Thank you all for coming out to see The Patriot. I think that most everyone thought it was a great movie - even if it is difficult to watch at a few points.
The Patriot is probably a perfect film to watch in order to think about the value of Hollywood movies based on historical events. One of the knocks that these types of films gets is that they play fast and loose with the history in order to draw big box office money. Making money is after all the job of Hollywood movie executives. So this is a legitimate complaint. In fact, it is a complaint that I hear from a few parents every year as we kick-off the History Film Festival.
My question to you here is; What is the value of this kind of big-budget Hollywood "history" film? Should it be judged just as entertainment? Or is there any academic value to watching the film? Does it lead viewers astray - especially those with a weak understanding of history? Please explain whether or not you think they have historical value. And why you think that.
Our next film will be coming up soon. Have a great Thanksgiving!!
I think that you can't take a movie like this too seriously but as long as you don't this movie is a great source of entertainment and it could be used as an educational tool as long as you remember that this story is fiction but based on some historical events.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Duncan 100%.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was very educational, I really liked it. It showed that the Patriots were often mistreated by the British(also Loyalists). Also it showed me how men acted during the time of war and how the relatives at home acted. This was a very sad movie in some parts but also kinda funny.
ReplyDeleteP.S. When are you showing another one?(:
Movies like this are easier to students to grabs in a different way besides textbook. The Hollywood aspect even though sometimes not true make the movie more enjoyable. The entertainment and the history parts of the story may change your look on the movie, therefore it should be presented as both. I believe it would help people with a lack of history knowledge as long as they know true and false statements.
ReplyDeleteThe movie is a way to understand what happens day to day with people fighting and home during the war but that means that this movie and other stories like it are only a small part of the Revolution. In order to fully understand it, you must see the story from other points of view. Such as the happenings in the continental congress, or back in England.
ReplyDeleteI think that they do have historical value because they show us a little part of history but they really dig deep on that one point in history. Because of this we get a more educational yet still entertaining viewing experience.
ReplyDeletei have seen this movie many times i believe there is educational to show how bad war was even though people wanted to go to war it still stunk at many parts. I believe it is educational because it explains how war was fought and still entertaining by describing the family
ReplyDeleteI think this movie was entertaining but still educational. It teaches how the Patriots were disadvantaged, but still very passionate to win. It also teaches the different struggles of both sides during any war
ReplyDeleteHistory Hollywood films are good because they provide perspective to the event even though it might be wrong, you just have to keep on the main road and that this is only a source of entertainment and a partial creditable source. If I were to a project I might just consider this as a source because it is very misleading to the uneducated mind about this topic because these Hollywood Producers are not Historians they are here to make money not to tell a story about the War and how it exactly happened.
ReplyDeleteI think there is great value in the Hollywood "history" films. To some viewers it could be understood as entertainment but to others who wish to learn more about the subject they are great. Even though not everything in the film its "historically" correct it can get viewers to go out and learn more about the subject. So in my opinion the films do have some historical value that can be useful. But viewers do have to realize that there are special effects, and sometimes characters that may not have even been real which can be misleading.
ReplyDeleteI personally liked this movie a lot. Although there were some parts that were sad, it really showed how some of the things that the Patriots dealt with. I think that the Patriot can be watched for entertainment as well an academic value, because the Patriot is an interesting movie, and I think lots of people watch it just to be amused. I think that big Hollywood movies such as the Patriot have many values to people who don’t understand history clearly. For example some people understand more when the watch a film because they can visualize what is happening. But then again some of the facts in the movies may not be true, so that can be a confusing to the people who don’t comprehend history easily.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was both edeucational and excting. I enjoyed it very much. I think it was more edeucational than for entertainment but I do think it was entertaining as well. The movie could serve both purposes. Movie that are edeucational but also exciting are easier for students to understand. The "Hollywood" aspect of this move could make it more enjoyable, but also not enjoyable. But in this movie I thought it was very enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteI thought this movie was entertainment and educational. I thought it was a good movie for middle schoolers to watch. You may not understand it as well if you do not understand the history behind it, but it is still a good movie.
ReplyDeleteI think the movie did give a slight understanding and helps give people who dont know about the American Revolution a picture of what happened
ReplyDeleteI think the movie was wanting to be more of a entertainment film than a historical one, but it did have some historical facts about what went on in the south during the final stages of the Revolutionary War. All in all I thought it was a good movie
ReplyDeleteCarrie LaJeunesse said...
ReplyDeleteI think the movie was both entertaining and educational. It was educational because it showed the difficulties of the war and how it was like during the end of the revolutionary war. It also showed the impact war had on families during that time. It was also entertaining and a great movie to watch.:)
Allison Chown said...
ReplyDeleteI think that this movie was very imformative, but also had a few scenes that could be misleading to viewers. I think that this movie was meant for entertainment and to inform historical facts. Before I watched the movie, I had a small understanding of how to picture the war. Now that I have watched the movie, I understand how they treated eachother, and what type of areas they could have fought in. Therefore, I think that this movie mainly informs us rather than misleading us. It might just depend on the viewer.
The Value of this Hollywood film to inform how life was back when the revolutionary war had Begun. I think that this Movie (The Patriot) could be viewed as both an entertainment and a academic movie. But remember that watching this movie doesn't mean that know you know ALL about the revolutionary War.
ReplyDeleteI liked this movie Id say it was more just for entertainment but there are a few educational things that you can get out of the movie. I dont think that the whole movie could be factual without putting entertainment in it.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was very educational but at the same time was entertaining and some emotional parts. I think the director displayed the kind of fighting style very nicely considering it was very hard to predict that from just books and camp fire stories. I beleive that each charecter was very important and followed there role
ReplyDeleteI think this movie was very entertaining and though it should not be looked upon as a history lesson, I think it did show how the patriots had their disadvantages. Since "The Patriot" is a Hollywood movie, for someone who knows very little of this war, it can be misleading.
ReplyDeleteI thought this movie was very fun and exciting, if you look through all the vicious well-illustrated deaths, there's a vert strong story behind it. I cried at times and everyone took pictures of me, because, I DONT CRY! But that movie just had something in it. I didnt like it when Benjamin's oldest sons' wife died because the LOSER had to snitch! Nor did I like it when the guy commited suicide when he saw that his son and wife had been murdered. But I thought that, that mean British guy, that killed Benjamin's 2nd oldest son was mean! And wouldnt die! But you gotta give him prop for that. Wow I wrote a lot (unlike me).
ReplyDeleteGOTTA BLAST!
I agree with 95% of everybody that commented. I almost could not take the movie serious but it was educational. Like Luke and a few others the movie did give you a picture of what happened in the war. It was not just another hollywood production either. It was a great movie to describe a historical event.
ReplyDeleteJusevitch
ReplyDeleteThe Patroit was an O.K. source for information but it was NOT somthing to study for a test on. I must say, most of the facts were right except the part where Mel Gibson is tomahawking the British soldier about 25 times in the back. That rarly ever happened and it was saying that the Patriots are savage. All in all the movie was great.I hope the rest of the movies are that good!
To start i thoroughly enjoyed this film. Secondly i don't think that entertaining films have to be have to be fictitious. Even though this is not based on a true story, it is based in a very true and real time period. It is important for generations to know that some people had to go though what the patriot had to go though and it is important for people to remember what they did it all for. There is a positive outcome when you mix factual history and entertainment. It's called knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI read the post and watched the trailer. Looks like a good movie
ReplyDeleteShawn Dyal
1st Period
Id have to agree with Josh in the manner of entertainment & realism but do disagree with nick, how could you say that the patriot was an OK it epicly awesome FREEDOM!!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete