Films and books Flashcards
who wrote gone with the wind and when
Margaret Mitchell, 1936
background to gone with the wind
set clayton county and Atlanta, Georgia during American civil war and reconstruction
southern plantation fiction / ‘Anti-tom’ literature
published during the depression and new deal
background to Margaret mitchell
born in Atlanta and grew up with stories of the civil war from her suffragist mother
plot of gone with the wind
1861 - southern belle, scarlett, lives on tara a large plantation in Georgia
several love stories
civil war begins, Yankees capture tara
after civil war scarlett takes charge of rebuilding tara (against high taxation by northerners)
becomes a shrewd business woman
is attacked by a free a/a and his white companions (is avenged by the kk)
scarlett then returns to tara after Rhett leaves her (daughter dies) and is comforted by her childhood nurse mammy)
how many copies of gone with the wind were printed world wide
30 million
outcry from a/a over gone with the wind
criticised
NAACP attempted to boycott the film
Walter White helped with the director Selznik to play down some of the racism in the film
how does gone with the wind portray the institution of slavery
a benevolent institution
pre-emancipation south is beautiful and idyllic, society functions and slaves are happy
chaos by evil northerners during civil war and reconstruction
slavery quote in gone with the wind
chapter 42
‘slaves were neither miserable nor unfortunate. T he negroes were far better off under slavery than they were now under freedom’
names of the two slaves in gone with the wind
mammy and prissy
how is mammy portrayed in gone with the wind
scarletts a/a nurse close motherly relationship with scarlett never given name / own identity content in her position belongs to the white family uneducated
how is prissy portrayed in gone with the wind
domestic slave stupid squeamish a liar hysterical written as comic relief caricature which reinforces slave owners claims a/a need to be slaves as they cant function on their own
Birth of the nation 1
The Birth of a Nation is widely known as the most controversial film in American history. At the time of the first premiere in 1915 in LA, it was originally called “The Clansmen”. Soon after the first premiere this changed to Birth of a Nation to reflect Griffith’s belief that the US emerged from the American Civil War and Reconstruction as a unified nation. The film portrayed the Civil War with both dramatic and battle scenes and tells the story of two families on either side of the Mason-Dixon line.
Birth of the nation 2
This film was considered a “revolution in American movie going” because it was the first of its kind in many ways. Other American films during the early 1900s were only 1 reel, about 15 minutes long, and only cost a few hundred dollars to make. The Birth of a Nation is 12 reels long, 3 hours long, and it cost $100,000 to produce. Various uses lighting, camera movement, and parallel editing led to multiple breakthroughs in the field of cinematography making it the most profitable film of its time. The film was such a huge deal at the time it was the first film to be shown at the White House.
Birth of the nation why it controversial
As I mentioned before, this film was widely controversial. This film portrayed African Americans as menacing and cruel, while it depicted KKK members as honorable, heroic figures. Civil Rights organization at the time condemned it as racist, and even activists today continue to campaign against the film’s prestigious status. The NAACP (the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) campaigned to suppress the film heavily and for a period of time after the initial release of the film it was censored in Ohio and Kansas.
Birth of the nation 4
Thomas Dixon Jr. and David Warth Griffith are two men who are credited for the production of the film. The screenplay is adapted from the novel, “The Clansmen” as well as “The Leopards Spots” both written by Dixon. Dixon saw Uncle Tom’s Cabin as a stage adaptation in 1901 during a lecture tour and this was the catalyst for Dixon wanting to tell the “true story” of the South. He hoped to convince Americans generally that the view of the South and of race relations were completely ill founded in Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Birth of the nation 5
Dixon’s novel, The Leopard’s Spots, is a sequel to “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Tim Shelby reemerges as a leader of the Union League. He is chosen as majority leader of the house of representatives. Alec Haley reappears as a Republican machine. Other characters in the novel are clearly identified as the children of characters created by Stowe.
Birth of the nation 6
D.W Griffith, the director of this play had his own personal bias toward the Southern perspective. He was incredibly upset by the immediate controversy and defended his film as an accurate representation of the events of the civil war. He put in months and months of his time into researching the Civil War period as the film was in production. Griffith was super offended by those who wanted to censor the film that the following year he produced a film called Intolerance that was a huge commercial failure. To wrap up, the whole purpose of this film was to recreate the “master narrative” of Southern history that would challenge Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
To Kill a Mockingbird published
1960; it won a Pulitzer Prize
in 1961. The film was released
in 1962, winning three Golden Globes and three Oscars
Who wrote and/or directed the source?
Author: Harper Lee
Publisher: William Heinemann
What were the main events (and when) in race relations in the USA in the 10 years prior to publication/release?
Montgomery Bus Boycott 1955-6, Montgomery, Alabama
Brown v. Board 1954
Little Rock, Arkansas, 1958
What were the main events during and following the release/publication of the source?
Sit-ins, USA, 1960 Albany, Georgia, 1961 Freedom Rides 1960-1 James Meredith Birmingham, Alabama 1962 March on Washington, D.C., 1963
What is the background and relevant opinions of the source’s author? Why do you think they wrote/made this book/film?
