Jackson Pearson
September 12, 2014
Mrs. Lawson
USH Essay
Movies as a Teaching Material is not Bogus
Although it is quite unusual to have
watch two movies by mid-quarter, my previous history teacher used movies as a
way of showing the feelings and the atmosphere of a historical period. For
instance, she showed us the movie Glory and the movie 12 Years a Slave to portray the events that occurred
during the time of slavery. Glory and 12 Years a Slave helped us
learn about slavery by showing us how the slaves were treated, how the owners
had sympathy, and how slaves had empathy toward each other. The movies both conveyed
the same feelings that people had for slaves, both movies had close to the same
ideas about how slavery was treated and handled.
The Historical movies that my
teacher showed us in class had completely different plot, Glory, based
on slavery during the Civil War, 12 Years a Slave, based on a kidnapped
slave placed in a cotton field. Both these films are accurate with the situation
in history they are depicting but some of the parts of the movies are
over-dramatized to keep the audience paying attention. However, contrary to the
movie Glory, Col. Robert Shaw was not so willing to be Col. Even though
there was some things in the movie that were either not true or overdramatized,
I learned a lot because I was more interested in watching a movie oppose to
taking notes. Also, because it was a movie I was capable of seeing the
harshness that the slaves went through at what the slaves had to endure to
become free. If I had not seen these movies I would have studied slavery like I
had years before and I would not have had my eyes opened to the horrific things
that I had no idea even occurred. Typically, (as a teenage boy) It takes a lot
to encourage me to do research on a movie, or anything really, and after this
movie I did research because I was inclined to do so after I saw these movies.
I do feel though that if these movies had not been as interestingly directed
and acted out as it was then I would not have been even half as interested.
Which leads me to the question that all directors must ask themselves while
writing.
How much fact versus how much story?
If they put more facts in the movie then the movie will be boring, but if they
include too much story then the movie will have some false facts in it. It is a
very hard thing as a director to make a movie that has lots of facts and also
keep the story interesting. In both Glory and 12 Years a Slave
the amounts of story and the amount of facts is balanced in my opinion
perfectly so the story is interesting but also educational. The directors of
these films are very good at taking a very saddening story of slavery and
turning it into a story that gives hope to the people who watch it and
inspiration to the people who are able to empathize with the film.
In the films empathy is a huge
factor. The black people in both films understand what the other is feeling
when they are beaten, or when they are treated like crap while they are risking
their lives just like all the white people. Being able to see the empathy in
these films helps us as the viewer to stay interested and hooked to the story
which allows them to include many facts and in the end making for a great movie.
I hope that you (as my new history
teacher) has been persuaded, by my facts, to show our class some movies. We
will benefit from them and learn a lot from them as I have already in my
previous class. Although your fellow teachers and friends may disapprove you
can be glad to know that in the end the students have learned more and will get
better ACT and SAT grades in the future.
Sources, Film Research-
Glory &12 Years a Slave
