How does the Robin Hood narrative present a dilemma between history and myth? Which specific aspects of The Adventures of Robin Hood, Robin and Marian, and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves should be viewed through a historical lens? Which aspects, conversely, should be viewed through a mythic lens? Please incorporate Steven Knight’s commentary throughout your argument and include precise details from the films.
How did the slavery film evolve from The Birth of a Nation to Glory and Amistad? What did Everett Carter state about the cultural significance of The Birth of a Nation and how do subsequent slavery films repudiate—or unintentionally support—its core beliefs about race and nation? Does Debbie Allen and Steven Spielberg’s reliance on “history books, court records, and newspapers” make Amistad a more historically relevant film than Glory and The Birth of a Nation? Support a position by using elements from the films and readings.
How does the female gothic evolve from Gaslight and Dragonwyck to the recent Crimson Peak? What problems does Helen Hanson identify with how scholars categorize the female gothic versus film noir? How does Guy Barefoot conceive of the “gaslight melodrama” and does this rethink how we discuss the female gothic film? Ultimately, how should scholars differentiate between the female gothic and gothic horror film? Use examples from at least two of these three films to make a case for your perspective.
How do Robert Rosenstone, Pierre Sorlin, and Robert Burgoyne define the “historical film?” Namely, wow does each categorize the historical film? In particular, consider Pierre Sorlin’s term “historical capital.” Do investigative films such as All the President’s Men and Spotlight fit within the categories these scholars present? Is the investigative process itself a way of discussing the process of writing history?