Harper Lee was born in 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama. Her father, like Atticus Finch, was a lawyer -and like the plot of the novel, during her childhood a similar trial occurred.
What is it about
Maycomb, Alabama, is struggling during the Great Depression. Jem and Scout Finch are the children of lawyer Atticus, who agrees to defend a black man named Tom Robinson in a highly publicized rape case. This draws abuse from the racist community. Their cook, Calpurnia, takes Jem and Scout to her black church, a warmer and welcoming group.
A mob tries to lynch Tom, and Atticus faces them down. When the trial begins, Jem and Scout sit with the reverend of the church.
The evidence is clear that the case is false and the accuser is lying; the young woman involved, Mayella, had kissed Tom and lied to her father when caught. Despite this, the all-white jury finds Tom guilty, and when Tom tries to escape from prison he is shot dead.
Throughout the book, Jem and Scout have been trying to investigate their neighbour in the “Radley Place”, who has not been seen for years. When they are attacked as a result of Atticus’ defence of Tom Robinson, Boo Radley – their silent and unseen neighbour – rescues them.
Which scenes/extracts from the source’s content are of specific use to someone studying race relations 1850-2009 and why?
The court case is a clear reference to the injustice of the legal system in the 1930s. Although it is obvious that Tom is innocent, the all-white jury finds him guilty.
“I ain’t never seen any jury decide in favour of a coloured man over a white man…”
A great variety of Southern views are referenced throughout the book – many are outright opposed to equal rights, but others such as Atticus disagree.
“…but around here once you have a drop of Negro blood, that makes you all black.”
“Well, Dill, after all he’s just a Negro.” “I don’t care one speck. It ain’t right…”
“Cry about the hell white people give coloured folks, without even stopping to think that they’re people too.”
Atticus’ frankness about race relations and his liberal stance give an idea of the white moderate view of the time, though in the minority in the community:
“Atticus says cheatin’ a coloured man is ten times worse than cheatin’ a white man.”
Which scenes/extracts from the source’s content are of specific use to someone studying race relations 1850-2009 and why?
When Calpurnia takes Jem and Scout to the black church, we see a clear example of the mixed reactions amongst the black community to total integration. We can also see the ingrained hierarchy of Southern culture in terms of race, both materially and personally: First Purchase African M.E. Church… was an ancient paint-peeled frame building, the only church in Maycomb with a steeple and bell, called First Purchase because it was paid for from the first earnings of freed slaves. Negroes worshipped in it on Sundays and white men gambled in it on weekdays…. When [the congregation] saw Jem and [Scout] with Calpurnia, the men stepped back and took of their hats; the women crossed their arms at their waists, weekday gestures of respectful attention.
[Lula said] “You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillum here – they got their church, we got our’n. It is our church, ain’t it, Miss Cal?”
[Zeebo said] “Don’t pay no ‘tention to Lula… we’re might glad to have you all.”
“Now what if I talked white-folks’ talk at church, and with my neighbours? They’d think I was puttin’ on airs to beat Moses.”
When was Macolm X published (book)/released (film)?
Film published in 1992 and set in the 1950s and 60s
Who wrote and/or directed the source Malcolm
Spike Lee
What were the main events (and when) in race relations in the USA in the 10 years prior to publication/release?
1980s – school integration peaked
4th June 1984 – Jesse Jackson established the National Rainbow Coalition to establish equal rights for African Americans, women and gays.
1st June 1985 – L. Douglas Wilder became the first African American to be elected governor of any state in America.
20th January 1986 – First ever Martin Luther King Jr. day celebrated
1988 – Congress passed the Civil Rights Restoration Act over Reagan’s veto
1991 – Civil Rights Act
hat were the main events during and following the release/publication of the source?
March 1991 – April 1992 - LA Race Riots against police brutality after Rodney King is beaten by white police.
16th October 1995 – Around 850,000 black men gathered for the Million Man March in Washington DC. This was organised by the Nation of Islam and they aimed to restore and revitalize the black community.
Impact:
Although the film wasn’t a huge success in the box office, it was relatively popular and critics loved it.
There was a large black turnout but this means it was unlikely that the film changed white attitudes to Malcolm X and race relations.
What is the background and relevant opinions of the source’s author? Why do you think they wrote/made this book/film?
Born in Georgia but grew up in Brooklyn, New York (the film is set in New York).
Liberal activist and long-term supporter of the Democrats, especially Obama.
Known for being controversial and he often uses his platform to speak out about racial injustices and criticise the American government.
“Race is the great big elephant in the room. Black and white are afraid to talk about it. This country will never be as great as it can be until we talk about that.” – Spike Lee
What is it about?
The movie focusses on key events in the life of Malcolm X including his criminal life, his incarceration, his conversion to Islam and his ministry as a member of the Nation of Islam becoming a leading spokesperson on black power and supremacy. After a religious trip to Mecca where Malcolm sees white and black men socialising with each other and living amongst each other in peace, he takes on a more racially tolerant version of Islam. The film culminates in Malcolm X’s assassination by the Nation of Islam for advocating this racially tolerant belief. Throughout the film, defining childhood incidents such as his father’s murder, his mother’s mental illness and his experiences with racism are shown in flashbacks.
