| Author | |
Erin
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 23 2005
Location: Australia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5814
|
| Posted: May 03 2011 at 7:19pm | IP Logged
|
 |
|
The Mission (16+) is a very powerful, moving film. I'm assuming it is an accurate portrayal of Brazil and the Church. But don't know enough history of that period to be certain.
__________________
Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Grace&Chaos
Forum All-Star
Joined: June 07 2010
Location: California
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1261
|
| Posted: May 03 2011 at 8:22pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
We've been studying American History so wanted to add a few we've watched this school year (mostly with oldest dd and a couple of skipped scenes):
Johnny Tremain (Disney Film)
Dances with Wolves (Kevin Costner)
Last of the Mohicans (Daniel D. Lewis)
Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery PBS (Ken Burns)
Glory  (Matthew Broderick)
__________________
Blessings,
Jenny
Mom to dds(00,03) and dss(05,06,08,09)
Grace in Loving Chaos
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Dove
Forum Rookie
Joined: April 10 2011
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 59
|
| Posted: May 03 2011 at 8:44pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Not a DVD but two of the best WWII books I ever read were _Soul Of A Lion_ and _Between Silk and Cyanide_.
The second would only be OK for older teens due to some of the reporting of graphic violence that is historical. The book was EXCELLENT but I found it a bit difficult because you feel you know the people and then... anyway, it isn't a DVD, but it is excellent.
I loved _Soul of a Lion_ because the biography of von Hildebrand gives a layperson's eye view of the developments that led up to WWII.
I don't watch DVD's of wars, I find them too traumatic.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
HeatherS
Forum Rookie
Joined: Sept 17 2008
Location: Illinois
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 51
|
| Posted: May 04 2011 at 7:26am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Scarlet and the Black (I do have a bit of an issue w/the portrayal of Pope Pius XII in this movie.)
Life Is Beautiful
Pit Pony Takes place in Nova Scotia and centers around a coal mining family. I wouldn't recommend it for little ones, but interesting portrayal of the family life in that part of Canada. A bit of a sentimental family favorite as my Grandma was born & raised in Newfoundland.
I know it was mentioned before, but A Man for All Seasons about St. Thomas More is my absolute favorite movie.
__________________
Heather
wife to Matt since '02, mom to Margaret '03, Jessica '04, Catherine '06, Elizabeth '07 and Susanna '09
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
CrunchyMom
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 03 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6385
|
| Posted: May 04 2011 at 7:44am | IP Logged
|
|
|
The Agony and the Ecstasy
__________________
Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JennGM
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 17702
|
| Posted: May 04 2011 at 8:12am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Both of those I really, really love, too.
This is a really hard question, because I have so many "favorites" and so many cover aspects of history and culture. These are the ones that come to mind that I have watched and re-watched and made huge impressions on me.
Bridge on the River Kwai
Best Years of Our Lives (post WWII)
Manchurian Candidate
Fiddler on the Roof
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
Since You Went Away
Mrs. Miniver
Sargeant York
Pride of the Yankees
All the King's Men
Battle of the Bulge
Stalag 17
Judgment at Nuremberg
The King's Speech
The Young Victoria
John Adams miniseries (mentioned already, but we REALLY liked it)
The Upstairs, Downstairs series from the 1970s is so excellent in giving a view from turn of the century through WWI up to 1936, I think.
Charlton Heston played in great epics, like El Cid, Ben-Hur, Ten Commandments, Agony and Ectasy...all these have been mentioned. Just following him as an actor has been pleasing. They aren't all "A" movies, but I have usually liked them.
__________________
Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
SeaStar
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 16 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 9068
|
| Posted: May 04 2011 at 11:41am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Mister Roberts is one of my all time favorite movies.
