Analysis of Peer Reviews

         Five people reviewed my project when I had completed it. Overall, while they said that the blog was put together nicely, and that I had used well chosen evidence to back up my conclusion, there are a couple things that I would change, or do differently if I were to do my project again. One reviewer suggested that another way that I could have done this project was to take three different movies about the same event and analyze their accuracy. If I were to do this project again, I may consider using this idea because it would show the different ways that different directors portray certain historical events, and how they each change it to depict the event. Another way in which I would change my project would be to make my analysis and data collection more concise and to the point, rather than dragging out my posts for longer than they needed to be. The reviewers also liked the film clips, and pictures in my blog that I used to support my conclusion. However, if I were to do this again, I would add more analysis after each film or picture that explains how they support my conclusion, and why I am using them as evidence. In addition, while the reviewers said that the MLA bibliography was well done, I would be more clear to which citations go with the film clips, which citations go with the pictures, as well as which citations go with the research that I used. Finally, the reviewers appreciated how they could relate to the popular movies I used to compare with historical events, however if I were to do this project again, I would use one or two more movies based on historical events to compare them to what actually happened. This would help strengthen my conclusion.

Conclusion

           By researching the accuracy of the three films: Argo, 300,  and Les Misérables, I have come to the conclusion that while many films based off of historical events have accurate parts to them, many films also are either dramatized to appeal to the viewers, or leave out essential information that cause viewers to come to inaccurate conclusions. Also, in some ways the events are influenced by what people already believe they know about the event. In the movie Argo, directed by Ben Affleck, much of the factual details are accurate, showing how the directors did want the movie to be relatively authentic. However, they dramatized the ending of the movie, adding a plane chase that did not happen to make the viewers get more into the movie, and left out some essential information about the rest of the hostages, outside the six ones the movie focused on. They also did not give Canada much credit for what they did to help the hostages, and showed mostly Americans making the rescue happen. This is one example of how the movie's bias on who gets the credit can influence what the viewers of the movie actually think happened.
           In the movie 300, directed by Zack Snyder, many of the aspects of the battle are also similar to what actually occurred, although like the directors in Argo, many scenes were dramatized, especially the ones with fighting. Also, important information was left out about how the 300 Spartans were not the only ones at the end fighting the Persians . This was so that the Spartans would seem more powerful, and the movie would be much more suspenseful if they were the only ones fighting Xerxes' massive army. Finally, in 300, some of the costumes, including those of the Persian soldiers were completely inaccurate, some of the soldiers being dressed as Arab horsemen that were not around until thousands of years later. In this way, the movie is shown to dress them how many people thought they may have looked. The movie Les Misérables, directed by Tom Hooper, like both other movies, also is fairly historically accurate, but gives the viewers the wrong idea of how the battle ended as it ends on a more happy, and hopeful note, although the actual revolution failed. The added dramatic music also brings in the audience more. In addition to this, the movie focuses on individual fictional characters, instead of the actual historical events, causing the viewers to be less focused on the historical aspects of the movie. Much background information is missing from the movie, as well, and so there are no parts that outline what happened in France to make it so full of poverty, and violence. In conclusion, my hypothesis was fairly correct. Most movies based off of historical events are inaccurate in many ways, althought they are, in fact more accurate than I originally thought they would be in my hypothesis. However, the films are not necessarily inaccurate because of the established ideas of what occurred, like I said, but more because of some essential information being omitted, causing the viewers to see the event in the way that the directors of the movie intended it to be seen. 

Les Misérables Film Clip

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This film clip is an example of how filmmakers take a part of history, in this case the barricades, and replicate it into a movie.

Les Misérables (2012) Directed by Tom Hooper

         The movie Les Misérables takes place in 19^th century France, and is a story told through music and singing about an ex- prisoner, and the determined policeman who will not leave him alone (“Synopsis”). The ex- prisoner then goes on to take in the daughter of a factory worker turned prostitute. These events all occur during a time when France was going through a hard time, and a revolution was brewing.

            The movie Les Misérables, which can be translated into “the wretched ones” or “the outsiders” is based off of the novel by Victor Hugo which was based off events that occurred in France from the years 1796 (when Jean Valjean steals a loaf of bread and goes to prison) until the June Revolution of 1832 (Alleyn). The movie does depict Jean Valjean's experience in prison correctly, as prisoners like Valjean “were imprisoned in galleys that didn't go to sea, then moved to a prison called the Bagne” (“Les Misérables movies”) which had horrible conditions. Although the characters are fictional (Roberts), the movie does portray some of the events that occurred in France during this time period accurately, but tends to oversimplify many parts of France's struggles. In 1793, throughout Maximilien de Robespierre's “Reign of Terror” there were many wars and famines before Napoleon Bonaparte took over France and ruled from 1804 until 1814. It was only then that Louis XVIII assumed the throne of France, and when he died, Charles X became king, although he “[was] soon exiled in 1830 during the July Revolution, also known as the Second French Revolution” (Bradford). Finally, Louis Philippe d'Orléans began to rule France (Bradford ). The movie Les Miserables shows the June Revolution of 1832 against the ruler Louis Philippe (von Tunzelmann ) despite the popular belief that it is about the French Revolution of 1789 (von Tunzelmann) . However, although the movie portrayed this correctly, they failed to show most of the events that led up to the June Revolution and showed only that revolution. Another aspect of inaccuracy in the movie is that the movie makes a very huge deal of the June Revolution, leading viewers to believe that it was a large part of French history, although in reality it was relatively small, and not incredibly significant (Maranzani ). During the time of the June Revolution, a “deadly cholera epidemic had exacerbated a severe economic crisis” (“Enjoy Les Misérables”) . This is shown accurately throughout the movie with the hundreds of sick, poor people walking around town, and with Fantine having to become a prostitute in order to bring in money after being fired from her factory job. This accumulation of poverty, as well as the death of General Jean Maximilien Lamarque, who had helped the poor was what triggered the revolution.

