Period 6 Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory

Here is  NYT  Film Review

Read "The True Story Behind the Movie Glory"

Read "Civil War Historian and Consultant Reflects on His Experience.


 All students from Period 6 must post a few thoughtful sentences about Glory. What was the most powerful scene in the film? Who was your favorite character? Do you think most Americans know about the enormous contribution of African-American soldiers during the Civil War? In class, we watched scenes from the Civil War epic, Gone With The Wind (1939). Try to find some more scenes from this famous blockbuster on YouTube, and then contrast it with Glory (1989). How do these two films' contrasting images of African-Americans, the South, and slavery reflect the changing historiography of the Civil War from 1915 to 1990?  Are you surprised that it took until the Korean War in the 1950's for African-Americans to fight alongside white soldiers in the U.S. military? You may also want to respond to the historians' points from the articles.  

The famous film critic Roger Ebert wrote, "While watching 'Glory,' I had one recurring problem. I didn't understand why it had to be told so often from the point of view of the 54th's white commanding officer. Why did we see the black troops through his eyes - instead of seeing him through theirs? To put it another way, why does the top billing in this movie go to a white actor? I ask, not to be perverse, but because I consider this primarily a story about a black experience and do not know why it has to be seen largely through white eyes." Where do you stand on Ebert's argument?

Period 3 Lincoln Rail-Splitters

"Lincoln" Film Director Steven Spielberg: Gettysburg Address Anniversary

Here is NYT Film Review.

Read NYT columnist David Brooks on Spielberg's Lincoln.

Here is Kate Masur's Revisionist Critique of Spielberg's Lincoln

Famous Columbia University historian Eric Foner's  harsh critique of Spielberg's Lincoln

Scholar Harold Holzer, "What's True and False in "Lincoln" Movie.


For period 3, post a few thoughtful sentences about Spielberg's Lincoln. How did the film depict Lincoln? Was the decision to focus on the 13th Amendment a good idea? Was it historically accurate? Why were many revisionist historians--like Eric Foner and Kate Masur--critical of the film? Who was your favorite character? If you were a consultant for Spielberg, how would you change the film? You may also want to respond to the historians' points from the articles.  

Period 2 Conspirator Group

Here is NYT Film Review. Here is a positive review from LA Times Review

Read "The Conspirator: Film and Truth"

Read "A Historian's Review of the Conspirator"

MUST READ --After Guantanamo, Another Injustice  This article may provide excellent ideas to blog about.

All students from period 2 should post a few thoughtful sentences about the film Conspirator. How historically accurate was the film? Was the Surratt Trial a violation of the Constitution? Did Surratt deserve a trial by her peers? Was the film a possible commentary on the federal government's treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay or the military tribunals during the Bush Era? How did the film depict Secretary of War Stanton? Who was your favorite character? What was the most powerful five-minute clip? What are some criticisms of the film? You may also want to respond to the historians' points from the articles. Recently, we had the privilege of having the screenwriter, James Solomon, come to our class and discuss the eighteen-year journey it took to make The Conspirator; please post a short reaction to this unique experience.