Does hollywood affect peoples view of history and world events?

sleepy

How much do you think movies, effect people knowledge of history or even world events today?
There was a programme on Channel4 a fews weeks back basically revealing conspiracy theroies about JFK assasination to be a load of nonsense.Oliver stone defended his film (which this programe had torn apart) by saying well people know its just a film and dont believe everything in movies.
But his missed a vital point , what if the film is all a person knows of that event.
What if the only exposure people have to certain historical events is through films, how will they seperate fact from fiction?
And in fact do some people then base their world view, without even realising it, on what they see in the movies?

dorothy

Yes, really stupid people often believe that movies are based solely on fact.

Xena

I think when some people see movies based on actual events they assume everything contained therein is fact. Personally I take everything with a grain of salt, even so called "non-fiction" is going to be somewhat biased depending on the writer & editor's perspectives.

Undecided

I think books are just as bad in telling the real facts of events in the past. Take the Bible as an example and the flood account.

Ken P.

gaiagirl

I'm quite sure that any popular film, television show, (or book) will tend to blend the perspective of viewers (or readers) with that of the director (author). When millions of persons see the same film, they often view that as "that's the way it really was", a comment I heard several times in reference to "The Passion" (which I've not yet seen).

In the case of some films, the reality is glossed over, and made less brutal, more romantic, i.e. "Gone With The Wind".

I'm sure that many people who hear the phrase "gladitorial combat" will think of Russell Crowe, and perhaps many who hear either "Achilles" or "Trojan War" will think of Brad Pitt.

Big Tex

Hollywood is rarely accurate. The most accurate historical film I've seen is "Nicholas and Alexandria". But by and large what Hollywood has to say is not worth a bucket of warm spit and is as about as accurate as anything from Fleet Street. Sit back, put your back on hold and enjoy the ride.

For real history, read a book.

There was a programme on Channel4 a fews weeks back basically revealing conspiracy theroies about JFK assasination to be a load of nonsense

Tap that brake. Yes, "JFK" is overacted and full of plot holes wide enough to run the Death Star through. But there are many questions about John Kennedy's murder that have never been adquately addressed, much less answered. Oliver Stone treated the subject with arrogant ignorance, but that doesn't make many questions less valid.

Terry

I started a thread a while back about whether encouraging kids to believe fantasy is real would ultimately affect their sense of reality and the thread turned into a flame war.

This question on this thread is a variation on that question. I think it is AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.

My own view?

We are what we eat.

Our brain eats what we input into it.

Our sense of history is what we feed it.

In other words: Garbage in/Garbage out

shamus

I think when some people see movies based on actual events they assume everything contained therein is fact.

Ever see "The Birdman From Alcatraz"? Well, it paints a pretty nice picture of that guy. In reality he was a complete psychopath who actually murdered a fellow inmate, LOL!

But that's Hollywood for you. Anything to make a buck.

Nancy Drake

I started a thread a while back about whether encouraging kids to believe fantasy is real would ultimately affect their sense of reality and the thread turned into a flame war.

The accuracy of Hollywood's depiction of history is different than your topic of "poisoning children's minds with fantasy."

If I let my son watch Forrest Gump and he actually believed that all of the events in that movie about history transpired the way they were shown, then I would seriously question my parenting skills or if he has a mental or emotional disablility

I think Abaddon said it best:

:It is denying them access to the education and logical tools they should naturally acquire as they grow up which allows fantasy and unfounded conjecture to be distinguished from undeniable fact or reasonable supposition.

If you get your information about history from Hollywood, and only Hollywood, then you will not have an accurate view of history.

WildHorses

And in fact do some people then base their world view, without even realising it, on what they see in the movies?

I'm addicted to 'true story' movies. If a true story comes on tv, 9 times out of 10 I will be watching it. BUT, I know how Hollywood is when it comes to movies also. So, what I normally do, is watch the movie and then do web searches to find out the facts behind the movie. I never trust a movie to give a totaly accurate account.

Does hollywood affect peoples view of history and world events?

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