Robert Rosenstone Theory of Film and History

Robert Rosenstone theory of film and history.

Robert Rosenstone, a professor at the California Institute of Technology, developed the controversial field of film as history through his experiences as a historical film consultant and emerged a leader in the field.1 Rosenstone finds that film can be an excellent source of history, provided it finds support within a historical discourse. He feels historians often put restrictions on the mediums through which history is discussed, and forget that history is both a process and a construction. This is as true for the written word as it is for film. Both are lenses through which the real world is reflected.2

Rosenstone divides historical films into two parts: history as document – the documentary, and history as drama - the mainstream film. Both follow six points in creating a visual historical world. History in film is always told as a story, with a beginning, middle and end, which delivers a moral message meant to show how history is progressive. Most films leave the audience feeling good and positive about the story, and when a film does present uncertainty or distrust as the main message, it still gives the audience optimism that raising awareness of certain questions will cause beneficial change. The viewers’ connection to film is essential with film’s use of presenting history through emotion and personalization. Allowing the viewer to experience the history through sensory means immediately makes the viewer feel connected to the past, something the medium of film effectively delivers with its cinematographic and editing techniques. Those techniques, along with the use of sets and costuming, allow films to present the past visually. This in a sense brings history to life, or at least attempts to present it in a multi-layered context; the landscape, utensils, homes, clothing, and personal interactions all work together to show the bigger picture, rather than focusing on one fact after another. This is what...