In the class, History through film and Cinema, we watched three films. Of these three films, I have chosen two of them to debate about. The films I chose were Glory and Twelve Years a Slave. These particular movies really spoke to me, and showed me what it really was like back then. They showed me what the people had to fight for and go through to gain their freedom. History in general, is a huge part of who we all are today. Without our own people serving in this war, our lives would be completely different. Come and see how alike and different these films really are, and how they portray our own country’s history. Glory and Twelve Years a Slave truly were great films and did an excellent job at describing the Civil War to its viewers. These two films were alike in many ways. One similar aspect the two have, is that they both show the views of the war from each perspective; from the slaves point of view and from the soldiers who fought in the civil war. Another way that these two films are alike is that they both give a very accurate representation of the Civil War and how it affected people. No one can really know …show more content…
One outlying difference the two films have is that they were filmed in different perspectives. If you change the perspective of how the film was made, then you will end up with a different vibe and tone that the film gives off. Another main difference between the two films is each of the journeys and trips the slaves and the soldiers went on in order to find freedom. In the film Glory, the soldiers of the 54th Regiment had to physically (and somewhat mentally) fight their way to freedom. While Solomon from the film Twelve Years a Slave still had to fight for his freedom, he did it differently than the soldiers. Solomon had to have mental toughness in order to make it through all of the workplaces he had gone through as a slave to finally be
The Southern portion of the United States ranging from the East Coast to Texas is commonly referred to as the South. Two different versions of this area exist. One is the true South that anyone who drives through states like Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi will see. The other South is a popularized depiction of this region. Hollywood has played a part in constructing this version of the South by creating countless movies that have depicted a stereotyped South fixated on the Antebellum Era. The 2002 movie “Sweet Home Alabama” poetries Southerners that are trying to preserve the way of life that existed before the Civil War.
“Steel Magnolias” is a story about the close-knit relationships between six eccentric Southern women living in a small town in Louisiana. The film has a home spun, unpretentious feel to it. The plot alternates between humorous, everyday events with good-natured quips and the seriousness and heartaches to life’s unexpected crises. Through the laughs and tears, the six women learn to endure hard times and emerge from the struggles with grace and dignity. The film is set in the 1980’s with a tight knit homespun atmosphere. The Southern belles who are goofy on the outside but strong enough inside to survive any challenge that life deals them. Friendships help with a
The Civil War, a period of four years in the United States filled with bloody combat, thousands of casualties, and the destruction of much of Southern infrastructure. Although the Civil War had various causes (economy, politics, etc.), it mainly originated from the pressing issue of slavery at the time, mainly its expansion into the Western territories. As we all know, slavery was one of the most horrific times in our nation’s history, yet it was a typical and normal thing for the people of the 19th century. The film, Glory (1989), directed by Edward Zwick, doesn’t necessarily depict the horrors of slavery, however it does show 19th century America’s attitude toward African Americans, as well as the average African American’s hunger for
The film Glory by Edward Zwick is one of the most well-known films of all time. The film itself is solely based upon the first formal unit of the Union Army during the American Civil War which consist of all African American men. They were essentially the very first unit of United States Colored Troops. They were formally known for their courageous attempts to and actions at Fort Wagner in 1863. The film is set in many different locations such as New York, Maryland, South Carolina and Massachusetts. In each of these different locations events took place that shaped our history. For example on November twenty seventh of 1862 Robert Shaw started to train soldiers. July eighteenth 1863 the Colonel Shaw and his troops attempted to take Fort Wagner, which didn’t succeed.
Disney has faced a large amount of criticism from critics over the tropes and stereotypes that it portrays in its animated films. This is not a recent event however. One of Disney’s most notorious and controversial films, Song of The South, was released in 1946. Song of the South, set during the Reconstruction Era, focuses on a young boy named Johnny who learns that his parents will being living apart for an unknown amount of time, moves to a plantation in Georgia, while his father continues to live in Atlanta. Depressed and confused over the recent events Johnny decides to run away to Atlanta, but is drawn to the voices of Uncle Remus, an ex-slave living on the plantation, telling stories of Br’er Rabbit. Although it is implied that the African American workers are no longer Johnny’s family property, the black characters are still wholly subservient and are happy to be so. James Baskett plays Uncle Remus as a blissfully, happy companion ready to please. Due to this “magical negro” trope, the characters’ ridiculously stereotypical voices, and the unrealistic happy and joyful relationship between the white landowners and their black help, Song of The South, is one of Disney’s most offensive, racist, and fictitious film. Disney’s portrayal of Uncle Remus is his veiled justification of the mistreatment that minorities received before and after the Reconstruction Era.
