Posted on 08/20/2008 1:52:36 PM PDT by baba123
Our son is an 8th grade student at a Charter School. He came home with a list of movies they would be watching in class. As we have not seen any of these movies we would like opinions as to how appropriate and accurate these movies are. We do not let our kids watch R rated movies but would like to know if they are historically accurate. The movies are The Patriot, We Were Soldiers, Glory, Uprising and Saving Private Ryan. We value your opinions. Thank you
The combat soldiers I know say Saving Private Ryan is the most realistic combat movie they have seen. It is hard hitting though, not kids stuff.
As I understand it the Patriot isn’t that accurate. I think Saving Private Ryan is regarded as being pretty realistic.
I think they are all R and I have to say that Saving Private Ryan and We Were Soldiers are definitely not for the faint of heart.
My Dad served two tours in VN and was in Ia Drang shortly after the events at LZXray. He had some minor and major quibbles with WWS, but said the beach landing in SPR was the most realistic combat cinema he had ever seen.
Some of those have some things that are historically accurate but taken as a whole, watching a movie is no way to learn about history.
Watching a movie is a babysitting method schools have taken up.
"Glory" and IIRC "We Were Soldiers" I believe are pretty accurate historically.
I'd suggest if you let him watch them, you watch with him.
We Were Soldiers is a fine movie but too much realism for a 8th grade class.
I’ve never seen Uprising, but the rest are excellent films.
I know that Private Ryan and We Were Soldiers has some pretty strong language in addition to some very realistic violence, but all of those movies are excellent war movies.
We were soldiers is pretty rough, but my Vietnam Vet father said it was almost too realistic. Like he couldn’t watch that movie ever again.
The Patriot was a good movie for the feel of the Americans in that time, don’t know how accurate as far as battles and such.
“We were Soldiers”, “The Patriot” and “Saving Private Ryan” are very gory. In my opinion, none of these movies portray actual historic events. They could be used for discussion of historic events and the realities of war.
I have read that veterans who landed at Normandy on D-Day said those scenes from “Saving Private Ryan” were the most realistic they had ever seen in a movie.
They are movies, so I wouldn’t think any one of them are “accurate”. Personally, I’d be a bit concerned if my kids were being taught history by means of mainstream cinema. I’d also be interested in hearing how the teacher plans to use the material in the course. I can see it as valid to start a discussion on the value of historical sources, but as something to actually represent historical events, I don’t think so.
Saving Private Ryan for realism. 8th grade, 13 years old, they’re not children anymore, they are youths, so go for it.
I’m actually surprised about the inclusion of “We Were Soldiers”. It’s probably the most pro-American Vietnam War film ever made by Hollywood.
That being said, I think The Patriot does a pretty decent job of portraying just how brutal the Revolutionary War was in the south. Mel Gibson, the hero, does a fairly good job of fictional portrayal of Francis Marion, the historical inspiration for the movie, even if the facts are not all right.
Five feature-length films? That adds up to lots of screen time plus I would guess they will also see some documentaries?? I hope the teacher plans to have them read some too and endure some lectures. Of course it is easy just to chat about the subject for ten minutes and then put in a film that will take up most of the next three or four class sessions.
As both a parent and an educator, I would highly encourage parents to watch the very same things that are viewed at school at home... and discuss them. As an educator, these movies might be better suited for use at the high school level, but it would depend on what the objectives of the teacher are.
Contact the teacher and ask about the objectives. ;-)
“Some of those have some things that are historically accurate but taken as a whole, watching a movie is no way to learn about history.
Watching a movie is a babysitting method schools have taken up.”
When overused that is true but a couple well chosen films over the course of a year can do much to deepen a students understanding of any event. A well done movie can supplement reading and give a student a deeper understanding of what people in the past went through. Saving Private Ryan is an example. It shows what our soldiers went through in a way no book could.
Small clips can work well too. For instance, reading about the Civil Rights Movement is one thing but seeing video of what happened on the Edmund Pettis bridge is another.
It's about war though and war is brutal. Great characters and great angle to the war. I would recommend.
Caveat, have someone edit out profanity first.
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