            The movie accurately showed how the huge mob of people accompanied Lamarque's funeral procession, and “some witnesses claimed it eventually grew to 100,000.”(“Enjoy Les Misérables” ). The movie also accurately depicted how barricades were used during the revolution (“Enjoy Les Misérables” ), how most of the rebels were students (Maranzani ), and how the citizens of Paris did not come and assist the rebels in their revolution (“Enjoy Les Misérables”). However, while the movie portrayed many of the events historically accurately, the movie ends on a more happy, and hopeful note, which gives viewers a different view on what actually happened (“Les Miz: Mizleading”). The revolution caused most of the rebels to lose their lives (“Enjoy Les Misérables”) and was a failure. It was not until sixteen years later that yet another revolution got rid of Louis Philippe (Maranzani). The director of the movie Les Misérables did manage to incorporate many accurate aspects of French history into the musical movie. However, the dramatic music, and the lack of historical background of what occurred before the June Revolution of 1832, caused the movie to be less accurate, and in some ways influenced the viewers to come to the conclusion that the revolution ended well. In a similar way, the movie focused on specific fictional characters rather than the historical event that occurred, causing the viewers' attention to shift away from the historical aspects of the movie.

           Although the film Les Misérables, based on the popular book by Victor Hugo, has many historically accurate parts such as the funeral procession of Lemarque, and the considerable amount of poverty in France during this time, the extreme focus on this event, and only this event creates an inaccurate perspective of France's history. The directors did not include any of the other important events in France before the revolution, that in fact was not very significant. Also, the music throughout the entire movie makes the violent event seem more romantic, and at the end of the movie, despite the failure of the revolution, and many deaths, the movie ends on a hopeful note, causing the viewers of the movie to see the event differently.

300 Video Clip: Final Stand

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In this video clip, the last scene of the movie is shown depicting only the Spartans fighting the Persian forces, although they were also accompanied by other armies (Fitzgerald). The warriors' costumes can also be seen to be inaccurate as the Spartans did not go into battle bare chested (Borza), and the scene is set to dramatic music to make the battle more intense and suspenseful.

Compare and Contrast: 300

Doc 7 Xerxes of Persia

Doc 8 Xerxes in movie 300

300 (2006) (continued)

            In addition to these stereotypes, there is also the fact that in the movie the Spartans are portrayed as the brave soldiers who are full of justice while the Persians are portrayed as the “evil side” (Borza). This flattering portrayal of the Spartans is not true as “they were always conquering neighbouring areas to build their slave labor” (“300: The Movie Vs Real Life”). Through the inaccurately glowing portrayal of the Spartans in the movie 300, the movie gives a major bias to the viewers on how they view both sides of the battle, and how they see the Persian side to be the cruel, and unnecessarily vicious side. In addition to this bias, is how the ancient Iranian women are portrayed as sexual objects as they dance around the throne room of Xerxes which is very inaccurate as many Iranian women were priestesses, guardians, and even warriors (Farrokh). This contrasts with how the women of Sparta are accurately portrayed as strong bold individuals in society. They were even allowed to own property (“Women in Sparta”). The way in which the directors showed the strong women of Sparta and portrayed the Spartan soldiers as valiant and right as opposed to the way in which they inaccurately depicted the ancient Iranian women, and in how they portrayed the Persians as tyrants is a way for them to make the battle that the movie is portraying more interesting with the idea of a “villain”. Throughout the movie, the directors also use stereotypical ideas of groups of people to depict certain characters, therefore being heavily historically bias.

 

        Overall, while the movie 300 has many accurate parts such as the battle it is based on, and the fact that many of the historical figures included in the movies were real people, it also has many historical inaccuracies, and employs many aspects of bias. The directors of the movie consistently portray the Spartans as the “good guys” of the film, and the Persians as the “bad guys” of the battle, which changes the viewers' perception of the movie, and goes along with the accepted idea of Spartans being strong and brave. The fact that the movie is based off of a comic book also influences the movie in how the soldiers are portrayed as bare chested warriors, which makes them seem more immune to the violence around them. In addition to this, the directors left out the part where the 300 Spartans were joined by other forces to fight the Persian armies, making the inaccurate idea of there being only 300 soldiers against Xerxes’ vast army more impressive and dramatic. Through these ways, the directors of the movie change the movie around so that it is not fully historically accurate to make the movie more appealing to the movie’s viewers, using common accepted ideas of certain ethnic groups and historical bias.