Category Archives: Historical Film

100 Films Reviewed by Historians

Posted on May 13, 2011 by briansandberg

Historians are increasingly engaging with historical films, serving as historical consultants for film productions and as film reviewers for diverse publications. The American Historical Review experimented with film reviews for several years before shifting the reviews to the American Historical … Continue reading →

Posted in Historical Film, History in the Media, War in Film | Leave a comment

The Princess of Montpensier

Posted on April 15, 2011 by briansandberg

Bertrand Tavernier’s The Princess of Montpensier has been released.  The film focuses on the life of a young noblewoman at the Valois court during the French Wars of Religion. The film is an adaptation of a classic early French novel … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Modern Europe, French History, French Wars of Religion, Gender and Warfare, Historical Film, Religious Violence, War in Film, Warfare in the Early Modern World, Women and Gender History | Leave a comment

New Book on La Grande Illusion

Posted on April 10, 2011 by briansandberg

Jean Renoir’s film La Grande Illusion (1937) is a brilliant film set in a prisoner-of-war camp during the First World War. A recent book by Martin O’Shaughnessy reexamines this classic film: Martin O’Shaughnessy. La Grande Illusion (London and New York: … Continue reading →

Posted in French History, Historical Film, Uncategorized, War in Film, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Guns in Film

Posted on April 9, 2011 by briansandberg

When did guns become pervasive in film?  Perhaps earlier than you imagine…. This is a shootout scene from The Great Train Robbery (1903). Milos Stehlik, of Facets in Chicago, considered the portrayal of guns in film recently on WBEZ’s Worldview. … Continue reading →

Posted in Historical Film, History of Violence, War in Film | Leave a comment

Recent Civil War Films

Posted on April 8, 2011 by briansandberg

I recently came across an article from the American Historical Association’s Perspectives examining historical films portraying the American Civil War since Glory. Students in HIST 390 History and Film: War in Film may be interested in this article.  

Posted in Civil Conflict, Historical Film, War in Film, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

The Borgias: Renaissance on TV

Posted on April 3, 2011 by briansandberg

The Renaissance comes to life on a new TV series on Showtime, beginning tonight.  The series is entitled The Borgias, starring Jeremy Irons as Pope Alexander VI. See a trailer and further information on The Borgias on Showtime’s website. Students … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Modern Europe, Historical Film, History in the Media, Italian History, Renaissance Art and History | Leave a comment

Outside the Law: A Film on the Algerian War

Posted on March 25, 2011 by briansandberg

Outside the Law, a recent film by Rachid Bouchareb, revisits the Algerian War of the 1940s and 1950s. Students in HIST 390 History and Film: War in Film may be interested in this film, since we will be watching the … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, Empires and Imperialism, French History, Historical Film, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Resource for Research on Historical Film

Posted on March 20, 2011 by briansandberg

Students in HIST 390 Film and History: War in Film will be interested in Screening the Past, an e-journal on filmmaking that has numerous articles and film reviews dealing with historical films.

Posted in Historical Film, History in the Media, War in Film | Leave a comment

The American Civil War Remembered in the South

Posted on March 18, 2011 by briansandberg

History is in the news all this spring as the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the American Civil War approaches.  The New York Times is running an almost daily series of blog posts on the 150th anniversary, entitled Disunion, … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, Historical Film, History in the Media, The Past Alive: Teaching History | 1 Comment

Props and Historical Films

Posted on February 26, 2011 by briansandberg

Props are key to establishing the “look” of the past in historical films.  But, how are props selected and used in films? A new NPR story examines the prop-masters in Hollywood who research, collect, and catalog period objects for use … Continue reading →

Posted in Historical Film, History in the Media, War in Film | Leave a comment