Film Studies Daily Log

Monday, March 9

Students received three handouts about Birth of a Nation, and were told they would be quizzed over them on Wednesday.

Using a quotation (found in one of the handouts) from the time of the film's release, we examined how the photographic status of the film was linked to the idea that what the film depicted -- its Confederate, racist interpretation of American history -- was objectively true, that the audience was "beholding what actually happened."

In this connection we began to look at the "historical facsimile" of Lincoln's assassination at the end of Part I of the film.

HW due Tuesday: Read the three handouts. Quiz on Wednesday.