 | History in Films and on Television History in Films and on TV - Documentary Films, Historical Dramas, and history programs on PBS and the History Channel |
January 10th, 2013, 12:45 PM
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#1 | Citizen
Joined: Jan 2013 Posts: 5 | Titanic (1997)
I love that film - history was modified alot though: Mistakes in Titanic (1997) | |
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January 11th, 2013, 05:38 PM
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#2 | Historian
Joined: Jul 2012 Posts: 3,553 |
Modified? They seemed to go out of their way to ignore or downplay every bit of real heroism that happened that night. I also felt most of the actors playing the primary and secondary characters were sleepwalking through their parts, though there were a couple of well-acted tertiary roles.
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January 11th, 2013, 06:09 PM
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#3 | Resident Fenian ¤ Member of the Year ¤
Joined: Oct 2010 From: Éire Posts: 6,502 | Quote:
Yet in the film a relationship is forged between Rose DeWitt Bukater - a first class passenger and Jack Dawson a steerage passenger. Indeed Jack dines in first class after saving Rose's life. In reality the two would never even have met.
| First class passengers could go down to the lower class levels however, and often did I believe. This was called as "slumming it", IIRC from a memoir I read many years ago. So in theory, it is not impossible for the two to have met. I've also heard people claim that "Nearer my God to thee" was played to a different tune at that time, which is again wrong because I know of a recording from 1913 set to the familiar tune. And there are some other debates - the sinking etc. In all honesty though, historical films have no responsibility to the truth nor should they have. They exist for entertainment's sake, and as long as they entertain a semblance of reality is good enough for me. Once they fail to entertain, historicity becomes just another irritation.
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January 12th, 2013, 01:44 PM
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#4 | Colonial Savage
Joined: Aug 2011 From: Amerikay Posts: 5,382 |
I hated that movie, Maybe it was because I saw it with the audience from HELL .
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January 12th, 2013, 01:53 PM
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#5 | Historian
Joined: May 2012 From: Here to Eternity Posts: 4,407 | Quote:
Originally Posted by General Michael Collins First class passengers could go down to the lower class levels however, and often did I believe. This was called as "slumming it", IIRC from a memoir I read many years ago. So in theory, it is not impossible for the two to have met. I've also heard people claim that "Nearer my God to thee" was played to a different tune at that time, which is again wrong because I know of a recording from 1913 set to the familiar tune. And there are some other debates - the sinking etc. In all honesty though, historical films have no responsibility to the truth nor should they have. They exist for entertainment's sake, and as long as they entertain a semblance of reality is good enough for me. Once they fail to entertain, historicity becomes just another irritation. | Spot on. In this instance I think it's a great movie, despite having a lot of the common myths in it.
A good historical movie I think can also encourage people to go out and discover the facts for themselves, not to mention that in the last decade or so there's been a trend for some excellent "The Real..." type documentaries, e.g. The Real Great Escape, The Real War Horse, and so on, which now seem to be an inevitable follow up to any historical movie.
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January 13th, 2013, 06:37 AM
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#6 | Varlet
Joined: Dec 2010 From: Pillium Posts: 4,846 | Quote:
Originally Posted by annelouise17 I hated that movie, Maybe it was because I saw it with the audience from HELL . | It makes all the difference in the world if you watch movies in a disruptive environment. Last year we watched The Woman in Black in a noisy, teenager filled cinema and had to walk out and get our money back. Saw it again a week later with a more mature audience and really enjoyed it.
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January 13th, 2013, 11:24 AM
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#7 | Historian
Joined: Mar 2010 From: Baltimore, Maryland Posts: 2,141 | Quote:
Originally Posted by Fiver Modified? They seemed to go out of their way to ignore or downplay every bit of real heroism that happened that night. I also felt most of the actors playing the primary and secondary characters were sleepwalking through their parts, though there were a couple of well-acted tertiary roles. | Please don't tell me that Jack and Rosie didn't hang off the flagpole as the ship went down.
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January 13th, 2013, 11:26 AM
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#8 | Historian
Joined: Mar 2010 From: Baltimore, Maryland Posts: 2,141 | Quote:
Originally Posted by Davidius It makes all the difference in the world if you watch movies in a disruptive environment. Last year we watched The Woman in Black in a noisy, teenager filled cinema and had to walk out and get our money back. Saw it again a week later with a more mature audience and really enjoyed it. | When I saw Titanic, I had problems hearing the dialog at the end, due to all the weeping. Seeing that movie got to be an emotional laxative for teen girls.
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January 13th, 2013, 11:30 AM
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#9 | vincit omnia veritas
Joined: Feb 2011 From: England Posts: 5,549 |
Not a popular film in our household. My wife is related to [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Boxhall"]Joseph Boxall [/ame]and finds the films depiction of the crew fairly insulting.
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January 13th, 2013, 11:37 AM
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#10 | Historian
Joined: Mar 2010 From: Baltimore, Maryland Posts: 2,141 | Quote:
Originally Posted by Vladd Not a popular film in our household. My wife is related to Joseph Boxall and finds the films depiction of the crew fairly insulting. | Truth and movies have a troubled relationship. Bigger box office usually translates into smaller truth.
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