Which scenes/extracts from the source’s content are of specific use to someone studying race relations 1850-2009 and why?
Opening scene – shows the anti-white and anti-American feelings some black Americans had
Malcolm is told he can’t be a lawyer because he is black “a lawyer is no realistic role for a nigger” – shows discrimination and racism in schools and the unequal opportunities that Black Americans had.
The KKK go to Malcom’s house, smash the windows and warn his father to stop preaching and leave town – shows some forms of black resistance against racism and white supremacy and how groups such as the KKK responded to it.
Clips shown from civil rights protests such as Sit Ins, Birmingham and Albany – shows black struggle to receive equality and how white Americans reacted to it.
Malcolm X speech: “let the black man have is own land, house and property” “the only solution is complete separation between the black and the white race” – black pride, pro-segregation.
One of the brothers of the Nation of Islam is beaten up by the police and taken into custody. Malcolm, along with many black members of the community, march down to the police station and demand that the man is taken to hospital – reflects police brutality both in the 1960s and 1990s.
Which scenes/extracts from the source’s content are of specific use to someone studying race relations 1850-2009 and why?
Malcolm’s father refuses to stop preaching and leave town so the KKK burn down his house – shows how the KKK used intimidation and violence to control black Americans.
Malcolm, his black friend and 2 white girls are sentenced for burglary. Malcolm and his friend got a significantly longer sentence than the girls. “our crime wasn’t burglary, it was sleeping with white girls”– this shows the discrimination in the justice system and how some white Americans felt about interracial relationships.
Malcolm X promotes violent protests and labels leaders promoting non-violent protests as “Uncle Tom negro leaders” – This scene shows the shift from non-violent to violent methods in the civil rights movement and the divisions among blacks.
“I got called a nigger so much I thought it was my name” – derogatory language often used
Mississippi Burning
When was it released
1988
Who wrote and/or directed the source?
Directed by Alan Parker
Written by Chris Gerolmo
What were the main events in race relations in the USA in the 10 years prior to publication/release?
- Influx of Blaxploitation films around the late 70s and 80s
- Federal Government promote Affirmative Action – act favouring those suffering from discrimination
What were the main events during and following the release/publication of the source?
Criticism:
• Criticised by civil rights activists such as Coretta Scott King for ignoring the role of black and white civil rights activists. The film rather makes the white detectives become heroes.
• Jack E. White described the film as a “cinematic lynching of the truth”.
• Violence portrayed in the movie- some felt it was an accurate depiction. Others felt that the way the movie portrayed black reaction was inaccurate, in 60s saw blacks putting their life on the line in campaigns in the south- film did not portray this.
• Historically inaccurate? There is a black FBI that threatens a suspect to give up where the boys are buried-there were no black FBI men in 1964
• Civil Rights activist are not named in the movie- Andrew Goodman, James Chaney and Michael Schwerner.
What is the background and relevant opinions of the source’s author? Why do you think they wrote/made this book/film?
What is the background and relevant opinions of the source’s author? Why do you think they wrote/made this book/film?
- Gerolmo began work on the original script in 1985, inspired by an article and several books detailing the FBI’s investigation into the 1964 murders of the civil rights workers
- Alan Parker – British director
- “Our film cannot be the definitive film of the black civil rights struggle, our heroes were still white and, in truth, the film would probably have never been made if they weren’t. This is, perhaps, as much a sad reflection on present day society as it is on the film industry”.- Alan Parker
What is it about?
- Mississippi Burning is a 1988 American crime thriller film directed by Alan Parker, and written by Chris Gerolmo.
- It is loosely based on the FBI’s investigation into the murders of three civil rights workers in the state of Mississippi in 1964.
- Local authorities refuse to cooperate with them, and the African American community is afraid to, precipitating a clash between the two agents over strategy. As the situation becomes more volatile, the direct approach is abandoned in favour of more aggressive, hard-line tactic
Which scenes/extracts from the source’s content are of specific use to someone studying race relations 1850-2009 and why?
• Opening scene/ car chase:
Civil Rights Activists, two white and one black, driving on dirt road and ‘pulled over’ by police. Police men harass and call they boys names ‘Nigger-loving Jew boys’ and then we see a policeman pull out his gun and shoot one in the head
• 15 mins in Ward (one of the white detectives sent from the south) decided to sit in the coloured section of a dinner and attempts to talk to a black man, who refuses to talk to as he know it will result in him getting in trouble. Later we see the same black boy who refused to talk to ward getting beat up by 3 white men.
Which scenes/extracts from the source’s content are of specific use to someone studying race relations 1850-2009 and why?
- 35 mins – car that the activist where driving was found in a swap. Ward orders for hundreds of men to be sent to help search the whole swamp. Anderson: ‘Don’t do it sir, it will start a war’ Ward: ‘it was a war long before we got here’
- 36 mins - start to see more of the violence that was experienced in Mississippi with white supremacist throwing bombs and beating blacks
- 52 mins -see more violence with Klan member sat outside a black church waiting to beat whoever they may get their hands on.