It tells the story of a supply ship in WWII....not a high adventure job during the war...and how the crew copes. It is funny and sad and delightful all at the same time. It shows another side to war: carrying out all the mundane details while stuck on a ship miles and miles from home. It is fairly family friendly... have to watch out for all the sailors ogling nurses, though. The cast is full of big name... fun to watch them all when they were so young (and handsome  )
The Caine Mutiny is also fabulous. It has a great courtroom scene. But the book is even WAY BETTER- one of my all time favorites. The author, Herman Wouk, has a wonderful sense of humor all through the book. I picked it up in college and couldn't believe I had never read it before. One of my favorite parts is the essay Willy writes on the Frictionless Bearing for an officer's training test- too funny. If you have never read any Wouk- treat yourself!
__________________
Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
amarytbc
Forum Pro
Joined: July 06 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 323
|
| Posted: May 04 2011 at 1:44pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
For Chinese history, movies directed by Yimou Zhang, such as Raise the Red Lantern, are very accurate and moving.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JennGM
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 17702
|
| Posted: May 04 2011 at 6:33pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
SeaStar wrote:
Mister Roberts is one of my all time favorite movies.
It tells the story of a supply ship in WWII....not a high adventure job during the war...and how the crew copes. It is funny and sad and delightful all at the same time. It shows another side to war: carrying out all the mundane details while stuck on a ship miles and miles from home. It is fairly family friendly... have to watch out for all the sailors ogling nurses, though. The cast is full of big name... fun to watch them all when they were so young (and handsome ) |
|
|
I wanted to put in a very small caveat. I really enjoy that movie...love Henry Fonda and Jack Lemmon in it. We quote from it all the time. It is hilarious.
But my parents waited until we were older for that movie because there is a lot of discontent and disrespect for the commanding officers, specifically the captain. It's a bit '60s in mentality, questioning authority, wanting to be active instead of not doing anything.
__________________
Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
knowloveserve
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 31 2007
Location: Washington
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 759
|
| Posted: May 04 2011 at 11:46pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
What a fantastic topic; thank you!
Gladiator (17+)
Braveheart (17+)
The Fighting Sullivans (10+?)
To Kill a Mockingbird (12+?)
The Painted Veil (15+)
Andersonville (17+)
Joyeux Noel (15+)
Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken (6+ and a big favorite with everyone)
Our family also loves many, many sports histories too:
Cool Runnings  (7+)
Eight Men Out (7+)
Greatest Game Ever Played (7+)
A League of Their Own (15+)
Chariots of Fire (7+)
Miracle (7+)
Cinderella Man (13+)
Seabiscuit (15+?)
__________________
Ellie
The Bleeding Pelican
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
StephanieA
Forum Pro
Joined: May 11 2006
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 394
|
| Posted: May 05 2011 at 7:58am | IP Logged
|
|
|
ST. BERNADETTE produced by Navis Productions.
OK...here is my take. BUY THIS DVD 
We own about 15 DVDs total in our home...not many when you count how many books we own  But this is a MUST buy. It is produced by a Catholic company and features an all-children caste (mostly homeschoolers). I wasn't expecting much when I rented it. But it is FANTASTIC, so we had to purchase it. It has history, humor (little things that will leave you laughing especially the older kids and adults), sticks to the story line, period costumes, and the girl who plays Bernadette ought to win an award. She is an excellent actress. We thought only one actor was less than pretty darn good. It is $18 and worth every cent, and it goes to a wonderful company who is coming out with a movie on Lepanto next. (And no, I don't know these people from a hole in the wall).
I also would recommend some of Ignatius Press' saint/pope DVDs with a caveat. People like Dr. Joseph Moscati, etc. They give a good feel for the time period. That said, some of the bi-lines aggravated us to no end. Why make up the biographies of such exciting people when the truth is better? Moscati didn't have this love triangle going on with this beautiful, sensual woman. St. Rita's story was reall messed up too. Oh, well. These movies do give a solid feel for the time period even though they make up some of the details. Some of the movies do so to a fault, but that gave us a shove to do our own research, reading, etc. that we wouldn't have done without seeing the movie.
