From Library Journal Toplin (history, Univ. . Writing in a jargon-free and very accessible style, and using very recent films (including Titanic, Schindler's List, and Pearl Harbor) as examples, Toplin argues that Hollywood productions, particularly in the last 30 years, h
| Title | : | Reel History: In Defense of Hollywood (Culture America) (Culture America (Paperback)) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.83 (277 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0700612009 |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 240Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2015-2-21 |
| Language | : | English |
From Library Journal Toplin (history, Univ. . Writing in a jargon-free and very accessible style, and using very recent films (including Titanic, Schindler's List, and Pearl Harbor) as examples, Toplin argues that Hollywood productions, particularly in the last 30 years, have been able to bring richly detailed impressions of past eras to a much wider public than have conventional history books. Those who find fault with filmmakers' tendencies to manipulate situations, personalities, and timelines are asked to consider the difficulties of condensing highly complex sequences of events, often happening over a long period of time, into entertaining two-hour dramas. Andrea Slonosky, Long Island Univ., Brooklyn Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. Recommended. of North Carolina, Wilmington) picks up where he left off in his History by Hollywood: The Use and Abuse of the American Past. This will interest historians, film critics, and readers who enjoy catching Hollywood out. Toplin makes his point eloquently, if somewha
The mis-communications and misunderstandings will keep you laughing. He has been coping with his depression much better now and we are able to finally discuss it together after may years. Just listen to this:"And the colours!The trees weren't just brown and green, they were amber and emerald, gold and amethyst, midnight blue and brushed copper. Good book for my level but necessary for me to progress in my instrument. The author does a fantastic job of providing insight and empathy to his situation without coming across as whining or feeling sorry for himself. I suppose some would consider this book satire. He stresses the distinction between "anthropocentrism" and "anthropomorphism." The former sharply divides humans from the remainder of the animal kingdom, holding "culture" as a unique human artefact. This is a very cute early level graphic novel. The book gives some guidelines for what the author sees as the distinctive genre of "cinematic history" (his term--not very well defined--for a movie dealing with an historical event). Now, his daughter, age 6, sent a text to me "Nana, do you know what kind of Book I REALLY would love to have?" (yes, like her father she too has a very high IQ for a six year old) I asked her which book? She said the I Spy Books! I was thrilled. The fact that nothing being taught to these men seemed to deter them from learning as much as possible for the mission of course. Among his ten books are Oliver Stone's USA: Film, History, and Controversy (see page 33), History by Hollywood: The Use and Abuse of the American Past, and Ken Burns's The Civil War: Historians Respond. Robert Brent Toplin is professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and film review editor for the Journal of American HistoryCiting films like Gladiator and Braveheart, Gandhi and Nixon, he underscores the pressures placed on filmmakers to simplify and alter historical fact to conform to the demands of an extraordinarily expensive mass medium.Toplin demonstrates how a historical epic like Glory may contain "creative adjustments" that worry historians but shows how its distortions communicate broader and deeper truths about the Civil War experiences of African Americans just as Saving Private Ryan presented little factual detail about World War II and yet effectively conveyed the experience of combat. He also draws upon his own experiences in film production and takes direct aim at recent writing about film dominated by jargonistic theory and empty rhetoric. History has been fodder for cinema fro
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