This page is dedicated to important films with an historical, ethnic, political, and social/cultural bent. If I see a film that is worth recommending from an educational standpoint, I will list it here with a brief description. For instance, Amazing Grace was a flick based on the life of William Wilberforce (1759-1833) and his commitment to abolishing the African slave trade. It is definitely worth seeing. Occasionally, an outrageous film due to its historical inaccuracy or politically/socially controversial subject matter will also appear on this page.
The Independent Thinkers
A page for thinking people who tirelessly challenge their own assumptions and let neither conventionality nor agenda nor political party obstruct the relentless pursuit of truth
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March 16, 2007 at 11:11 pm |
Amazing Grace is a powerful story about British abolitionist and parliamentarian William Wilberforce (1759-1833). He spent nearly his entire political life attempting to end the African Slave Trade and succeeds toward the end of his political career. The film portrays Wilberforce’s life accurately and is fascinating to watch simply for its spot-on depiction of the British Parliamentary system. The acting is splendid and the scenic shots of the British countryside are breathtaking.
One cannot help notice the Christian evangelical overtones in the film. It’s Wilberforce’s religious awakening, after all, that lead him on a path to seeking an end to the slave trade. Former slave and abolitionist Olaudah Equiano (played by Youssou N’ Dour) makes several appearances in the film. Albert Finney does an excellent job playing John Newton, the writer of the lyrics for the hymn Amazing Grace. For those of you who like history, this is a must see. Based on the book of the same name by Eric Metaxas
April 2, 2007 at 1:19 am |
Whenever I’m in a teaching funk I like to rewatch the film Dead Poets Society (1989). There are countless inspirational scenes and a sort of tribute to the Romantics of yore. Robin Williams won a best actor Academy Award for his role as John Keating, a teacher hired by a staid and stifling New England preparatory school. Keating dares his students to think outside of the box as it were and to seize the day. He urges them to question the school’s curriculum and its tried and true tradition. The most powerful scene occurs when one of Keating’s pupils kills himself because his father did not allow him to pursue a career in acting, the profession he loves.
The film is loosely based on the teaching career of Keating, who was an economics professor at the University of Connecticut.
April 2, 2007 at 2:53 am |
Both of these movies are on my “to watch” list, and your reviews have inspired me to do so. I hope you haven’t been needing to watch Dead Poets this semester . . .
I’ve been awaiting the review of The Departed you mentioned you were going to do. That one I did see. Is your review forthcoming?
April 3, 2007 at 3:13 pm |
Lori,
Actually I have not needed to watch Dead Poets Society, a reflection of the many good students I have this semester. And yes, I will have something to say about the Departed soon enough.
April 6, 2007 at 12:14 pm |
I know I promised Lori a review of The Departed, but I wanted to mention the film Popi (1969). I had a chance to watch it the other day and was very impressed. The film star’s Alan Arkin as a Puerto Rican father (Popi) of two boys who lives in a Florida inner-city community. Increasingly frustrated and desperate about the penurious plight of his children, he places them on a boat, pushes them out to sea, and tells them not to speak English. They are to pass themselves off as Cuban refugees. He hopes that whomever finds them will be wealthy enough to provide for the 9 and 11 year old in ways that he cannot.
Though the story line is outlandish (who would actually risk the lives of their children by pushing them out to sea?), the film underscores some important themes of ethnic history. First, it was made in the late 1960s, a time when Latino Americans of all stripes were coming under attack for their inability to assimilate. The film offers a personalized, if romanticized, portrayal of the tough circumstances surrounding impoverished minority groups in the United States. Second, the late 1960s featured a resurgence of ethnic pride on the part of the descendants of past immigrant groups such as the Greeks, Italians, and Poles. Popi is an effort to explain that the Puerto Rican ethnicity too has pride in its culture and that the poverty plaguing its community is more a matter of environment and not a lack of personal ambition. Indeed, Popi is clearly hard working and motivated to care for his family. Thirdly, the film turns on its head the stereotype of the Latina woman trying to manage her children alone with the father nowhere in sight. Popi in this case is unmarried only because his wife died a few years before, a reflection of the unfortunate circumstances not created by individual choice.
I think it’s notable that the film did not star a Latino actor because they had not managed to make it into the acting mainstream by the end of the 1960s and would not do so for some time. Witness Scarface (1983) a film in which Italian actor Al Pacino plays a Cuban immigrant. The original film Scarface (1932) was about an Italian druglord played by a Jewish actor.
I would recommend watching the film. It features an extremely convincing performance by Arkin. Actress Rita Moreno does well in her role as his girlfriend. This is part of a long list of ethnic films available at the Tunxis library, which impresses me more and more with each passing day.
April 11, 2007 at 11:58 pm |
Dr. Fierro;
There are few words to express how impressed I am about the BREADTH of your knowledge! Your students are lucky to share your expertise in this forum where you are able to discuss everything from current issues to music to films to your “bread and butter” topics such as culture and history. It’s really remarkable!
KUDOS to you for going above and beyond! B
November 12, 2008 at 8:34 am |
(Being a huge movie fan, I was disappointed to see but a few films discussed here!)
Dead Poets Society: I had caught the end of this film on cable once, but only recently discovered this great movie just a few years ago. In my high school english class, I saw this film in it’s entirety for this first time, and enjoyed it immensely. The collection of fine actors here is extensive. I am a particularly big fan of Robin Williams – and I, along with several other classmates, found it both amusing and interesting to see a handful of now-famous actors(and much older, incidentally) at far younger and far earlier stages in their careers: Ethan Hawke(At his finest in Training Day), along with Robert Sean Leonard(Now best known for his role as Wilson on the TV show House), and Josh Charles(Four Brothers) all starred in this movie. Also, Kurtwood Smith(Now famous for playing Red on That 70’s Show) , was another surprising face to see in this film. Maybe it’s because of Robin Williams, but this movie reminded me alot of Good Will Hunting.
Another film that comes to mind, simply because it too, like Dead Poet Society, has a group of actors that deliver excellent performances at earlier stages of their acting careers – is the 1995 action film Heat. One of the only films in which Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino starred alongside one another, the Heat cast included Natalie Portman(Only 14 at the time), Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight, Ashley Judd, Diane Venora, Val Kilmer, and William Fitchner, complementing one another in what is probably my favorite film of all time. Check it out if you’ve never seen it before. I never cease to enjoy this movie immensely. I do feel kind of lame throwing in all these actor’s names, as if the cast of a movie is any indication of how good it is. Basically though, if you watch Heat, and if you are an avid movie fan like me – aside from enjoying a fantastic movie – you will undoubtedly appreciate the significance of this cast in the same way I do.
When are we going to see your review of The Departed? (Great movie, btw.)
- Adrian Bos
December 4, 2008 at 5:00 am |
This is not a film based on History or anything of the sort, but I found it very interesting. It’s called Zeitgeist Addendum; it’s kind of like a conspiracy theory-type movie but is worth a watch. It explains different views of the US economy and why things happen (like war). I just thought it was worth a mention.
This is the website for the movie if you’d like to take a watch (It’s about 2 hours long)
http://thezeitgeistmovement.com/addendum.htm