Teaching with film: Is it reliable?
Some believe that movies are an inferior method of communicating history because of the innately corruptive nature of the film industry; that simply because it is an industry that strives to give people what they want to see will taint the accuracy of historical events- scenes that can be horrifically gory and difficult to swallow. I believe that this evaluation of films as a communicative art is misplaced and ill-informed. Because of the powerful nature of visual images, I received the messages communicated in 12 Years a Slave more lastingly than if I had learned of Solomon Northup's life by reading his book. The narrative was brought to life in a very real and powerfully intimate way, which vastly broadened my knowledge on what life was like for a slave in the Antebellum South and allowed me to connect more deeply with the characters than if I had simply read their names on a page.
In an article by Noah Berlatsky, it is heavily stressed that there exist in the film 12 Years a Slave, a couple of significant differences between the scenes in the movie and the original text. For instance, in Solomon Northup's narrative, Mistress Epps is the one who asks Solomon to kill Patsy instead of in the film where Patsy herself begs him to end her life. But also included in the article is the following statement, "...Isaac Butler recently wrote a post attacking what he calls the "realism canard"—the practice of judging fiction by how well it conforms to reality. "We're talking about the reduction of truth to accuracy," Butler argues, and adds, "What matters ultimately in a work of narrative is if the world and characters created feels true and complete enough for the work's purposes." Noah Berlatsky's entire article picks apart 12 Years a Slave and criticizes it for not being completely faithful to Solomon Northup's original text, though in this quote he adds the perspective of Isaac Butler who believes that perfect historical accuracy is not absolutely essential as long as the world and characters are real enough for the audience to connect with and learn from. I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Berlatsky's opinion, as I walked away from the film feeling as though I had connected and sympathized greatly with Patsy and Solomon and the rest of those who suffered through the hell that was guaranteed to anyone born a slave in the South.
Of course, the imagery associated with the pre-civil war south is soul-wretching, no matter how it is delivered. Reading the narrative written by Harriet Jacobs on her our experiences I came across this passage, "My mistress had taught me the precepts of God's Word: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." "Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them." But I was her slave, and I suppose she did not recognize me as her neighbor." Though it does not describe a scene of tremendous violence, it is an example of an outrageous injustice. It struck me as particularly maddening and I felt a profound pain for Harriet. She describes her Mistress and incredibly kind and is grateful for her up until her death. When her will is read, Harriet is not remembered and she recalls a bible verse to her and applies it to the actions done to her by her mistress.
To investigate the accuracy of the film and the intentions of the director I found an interview with Steve McQueen in which the interviewer asks him wether there was any pressure from the studio to perhaps exaggerate certain scenes. He replies, "...It’s, you know, about a particular time in history — and I wanted to tell the truth about that particular time in history. If we’d altered it I don’t think that would have been helpful. I mean, you have to look at things in the face sometimes, and that’s the way it was. Yeah, there are moments of hope, because again, it’s a fairy tale — you know, “Once upon a time” and then a “Happily ever after.” There is a conclusion, with someone who goes home. But he has to pass through the storm, you know, and I actually think it’s a rewarding movie because of that. Any other way, I think, we would have cheapened the memory of Solomon Northrup. I didn’t want to do that." He offers that any inaccuracies between the book and movie 12 Years a Slave were not done with the intention of making the film more successful or because of the film format of the movie. McQueen's purpose for creating the film was to tell a powerful story and recount a time in history that is relevant to us all. In my personal experience, the made the narrative a bit more accessible, it was constantly tugging at my emotions with poignant images while I watched rather than through words on a page.
The film industry does have its faults. Though, in the right hands, it is the perfect platform on which creators can shed light on powerful historical material. 12 Years a Slave is a masterful film and was duly recognized for an astounding number of nominations and awards. It accomplished its goal, and though it made some mistakes, powerfully captured a horrific period in American history.
The scene in 12 Years a Slave when Patsy begs Solomon to end her life. Link
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