U. S. Foreign policy.
D) State of Siege: State of Siege, which came out afew years later, after the film Z is also a real indictment of United States's foreign policy. It's about an American diplomat who teaches courses down in a South American country (I forget which country, in this and in Missing) on how to torture revolutionaries. Finally, he ends up getting a taste of his own medicine--execution.
E) The Front: This is the one film with Woody Allen in it that I really enjoyed, and it's very, very good film about a guy who acts as a front for blacklisted writers during the witch-hunts in the early 1950's, during the McCarthy period. This, too, is definitely a good film to see.
F) The Other Side of the Mountain: I also read the book on which this film was based, and thought the book was better, but I enjoyed this film about the famous skier, Jill Kinmont, who experiences a devastating fall during the final try-outs for the Olympics, for which Kinmont was definitely a shoo-in, becomes a quadripilegic, goes through extensive and intensive physical therapy and rehabilitation, regains some use of her hands, and then goes on to teach english to elementary school-age children on a nearby Indian reservation. Prior to the injury that left her paralyzed from the chest down, Jill Kinmont has at least a couple of boyfriends; Buddy Werner, who's also a hot-shot skier, who walks away from Jill when he learns the extent of her injuries, and then Dick (Mad Dog) Buek, who's also rather crazy, prone to wild escapades with injuries to show for them. However, unlike Buddy Werner, Dick Buek is a warmhearted, caring person, despite his wildness and crazy escapades, who, loving and caring for Jill Kinmont, encourages her to take her situation as a challenge rather than an obstacle. He'd wanted to marry her, and even designed and planned a house to accomodate Jill, but, unfortunately, Dick Buek dies in a plane crash while doing power stalls over Donner Lake before that happens. Yet, Jill goes on with her life, as hard as it is, teaches Indian children in a nearby reservation, and eventually marries John Boothe, a truck driver. This film is somewhat fictionalized and rendered somewhat more syrupy than the book, but is well worth seeing. To quote an article about it in a local newspaper in our area about Other Side of the Mountain when it first came out, this film/book is, or should be, "an excellent cure for self-pity".
Now, for historical films that I either didn't enjoy seeing, or just plain don't want to see:
A) La Numba: This film, which I saw shortly after 9/11, is also a film that indicts both U. S. and European foreign policy, about how the Belgian Congo managed to get out from under Belgium's rule and become independent, hence becoming the Congo. La Numba ends up being killed. Not a very uplifting film, imho--I admittedly didn't enjoy it, and the fact that we saw it so close on the heels of the horrific 9/11 attacks on NYC's WTC towers didn't help, either.
B) Burn: This was a good, well-done film, that came out 40 years ago, but is not a film that I'd want to see again, either.
C) Rachel: An American Conscience: This is a rather long documentary about Rachel Corrie, a young American peace activist from Olympia, WA, who was fatally mowed down by an Israeli-army operated bulldozer while trying to stop the demolition of an ordinary Palestinian civilian family's (he was a pharmacist, actually, who'd never even been accused of being a terrorist by the IDF) home. I have not seen this film, which is only available on DVD, or Killing Zone, another documentary about this same young woman, because I feel that the history that both these films revolve around is too complex, with too much blame and responsibility to go around on both sides (Israeli and Palestinian alike, imho), and, although Israel needs very much to be made to get out of West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, I also feel that the group that the late Ms. Corrie was with also bears some responsibility for not protecting her better.
Anyway, that's all for this thread. Has anybody else seen movies about historical events that they've enjoyed? Or not enjoyed, or not wanted to see? Just curious. I know this thread is long, but I'd love some feedback from other posters here.
Historical films I've enjoyed seeing:
A) Schindler's List This is about a tycoon who saved many European Jewish people from extermination during World War II, and, although not a nice guy initially, seemed to develop a sense of character by rescuing people. As the movie progresses, we see Schindler, a very rich and greedy person, evolve into someone of decency as he rescues people from the ovens and the gas chambers. Moreover, this film shows the inhumanity, and how tough overcoming it can be.
B) Z: Just last night, I saw the film Z for the first time, since it came out 40 years ago, and is about a revolution in Greece back in the early 1960's, where a doctor and olympics champion who leads a revolution for a more peaceful government for the people is murdered by "brownshirt" thugs in the street. This, I think, is U. S. Foreign policy at work, and it shows that meddling in other's affairs can and often has backfired horribly.
