Paper Topic: History v. Hollywood

Choose a movie or tv series (will generally require watching a full season) set in the time period of the

class (Civilization to 1689, Western Civilization). This will be your topic which you submit to me as your

first pap
er assignment. I will let you know very quickly if your movie is an acceptable choice.

o
The essential question to answer in your paper
: If one knows nothing about the time period, topic, person,

etc will viewing this movie/tv series help or hinder his/her
understanding of the time period, topic, etc?

The answer to this question is your thesis statement as it is what you are going to prove in your paper.

o
To answer this question, you should compare and contrast the actual history of the event(s) as opposed

to Hollywood’s representation of the event(s). What did the writer/director/creators get right? Wrong?

Be detailed!

o
The details are important. If the costuming or sets are inaccurate, that is worth noting. The same goes if

they are accurate.

o
Determine i
f the movie/tv show would have been better if it were a more accurate representation.

o
If you choose to watch, review, and research a movie such as
Black Hawk Down
(2001), I expect you to

also read the book by Mark Bowden of the same name (which would coun
t as a book resource) to help

determine if it is an accurate representation of what happened in Mogadishu, Somalia in October 1993

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