Blessings,
Stephanie
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Dove
Forum Rookie
Joined: April 10 2011
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 59
|
| Posted: May 05 2011 at 8:18am | IP Logged
|
|
|
One thing I have learned in the study of various time periods is that you will find more errors in movies than accuracies. The fewer people alive who recall the historical period being portrayed the more likely the movie to be riddled with inaccuracies.
Nearly all movies will introduce modern ideas into historical settings--meaning the people on the screen fail to fully act and speak like people from the period.
Directors are notorious for disliking the odd look of actual period clothing and so rarely are the costumes accurate historically. Sometimes they are shifted to a different period because the clothing is prettier to modern eyes, sometimes the clothing is simply changed. Either way, the clothing no longer communicates historical accuracy about the people and what we wear is an expression of our period.
If you are attempting to teach history movies are not a good source. Entertainment does not have to meet a standard of historical accuracy that is important when doing education.
The only movies that you can be sure are reasonably accurate are the ones where enough people still alive remember the incidents to make it worth the while of the director to be careful.
Ann Seeton
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
stellamaris
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 26 2009
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2732
|
| Posted: May 05 2011 at 8:47am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Quote:
| If you are attempting to teach history movies are not a good source. Entertainment does not have to meet a standard of historical accuracy that is important when doing education. |
|
|
Well, yes and no. I agree that most movies are failures when it comes to having every detail historically accurate, and I fully agree with your point that modern ideas are introduced with abandon into historical movies. It seems to be very difficult for us to "forget" our modern pre-conceived notions and assumptions, or really to even identify them well. Therefore, it is extremely difficult for anyone (except perhaps those who have studied the history of ideas specifically) to step into an earlier time period and leave modern perspectives behind.
Having said that, I disagree that therefore movies cannot be used in the process of teaching history. A movie can give an idea of the general setting of a time period, fashions (at least that they were different!), and events. A movie is dramatic and therefore can inspire interest in a given time period. It is presented in a story form, usually, that invites retention of information about the time period. In short, while a movie cannot be the entire educational program regarding another time and place, it can be a good introduction, an interesting finish, and a vehicle to inspire a student to learn more about a historical person, event, or period. Documentaries which use primary source materials are especially informative.
Just like nature videos are not the "full experience", so historical fiction is not the "full experience". That doesn't mean, however, that it can't be used in the curriculum.
A few more ideas:
Ken Burns' Civil War (PBS)
Valkyrie (17+)
__________________
In Christ,
Caroline
Wife to  dh 30+ yrs,ds's 83,85,89,dd's 91,95,ds's 01,01,02,grammy to 4
Flowing Streams
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JennGM
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 17702
|
| Posted: May 05 2011 at 9:09am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Dove wrote:
| One thing I have learned in the study of various time periods is that you will find more errors in movies than accuracies. The fewer people alive who recall the historical period being portrayed the more likely the movie to be riddled with inaccuracies. |
|
|
Ann, I have to agree with you on this point, and perhaps movies have more errors than books, but in all ways there is no such thing as an unbiased presentation of history. We all are products of our time and culture, and no matter how hard an author or director will try to be "unbiased" or accurate, it just doesn't happen.
But with both films and books, this is an opportunity for critical thinking and great discussion within the family. We learn to identify the "angle" and inaccuracies.
The visual presentations in movies and films make times come alive and make picture memories a bit more than books. Of course, I'd be the first to say "The Book was better" and have been disappointed when an actor portraying a character is totally not the way I thought they should be.
__________________
Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JennGM
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 17702
|
| Posted: May 05 2011 at 9:10am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Ooops, Caroline, you posted more clearly and more beautifully what I was thinking. Sorry!
__________________
Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
stellamaris
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 26 2009
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2732
|
| Posted: May 05 2011 at 9:27am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Actually, Jenn, I appreciate your point about discussing the "angle" of the movie producer. We spend a lot of time here on this kind of identification, whether it pertains to a movie or just to the evening news. Everyone certainly sees history through their own "lens", and our children need to be able to recognize these "lenses" if they are not going to be misled by propaganda.
