Final Blog

I think sometimes Hollywood does "define" history, but that is only because people let it. There are tons of movies that depict history in an incorrect way, but none of them claim to be the truth. Take The Patriot for example. That movie is filled with historical inaccuracies, but it is entertaining, like a movie should be. I enjoyed the story, the characters, and the setting of that movie. Whether or not the events that took place in it were real didn't matter to me. What did matter was the story and the acting.

It is unfair to judge movies on their accurate portrayals of history, as they are made mostly for entertainment purposes. If people want to learn about history through watching something, they should watch factual documentaries. I don't think it matters if Hollywood warps history a little. Yes, it is a little bad if people truly believe the Revolutionary War was actually like the way it is portrayed in The Patriot, but overall it doesn't matter too much.

The only time historical inaccuracies in movies can be dangerous is with cases like Top Gun where the movie glorifies the military without really showing what actually happens to soldiers. Top Gun is basically one long advertisement for the US military. When young adults see movies like that, they get the wrong impression of the military and end up going into it expecting something far from the truth.

All in all, though, I think that if people take what they see in movies as the truth, it is their own fault for believing it. I don't think Hollywood should be held responsible for "rewriting history" because their job is to making entertaining, profitable movies. It is the audience's "job" to watch them and take them for what they are.

Apollo 13

I thought Apollo 13 was a great movie. It had a great story and it kept me on the edge of my seat. Tom Hanks is a great actor and he was really good in the movie. I also liked that it was historically accurate, and he setting of the movie portrayed that time period very well.

It had a happy ending but it wasn't a cheesy one. Apollo 13 is a great suspense movie, and I give it a 9/10.

Forrest Gump

The film depicts Forrest as a member of the All-American Football Team. They showed the coach praising Forrest for being very fast. The film also shows Elvis Presley learning his trademark dance from Forrest before he was famous. It also shows Forrest in the background during the Desegregation of the University of Alabama. He picks up a book for a woman because she drops it while going into the school.

Platoon

Platoon was a great movie. It had an interesting story and it was historically accurate. It showed the dark side of war and what actually happens to the young men serving in it. The character development was great, and it was sad to see some of the characters die.

There were also many great actors in the movie. Charlie Sheen played his part very well. His narrations in the form of letters were informative and emotional, which helped portray the character well. 

All in all, I give this movie a 9/10. It was very well done and didn't have as much fiction as most war movies do.

Review of "Glory"

     I have recently watched "Glory." The movie provides an accurate depiction of warfare for the Massachusetts 54th regiment during the Civil War. The plot focuses on the soldiers and commanders of the regiment. The characters have to deal with issues such as racism, poor conditions, and inexperience in war.

     The acting in the movie was pretty good. Morgan Freeman acted very well, and most of the other actors did too. I liked the way the characters grew during the film, but some parts were pretty dry. The movie seemed to drag on at certain parts and I lost interest quickly.

     Overall I think the movie was okay. I do not typically enjoy war movies, so this one didn't interest me. The acting was good and it was historically accurate, though, so I'd rate it a 5/10.

Review of "The Patriot"

     I recently watched the movie "The Patriot," a story about soldiers fighting in the Revolutionary War. This movie is action-packed and full of emotion.

     The story takes place during the American Revolution. Benjamin Martin, a father of seven children, struggles to convince his older son Gabriel to not go to war. Gabriel ignores his father's wishes and insists on fighting for his cause. When a British commander named William Tavington shoots Benjamin's son Thomas, he decides to fight in the militia along side of Gabriel.

     The acting in this movie was great. Mel Gibson portrayed the vengeful father very well, and Heath Ledger was great at playing a "true American soldier." Jason Isaacs's acting was especially good. He played the part of the villain so well and was able to make the audience hate his character.

     If you watch the movie purely for entertainment, the story is pretty good. There's romance, action, and a satisfying resolution. If you're watching it to get a feel for the history of the Revolutionary War, however, you will be very disappointed. There is practically no truth in the events that take place in the movie. The brutality demonstrated by Tavington is over-exaggerated extremely. At one point in the film the British soldiers burn down a church. This never happened during the Revolutionary War. Many times during the film Tavington and his soldiers disobey the rules of war, which is also a very inaccurate portrayal of the British. Though I did enjoy the story of "The Patriot," I could've done without the extreme historical inaccuracies.

     The lesson to learn from this movie is that war affects everyone in some way or another. This is still true today. People lose children, siblings, and parents to war. The moral, though, is that sometimes war is necessary and it is something we must live with.

     I'd recommend this movie to mature teenagers and adults. Historians would probably not enjoy "The Patriot," but people who like war-themed movies and violence would. I would not recommend this movie to younger children who haven't learned about the Revolutionary War yet because they might think the events in this movie are factual, when they are actually far from it. The MPAA rating of this movie is R because of the amount of violence, but that is to be expected of a movie about war. Personally, I thought the movie was pretty good. I didn't go in expecting to learn about the American Revolution because it is a movie, not a documentary. "The Patriot" is a good movie if you take it for what it is.

I give the movie 3 out of 5 stars.

     Chrissy Brown is a senior in high school. She enjoys playing multiple musical instruments, and has been in AP classes for her entire high-school career.