Theyre really quite intelligent, very intelligent, but are trained in a way that theyve been trained differently from the way we have so that they are interested in, you know, the impact visually and what people hear. And the overarching story or theme or thesis they want to put forward. And so whenever they come to historians, its not as theyre writing the work. It is usually after theyve already worked out in their mind what the opening scene is going to look like and the rest of it. And the story holds together well for them, for what they like to portray in one way. And then on the other side of it is working with the producers to find out whether theyll finance so you have to take into consideration what the producers want to see in this film, too. So they kind of are very collaborative and were only one piece, a small piece of the collaboration because they do come in with this. And its interesting because i want to know whether or not Steve Mcqueen actually shot the opening sequ
Worth mentioning. 1848 is this wonderful moment where people like Thaddeus Stevens, Abraham Lincoln and Alexander Steven are all young, rising whigs who are supporting taylor and working together. It was stevens who was one of the confederate peace commissioners lincoln is dealing with in the end. When we thing of the civil war in military terms, we talk about the mexican war as a precursor, a prelude, but the congress that lincoln served in has Horace Greely and Alexander Stevens and sidelines waiting to enter. This is part of lincolns story. Its a preview for him of what is to come. You know, i dont imagine that tony kushner or Steven Spielberg could have worked all this background in somehow to the movie. Im not complaining they didnt, but all this background is important to understand what is really going on. And the details matter. They know the details matter. If you look back at the Lincoln Movie, youll realize the purpose of the scene in the kitchen is to give lincoln credit fo
My sons came up with the idea a few years ago i should take p n plantation mistress to hollywood and say, real housewives of the old south. You should. But the patriot, at the same time, youre sitting there and these little freshmen come in, and why are you here, whats your interest . And they saw the film. Part of it is to get people excited about the past even if its not our past, even if its nobodys past, some fantasy past. Vampire past. And this brings us a question of what constitutes a film about slavery . Would you think of ride with the devil as a film about slavery or Cold Mountain . No. There are slaves in those films, but theyre very marginal and theyre thereubidleh almost to establish Cold Mountain had no slaves, no black voices. You see a black woman being drugged, being carried. R t hahp hc nod. And i think that was a subconscious Cold Mountain view of the world. We know theyre there, but this is our film. You even see Nicole Kidman taking refreshments out to the slaves b
For example in january 1865, ab maryland has abolished slavery. Bn. The confederates are talking about offering limited emancipation in order for talk service in the army. Things have changed. This was not a debate they woult have in the cabinet in the way that Tony Horowitz or steven in spielberg portrayed. Such its such a wonderful thing to see, a film addressing such a fm complicated issues, but the timing is all wrong. Timi ecti from ave dramatic perspective, frostbite an Artistic License perspective is totally understandable. They need to create drama and tension. This is act i, right . S screenwriting 101, you set up tension and then you resolve itw i give them all the license they of this conflict between the tw conservatives and the radicals,o they have to introduce something that doesnt actually appear inc the book thats the basis for the film. tats t so the film is supposedly built around the team of rivals, doris kern goodmans book. But in the team of rivals, socalled seward
Amistad and the moment in the film where, which is certainly taken from the case. They throw them over board. The slaves are shackled and thrown overboard is one of the most visually powerful, arresting scenes. When i went to the International Museum of slavery in liverpool they had their own version of that so it is something that we deal in words and powerfully in telling stories but its something that we now in the 21st century back to media have to grapple with. Whos going to look at it . How is it going to feel . I think we have to bring our students and public to understand stories can be told in many different dimensions and i think the power of some of these scenes maybe we can deal with clips rather than the full film and deal with the powerful medium of historical film as something that can bring slavery to a modern audience. That seems like an excellent place to conclude. Thank you all so much for coming and thank you very much to our panelists for their very thoughtful and