The Hollywood Historical Film

The Hollywood Historical Film is an entertaining and erudite cinematic journey through the controversial portrayal of history on film-from the swashbuckling epics of the silent era to up-to-the-minute dramas like World Trade Center. With thought-provoking analysis, film historian Robert Burgoyne reveals the dual nature of historic films-how they deepen our understanding of historical events while shaping and often altering our views of the past. Burgoyne examines the power of historic films to entertain and promote national myths while influencing public opinion. He also reviews how contemporary filmmakers like Oliver Stone cleverly re-stage the past to reframe our memories of actual historic events. For students of film and history-and fans alike-The Hollywood Historical Film is a timely exploration of the world of historical films.

Robert Burgoyne is professor of English and Film Studies at Wayne State University. He is the author of Bertolucci's 1900: A Narrative and Historical Analysis; Film Nation: Hollywood Looks at U.S. History; and coauthor, with Robert Stam and Sandy Flitterman-Lewis, of New Vocabularies in Film Semiotics.