I just have to share here that my personal favorite was an article we read a few years ago about global warming. Right in the middle was a sentence which stated that "last year a tsunami hit Southeast Asia, killing over 200,000 people"! Whatever your opinion on climate change, you have to agree that the tsunami had NOTHING to do with the climate...just a flagrant example of ignorance and effort to elicit sympathy for the author's point-of-view. We got a good laugh out of it, anyway  . Ok, so I know, totally not on topic! Guess I just feel like talking today ...something new
__________________
In Christ,
Caroline
Wife to dh 30+ yrs,ds's 83,85,89,dd's 91,95,ds's 01,01,02,grammy to 4
Flowing Streams
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
DianaC
Forum Pro
Joined: March 27 2008
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 404
|
| Posted: May 05 2011 at 10:39am | IP Logged
|
|
|
By far, our favorites are almost always biographical films about Catholic heroes. A few of our favorites include:
John XXIII - this encompasses a period from just prior to WWI through the 1960s and gives glimpses into many worldwide events. (only one scene that I had to ask my 10 year old to avert her eyes - a bloody scene from WWI)
Witness to Hope - our favorite biography of Blessed John Paul II - there were some tense scenes from WWII - so this would be for teens at least - but also wonderfully set in the context of worldwide historical events.
In The Name of God's Poor - our favorite biography of Blessed Mother Teresa - really gives a great glimpse of the culture and history of India - including their independence
Thank you for this thread - I will be adding many of these films to my netflix queue.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
lapazfarm
Forum All-Star
Joined: July 21 2005
Location: Alaska
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6082
|
| Posted: May 05 2011 at 11:48am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Dove wrote:
If you are attempting to teach history movies are not a good source. Entertainment does not have to meet a standard of historical accuracy that is important when doing education.
Ann Seeton |
|
|
Sorry. Totally disagree here. Movies can be a great source for educating, especially for history where, unlike other subjects, we can't get out and see/experience it with our own eyes.
Sure, we have to be careful and choose those which we feel are relatively accurate, but we have to do that with everything, don't we?
After all, there are no history cops out there checking up on things, be it movie, book, magazine, or television show.
This is our job. We discern. We choose carefully. We use what we can and discard the rest.
Most of the time it isn't that hard. It's pretty obvious that I'm not going to use the movie "300" to teach Greek history (though it was a fun follow-up for ds after reading about the real battle). But there was a fine History Channel documentary called "Last Stand of the 300" that I felt was reliable enough to use as a teaching tool.
Usually a look at who produced the show, and a little research on my part and I can tell which movies are going to be reliable and which are not.
So, no we don't just use movies willy-nilly to teach history, and trust that everything in them is accurate. That would be naive. But I'm also not going to pick up just any old book and use that blindly either.
__________________
Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JodieLyn
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12234
|
| Posted: May 05 2011 at 11:58am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Movies touch the emotions. And as long as you know movies are movies and not reality.. movies can be a great ADDITION to history.
Movies can draw you in. They can be inspiring. And they can make you care about the time period, make it interesting. And once you're interested you can learn more. And by learning more you know where the movie is inaccurate.. but that's ok too.
My kids LOVE movies based on books. Not because they portray books accurately. But the kids love to get to compare them and say what's different about the movie from book and they can be very critical AND still enjoy both the movie as entertainment and the book too.
__________________
Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
stacykay
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 08 2006
Location: Michigan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1858
|
| Posted: May 07 2011 at 4:37pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Getting in late in the game. You all have mentioned most every movie I would have, including many of my favorites (I love about anything with William Powell, John Wayne, and William Holden.)
A couple of others we have really enjoyed are Chariots of Fire and Apollo 13. (I'm also a Tom Hanks fan!)
In Christ,
Stacy in MI
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
4Real Forums : Across Time and Place
Topic: history DVDs that rock your world
