From trench warfare to Cold War tensions: Understanding history through film
Dr. Alexander Upward believes that the emotional depth of film can illuminate the complexities of history in ways traditional textbooks cannot.
Although not the original author of the framework, as a visiting assistant professor of History at Mercyhurst, he hopes he has adapted it to harness the full range of the power of cinema in his online course, “20th Century Europe Through Film.” It offers visual perspectives composed by giants of cinema on subjects as diverse as the Russian Revolution, the Spanish Civil War, and modern-day conflicts over immigration in Europe.
By incorporating a mix of documentaries and fictional narratives, Upward invites students to engage with historical events like never before. For young people and non-veterans, he suggests that the experience of war is more powerfully imagined when conveyed through, for example, a movie like the French blockbuster “A Very Long Engagement,” a romantic drama coproduced with the U.S. in 2004 that depicts the horrors of the Western Front in the First World War.
The gripping German film, “The Lives of Others,” set against the backdrop of Cold War tensions, serves as a powerful tool for understanding human experiences behind the Iron Curtain during the decades-long confrontation.
The films do not take the place of lectures or textbooks but are complementary tools that enhance students’ learning through the cinematic experience, Upward said. Films made in the era they describe are primary sources and serve on some level to illuminate the thinking and the attitudes of their time. They complement readings from other primary sources like letters, speeches, or government documents.
The course also offers an opportunity to consider diverse perspectives by incorporating films from various countries. “All Quiet on the Western Front,” for example, is an American film about German soldiers in the First World War made in 1930. “Westfront 1918,” on the other hand, is a German film made under the Weimar Republic in the same year. Both have similar anti-war messages but were designed for entirely different audiences. America was embracing isolationism, while Germany faced Nazism and the prospect of fascist militarism, said Upward, adding, “That is the complexity of history.”
While the films are not meant to be taken as gospel, they do open doors to analyzing historical accuracy and spur rich discussions about how history is represented.
Upward said that using films enables him to create an engaging learning environment that not only teaches history but also encourages critical thinking and creativity.