C) Missing: This is a film that I saw back in the early 1980's, when it first came out, and is about the United States' foreign policy in Latin America, where people were regularly tortured, and disappeared on a regular basis. An idealistic young woman searches for her husband who, as it turns out, has been murdered by right-wing death squads. The woman's father-in-law, always much more conservative, has a change of heart in the wake of his son's death and becomes more idealistic himself. This film, too, is a real indictment of U. S. Foreign policy.
D) State of Siege: State of Siege, which came out afew years later, after the film Z is also a real indictment of United States's foreign policy. It's about an American diplomat who teaches courses down in a South American country (I forget which country, in this and in Missing) on how to torture revolutionaries. Finally, he ends up getting a taste of his own medicine--execution.
E) The Front: This is the one film with Woody Allen in it that I really enjoyed, and it's very, very good film about a guy who acts as a front for blacklisted writers during the witch-hunts in the early 1950's, during the McCarthy period. This, too, is definitely a good film to see.
F) The Other Side of the Mountain: I also read the book on which this film was based, and thought the book was better, but I enjoyed this film about the famous skier, Jill Kinmont, who experiences a devastating fall during the final try-outs for the Olympics, for which Kinmont was definitely a shoo-in, becomes a quadripilegic, goes through extensive and intensive physical therapy and rehabilitation, regains some use of her hands, and then goes on to teach english to elementary school-age children on a nearby Indian reservation. Prior to the injury that left her paralyzed from the chest down, Jill Kinmont has at least a couple of boyfriends; Buddy Werner, who's also a hot-shot skier, who walks away from Jill when he learns the extent of her injuries, and then Dick (Mad Dog) Buek, who's also rather crazy, prone to wild escapades with injuries to show for them. However, unlike Buddy Werner, Dick Buek is a warmhearted, caring person, despite his wildness and crazy escapades, who, loving and caring for Jill Kinmont, encourages her to take her situation as a challenge rather than an obstacle. He'd wanted to marry her, and even designed and planned a house to accomodate Jill, but, unfortunately, Dick Buek dies in a plane crash while doing power stalls over Donner Lake before that happens. Yet, Jill goes on with her life, as hard as it is, teaches Indian children in a nearby reservation, and eventually marries John Boothe, a truck driver. This film is somewhat fictionalized and rendered somewhat more syrupy than the book, but is well worth seeing. To quote an article about it in a local newspaper in our area about Other Side of the Mountain when it first came out, this film/book is, or should be, "an excellent cure for self-pity".
Now, for historical films that I either didn't enjoy seeing, or just plain don't want to see:
A) La Numba: This film, which I saw shortly after 9/11, is also a film that indicts both U. S. and European foreign policy, about how the Belgian Congo managed to get out from under Belgium's rule and become independent, hence becoming the Congo. La Numba ends up being killed. Not a very uplifting film, imho--I admittedly didn't enjoy it, and the fact that we saw it so close on the heels of the horrific 9/11 attacks on NYC's WTC towers didn't help, either.
B) Burn: This was a good, well-done film, that came out 40 years ago, but is not a film that I'd want to see again, either.
C) Rachel: An American Conscience: This is a rather long documentary about Rachel Corrie, a young American peace activist from Olympia, WA, who was fatally mowed down by an Israeli-army operated bulldozer while trying to stop the demolition of an ordinary Palestinian civilian family's (he was a pharmacist, actually, who'd never even been accused of being a terrorist by the IDF) home. I have not seen this film, which is only available on DVD, or Killing Zone, another documentary about this same young woman, because I feel that the history that both these films revolve around is too complex, with too much blame and responsibility to go around on both sides (Israeli and Palestinian alike, imho), and, although Israel needs very much to be made to get out of West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, I also feel that the group that the late Ms. Corrie was with also bears some responsibility for not protecting her better.
Anyway, that's all for this thread. Has anybody else seen movies about historical events that they've enjoyed? Or not enjoyed, or not wanted to see? Just curious. I know this thread is long, but I'd love some feedback from other posters here.
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"It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brush fires of freedom in the minds of men." -- Samuel Adams (1722-1803)
"It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brush fires of freedom in the minds of men." -- Samuel Adams (1722-1803)
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