"Although many of these films are very well researched, they are essentially fictional works. Since they are, above all, intended to tell a story, they inevitably use a good deal of artistic license, at the expense of factual accuracy."

This is true of all movie. So this assignment is designed to have you watch a film and then do some research to find out what was real and what was changed.

This extra credit assignment is worth 2% on your final semester grade. Here are the requirements:

Watch the film at the specified time. This means you may NOT watch it at home on your own. Then write an essay which includes:
* a summary of the film
* a review of the film
* An analysis based on research on its historical accuracy

The essay is due within one week after viewing the film.

Two of the movies that students can pick from are rated "R". In order to view these films students will need to have a parent/guardian sign a permission form that can be found here.

1 Semester

Julius Caesar

run time: 3 hours

Fierce general. Skilled orator. Savvy politician. This is Julius Caesar, one of the world’s greatest leaders and ruler of the Roman Empire. His ascent to power is filled with sacrifice, murder and betrayal. With the beautiful Cleopatra on one arm and a sword in the other, Caesar seized control of a vast territory, winning legions of followers, making enemies and creating history, before falling at the hands of Brutus, his most trusted ally. This is an ageless story in an epic presentation unlike anything ever seen before. Julius Caesar: a remarkable man who became an unforgettable legend.

Mongol

run time: 2 hour and 5 minutes

This film illuminates the life and legend of Genghis Khan. Based on leading scholarly accounts and written by Bodrov and Arif Aliyev, MONGOL delves into the dramatic and harrowing early years of the ruler who was born as Temudgin in 1162. As it follows Temudgin from his perilous childhood to the battle that sealed his destiny, the film paints a multidimensional portrait of the future conqueror, revealing him not as the evil brute of hoary stereotype, but as an inspiring, fearless and visionary leader. MONGOL shows us the making of an extraordinary man, and the foundation on which so much of his greatness rested: his relationship with his wife, Borte, his lifelong love and most trusted advisor. Filmed in the very lands that gave birth to Genghis Khan, MONGOL transports us back to a distant and exotic period in world history; to a nomad’s landscape of endless space, climatic extremes and ever-present danger.

Elizabeth

run time: 2 hours

Elizabeth I, a two-part HBO Films miniseries event that explores the intersection of the private and public life of Elizabeth I in the latter half of her reign, offering a personal look at her allies, her enemies and her suitors as she struggled to survive in a male-dominated world.

Part 1 explores the middle-aged Elizabeth's tempestuous relationship with the Earl of Leicester (Irons) as it survives a French suitor, war, treason, and illness.

Elizabeth I looks beyond the myth at the woman behind the crown, striking a balance between the queen's desire to find love and passion, and her responsibility to the monarchy. hbo.com

After the film readings:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_I_of_England

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Dudley,_1st_Earl_of_Leicester

2nd Semester

Schindler's List

run time: 3 hours 15 minutes

The film presents the indelible true story of the enigmatic Oskar Schindler, a member of the Nazi party, womanizer, and war profiteer who saved the lives of more than 1,100 Jews during the Holocaust. It is the triumph of one man who made a difference, and the drama of those who survived one of the darkest chapters in human history because of what he did.

Assignment for this film:

Paragraph #1: Summary of the film

Pargaraph #2: Your critique of the film

Paragraph #3: Why do yout think the director highlighted

To Live

run time: 2 hour and 12 minutes

To Live is a bold, energetic masterpiece. This film weaves an ambitious tapestry of personal and political events, following the struggles of an impoverished husband and wife from their heyday in the 1940s to the hardships that accompanied the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s. They raise two children amidst a Communist regime, surviving numerous setbacks and yet managing, somehow, to live. Both intimate and epic, this film encompasses the simplest and most profound realities of Chinese life during this controversial period.. To Live is a testament to their art, transcending politics to celebrate the tenacity of ordinary people in the wake of turbulent history. amazon.com

Lumumba

run time: 1 hour and 55 minutes

Patrice Lumumba was a passionate advocate for freedom in colonial Africa, and when the Belgian Congo was granted independent (and was later renamed Zaire), Lumumba was the new nation's first prime minister. However, Lumumba's dream of freedom and dignity for the people of the Congo made him a controversial and dangerous figure, and this biographical drama explores his short, tumultuous life. We first encounter Lumumba (Eriq Ebouaney) in the late 1950's, when his National Congo Movement is gaining widespread public support, despite opposition from the nation's political leaders. Hoping to avoid a violent overthrow, the Belgian government begins negotiations with the NCM to turn rule of the Congo over to the citizens, and Lumumba and his political party are swept into power during the nation's first independent election. However, Lumumba's desire to bring a peaceful and orderly transfer of power soon earns him enemies of all political stripes. Militant advocates for freedom demand that white Belgian officers of the nation's military be replaced with African soldiers at once, while Belgian colonists are met with violence, sparking a revolt by the white settlers that leads to a bloody civil war. rottentomatoes.com

APWH

AP World History