Containing over 200 films, this resource is ideal for students, teachers, and other viewers who are interested in using films to enhance their knowledge of American historical events and periods. Along with traditional historical categories, such as the two World Wars, the Civil War, and the Great Depression, the book emphasizes immigrant, multicultural, and women-centered films to portray the fullness of the American experience. It also analyzes representations of people and events across different films for a variety of viewpoints, and considers how films reconfigure a past era through the issues of the day in which they were produced.

For ease of use, the book is organized into time periods. Each entry contains:

*the setting

*director

*cast

*credits

*the year of production

*distributor

Ratings are supplied to identify audience-appropriateness. The detailed narrative supplies a brief plot summary along with a thesis supported by strong examples from the film, such as excerpts of dialogue and factual details from history. The entries encourage readers to view the film through the lens of history and to consider it within the larger nexus of films listed in that particular chapter. Frequently, the historical focus considers both the time period depicted in the film and the time period in which it was made. The running times provide readers with a quick access to key scenes for further study. Each entry also concludes with sources for further reading, and indexes identify those films with multicultural and women's themes.

Identifies over 200 recommended films for students, teachers, and film enthusiasts that portray events in American history, including woman-and multicultural-centered films.

About the Author

GRANT TRACEY, an Assistant Professor of English at the University of Northern Iowa, teaches film studies and creative writing./e His short stories have appeared in a variety of publications, and he is also fiction editor for the North American Review.

Book Information
ISBN 9780313313004
Author Grant Tracey
Format Hardback
Page Count 352
Imprint Greenwood Press
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing Plc