Let's face it: The entire story of the United States of America has its dark chapters, passages it does not want to repeat -- not ever.
In the short film, “The Negro Soldier,” the whole focus was to get African Americans to join the military. With the use of propaganda, the U.S. government hoped to promote getting African Americans to want to fight for their country. It hoped to instill patriotism in them. It showed that Germany and the Nazis had no respect for them and considered them the scum of the earth. It also portrayed them being accepted as equals into the American society. It was used to make them think they were wanted and play a major role in the success of the war against germany. And to ultimately make Germany and the Nazis look like the bad guys (destroying their monuments) instead of the racist America they lived in. It also portrayed African American soldiers prior contributions in previously fought wars as pivotal moments in American history. It made it seem like they were the reason for those victories. It also explained how the African American soldiers were honored with tributes, memorials, medals and parades for their service in the military. In the ongoing WWII, it was said that there were three times the number of African Americans soldiers in WWII than in WWI. Also, many more were getting commissioned and attending West Point and OCS (Officer Candidate School). African American men that were once printers, tailors, entertainers are now soldiers in the Army as gunners, tankers, radio operators, mechanics, quartermasters, and infantrymen. They were now the backbone of
Something that I found to be different in these two movies was, some of the people on Abraham's side did not want him to give up slavery because this is how the got their profit. It was not the same for the movie 12 Years A Slave this is because the white men got their profit from colored which they were forced. And yes it did take a few years for them to get the 13 amendment ready, also another difference is the most obvious and that is that Abraham Lincoln had got more respect than Solomon did in that 12 years maybe when he was a free man he had more respect.
In class we watched three movies Glory, 12 years of a slave, and Lincoln. I have chosen to compare and contrast 12 years of a slave and Glory.
The movie «12 Years a slave» is based on the book «12 Years a Slave» by Soloman Northup. It's his life story of how he got lured in a trap and kidnapped in 1841. It's about how he was sold into slavery in the south, and what happened during those 12 years a slave .
Glory does a great job of capturing many of the feelings towards the black soldiers during the Civil War. The film is based off of the writings of Robert Gould Shaw, from letters he sent to his friends and family members. Most of the events in the movie are depicted very closely to how they actually happened. Director Edward Zwick tried to keep the movie as historically
For my essay I will compare and contrast the themes between 12 Years a Slave and Django Unchained, two movies that differ immensely when it comes to the direction and delivery of their respective plots; while still holding some key similarities such as their motifs and themes throughout both films. It 's those similarities however is also where we can dissect the corresponding differences such as how “heroes” and “villains” are portrayed entirely different from one another. And by using key examples I also aim to show how 12 Years a Slave and Django Unchained are prime examples of how one movie can break the usual feel-good cliché plot that all American cinema seems to portray; while the other follows a more traditional route that we
Change can sometimes be overwhelming for those who are used to being where they have been for a while. Change can be beneficial or it can be horribly uncomfortable to adjust to. Change can come through the minds that want a difference and it can also be forced upon someone like a hurricane or an unapproved marriage. One fact about change is that no matter how hard one tries to avoid it, it will eventually happen and there is nothing he/ she can do about it. It’s unavoidable. Sometimes certain events happen that is beyond a person’s control. This is especially true for black men around the time of slavery. The movie “12 Years a Slave” surrounds the theme of change and how getting acclimated to the environment of a different society is necessary and how change is inevitable especially when it comes to consequences like beatings, separation, and death.
The federal government placed many restrictions and discriminatory actions on the black troops. At the beginning of the Civil War, African Americans were not allowed to serve in the U.S. military. By the summer of 1862 it was clear that additional troops were needed. To meet the need, Congress passed two bills that allowed the participation of black soldiers in the Union Army. The Government established segregated units called The Bureau of Colored Troops. The measure lacked popular support and the U.S. Army did not begin recruiting black soldiers until 1863.
According to the American Historical Association, “When asked about their intense reaction to the film, some described feeling as though they had just experienced slavery. The movie felt believable, they reported, due not only to the caption indicating its basis in fact, but because the setting and characters looked authentic” (Toplin, 1). That just goes to show how historically accurate the makers of the film were going for to show just how bad slavery really was, even if it repulses people. There are historians out there who on the record confirmed the historical accuracy of 12 Years a Slave. “At least two historians, Sue Eakin, and Joseph Logsdon, have confirmed that Northup presented a remarkably accurate picture of antebellum slavery and plantation society near the Red River in Louisiana” (Toplin, 1). For historians to say that the film is “remarkably accurate” shows the seriousness those involved went to, to ensure the historical accuracy