Writing History with Lightning: Cinematic Representations of Nineteenth-Century America
- ISBN-10
- 0807170909
- ISBN-13
- 9780807170908
- Category
- Performing Arts
- Pages
- 352
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2019-02-05
- Publisher
- LSU Press
- Authors
- John C. Inscoe, Matthew Christopher Hulbert
Description
Films possess virtually unlimited power for crafting broad interpretations of American history. Nineteenth-century America has proven especially conducive to Hollywood imaginations, producing indelible images like the plight of Davy Crockett and the defenders of the Alamo, Pickett’s doomed charge at Gettysburg, the proliferation and destruction of plantation slavery in the American South, Custer’s fateful decision to divide his forces at Little Big Horn, and the onset of immigration and industrialization that saw Old World lifestyles and customs dissolve amid rapidly changing environments. Balancing historical nuance with passion for cinematic narratives, Writing History with Lightning confronts how movies about nineteenth-century America influence the ways in which mass audiences remember, understand, and envision the nation’s past. In these twenty-six essays—divided by the editors into sections on topics like frontiers, slavery, the Civil War, the Lost Cause, and the West—notable historians engage with films and the historical events they ostensibly depict. Instead of just separating fact from fiction, the essays contemplate the extent to which movies generate and promulgate collective memories of American history. Along with new takes on familiar classics like Young Mr. Lincoln and They Died with Their Boots On, the volume covers several films released in recent years, including The Revenant, 12 Years a Slave, The Birth of a Nation, Free State of Jones, and The Hateful Eight. The authors address Hollywood epics like The Alamo and Amistad, arguing that these movies flatten the historical record to promote nationalist visions. The contributors also examine overlooked films like Hester Street and Daughters of the Dust, considering their portraits of marginalized communities as transformative perspectives on American culture. By surveying films about nineteenth-century America, Writing History with Lightning analyzes how movies create popular understandings of American history and why those interpretations change over time.
Get the book
Other editions
-
- 2019-02-05
- 352 pages
- Paperback
- LSU Press
Similar books
-
American Lightning: Terror, Mystery, the Birth of Hollywood, and the Crime of the Century
By Howard BlumThrough the work of many months, snowbound stakeouts, and brilliant forensic sleuthing, the great investigator finally identifies the men he believes are responsible for so much destruction.
-
It Is Like Writing History with Lightning and My Only Regret Is That It Is All So Terribly True. -Woodrow...
By Flower Notebook QUOTES LOVERJUST FOR YOU CLEAN SPIRIT! A Premium 120 pages Lined Notebook With Unique Cover ! A Beautiful gift for Christmas, Mother's Day, Birthdays or anytime! Or why not ? a special notebook just for you, because .
-
Writing FAST: How to Write Anything with Lightning Speed
By Jeff BollowA simple step-by-step process for breaking any writing project large or small into bite-sized chunks and then turning them into the desired finished format at lightning speed. A must-read book for all levels.
-
Too Like the Lightning
By Ada PalmerThe first book of Terra Ignota, a four-book political SF epic set in a human future of extraordinary originality
-
Thunder and Lightning: Cracking Open the Writer’s Craft
By Natalie GoldbergThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Natalie Goldberg, including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection.
-
Fateful Lightning: A New History of the Civil War and Reconstruction
By Allen C. GuelzoA New History of the Civil War and Reconstruction Allen C. Guelzo ... A skeptical Georgia slave told Union major George Ward Nichols that it was all well and good that the Union armies had come to bring him freedom, “but, massa, ...
-
Lightning
By Seymour SimonExceptional nonfiction for children from two of the most trusted names in science education: Seymour Simon and the Smithsonian Institution.
-
Lightning, Hurricanes, and Blizzards: The Science of Storms
By Paul FleisherEach storm needs just the right combination of weather conditions to form and become dangerous—or even destructive. In this fact-packed book, discover how storms form, where they strike, and what makes them so powerful.
-
Lightnin' Hopkins: His Life and Blues
By Alan GovenarDerek Stewart-Baxter in Jazz Journal described the festival as the “most important blues event of the year” in England, where there were five dates, presented in association with the National Jazz Federation ...
-
Bottled Lightning: Superbatteries, Electric Cars, and the New Lithium Economy
By Seth FletcherIn Bottled Lightning, the science reporter Seth Fletcher takes us on a fascinating journey, from the salt flats of Bolivia to the labs of MIT and Stanford, from the turmoil at GM to cutting-edge lithium-ion battery start-ups, introducing us ...