This dissertation documents how a series of cynical 1940s Hollywood films set in historical eras served as a forum for Hollywood to reconcile the complex relationship between America and its European past. While these films are rarely discussed in the ongoing discourse surrounding film noir, this study posits that they function as “noirs of the past” by transposing the pessimism and trauma surrounding World War II to the distant American and European past in a narrative and stylistic manner consistent with film noir. Film noir is a branching term to describe a group of 1940s and 50s Hollywood crime melodramas that are known for their cynical worldviews and femme fatales. Produced during the war and postwar era, film noirs primarily depict squalid urban settings that underscore the broken promise that is the American Dream. However, this project maintains that many of these noirs also critique American society through historical settings that trace present-day class and gender problems back to the European aristocracy and its excesses. Noirs of the past are universally ignored in debates surrounding historical films because they appear at first blush to have little interest in depicting historical events in a precise manner. This is for good reason: they openly resist historical accuracy by employing devices that highlight their artificiality. The noir of the past’s lack of historical verisimilitude further extends to character types, dialogue, costumes, and aesthetics that feel closer in spirit to the gloomy shadows of contemporary-set film noirs than the glossy and monumental historical films of the 1940s. Through their overlap of historical and contemporary 1940s signifiers, “noirs of the past” construct a sense of location and time that borrows from both the past and present to demonstrate the cyclical nature of events and figures across history.

The presence of early modern Spanish history in Spanish film has received only limited scholarly attention. The entire group of Spanish films dealing with the Spanish early modern era has never been placed under study by any overarching research. This dissertation reframes the evolution of the cinematographic representation of the Spanish past as it studies the mechanisms employed by Spanish films in representing an essential part of Spanish past: early modernity. Studied are 19 period films that group themselves around some of most representative subjects in early modernity: the Monarchy and Nobility, and the Spanish Inquisition. Studied also is the most expensive Spanish period film, Alatriste (2006). Through the analysis of artistic, industrial, historiographical, and political elements, and the deconstruction of the historical message of each film, as well as the analysis of their reception, it is clear that Spanish period films set in early modernity tell us as much about the time of their making and the shaping of the historical consciousness of Spain as they do about the era that they represent on screen.

AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF KWANG WOO NOH, for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Mass Communication and Media Arts, presented on August 25, 2009, at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. TITLE: MEMORIES OF RAPID TRANSFORMATION: RETROSPECTION AND NOSTALGIA IN CONTEMPORARY SOUTH KOREAN CINEMA MAJOR PROFESSOR: Deborah Tudor, Ph.D. The recent tendency of returning to history in Korean cinema corresponds with the conjuncture of democratization and globalization from 1992, which is an antithesis of the former conjuncture: modernization and military dictatorship from 1961 to 1992. Through the rapid economic development, Korea's economy reached its apex in the mid 1990s. However, Asian economic crisis of 1997 - 1998 accelerated the economic decline. The democratization and the economic crisis provided Korean filmmakers with a motivation to re-examine the past. The research contained herein will focus on these Korean reexaminations of the past. With regard to this re-examination, Korean cinema employed two main trends. Some films refer to historical and political moments, and suggest a relationship between such moments and Korean destiny. Other films deal with personal stories from the 1960s to 1990s. Both trends provide not only retrospection of the rapid transformation but also nostalgia for the past despite differences of subject matters and genre. Film studies pertinent to the subject include political criticism in U.S. film studies of ideology, historians' and film scholars' approaches to film representation of the history and the past, as well as New German cinema and post-Franco Spanish cinema. Methodology will incorporate textual analysis, followed by an examination of four films in retrospective trend, as well as four films in the nostalgic trend. For the purpose of analysis, eight films, released from 2000 to 2007, are examined. In terms of subject matter, all films are connected to Korea from the 1960 to the 1990s. In the first trend of films of historical reference, four films will be examined: The President's Barber(Im Chan-sang, 2004), The President's Last Bang (Im Sang-soo, 2004), Peppermint Candy (Lee Chang-dong, 2000), and Memories of Murder (Bong Joon-ho, 2003). The President's Barber covers the era from the last days of Rhee Syng-man regime through the Student Revolution of April 19, 1960, through the military coup on May 16, in 1961, to the assassination of Park Chung-hee on October 26, 1979, through the life of a fictional barber who served the president. The President's Last Bang (Im Sang-soo, 2004) dramatizes the assassination of Park Chung-hee. With its reverse chronological narrative progress, Peppermint Candy (Lee Chang-dong, 2000) traces how the Kwangju massacre of May 1980 influenced Korean society. Finally Memories of Murder (Bong Joon-ho, 2003) treats the expansion of capitalism during the 1980s within the form of mystery and thriller film. Four films that tell personal stories are chosen: The Classic (Kwak Jae-yong, 2003), My Mother the Mermaid (Park Heung-Shik, 2004), Once Upon A Time in A High school: The Spirit of Jeet Kune Do (Yu Ha, 2003) and Friend (Kwak Kyung-taek, 2001). All but My Mother the Mermaid adopt the form of "high teen film" for their genre conventions. Once Upon A Time in A High School: The Spirit of Jeet Kune Do (Yu ha, 2003) is a coming-of-age film set in a high school located in Kangnam, a newly developed periphery of Seoul in the late 1970s. The Classic and Friend compare adolescence and maturity by putting episodes from main characters' high school days in the middle of storyline. Whether they are set in a remote island or a high school in an urban area, these films depict not only the bitterness and poignancy of growing up but also show diverse aspects of, or responses to, the rapid socio-economic transformation of South Korea.

Diploma thesis The relation between Media Depiction and Historical Truth on the example of Historical Motion Picture and Television Series deals with the relationship between official historiography and contemporary historical film or TV series. The work is based on a theoretical framework, which postulates Robert A. Rosenstone in several publications, especially in the book History on Film/Film on History. The American historian and film theorist is one of the most prominent supporters of the view that historical film must be seriously perceived not only as a historical artifact but also as a medium conveying the depiction of the past. Qualitative analysis was performed in the work of movies Masaryk, Lidice and the miniseries Hořící keř. In the first part of the work, they were compared with an institutionally recognized version of the past - specifically with secondary school textbooks with the approval clause of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic. In the following part, the film inventions were examined according to the theory of Rosenstone and finally according to the theory of fictional worlds according to the linguist Lubomír Doležel. The thesis aims to answer the hypotheses that state that the Czech historical film in historical key events coincides with the...

Detta examensarbete syftar till att genom enkät och intervjuer undersöka hur elever i skolår fyra relaterar till förr i tiden. Detta görs utifrån en hypotes om att eleverna genom en inofficiell historieförmedling i form av filmer och tv-program med historiska teman har förvärvat ett visst medvetande om historien, och att denna främst handlar om medeltid. Därför undersöks huruvida några spår av den filmatiserade historieförmedlingen går att finna i elevernas kunskaper. Dessutom undersöks elevernas inställning till sina kunskapers källor, bland annat källor i form av film, tv-program och litteratur.Examensarbetet behandlar resultaten från undersökningarna i relation till begreppen historiemedvetande, palimpsestisk historieförmedling och historical film literacy. Den undersökta gruppen visade sig genom enkätundersökningen och i jämförelse med andra studier vara typisk i sin konsumtion av medier. Eleverna uttrycker sig i intervjuer källkritiskt och med tveksamhet inför pålitligheten i mediers innehåll.Undersökningen motbevisar den formulerade hypotesen och finner att den undersökta gruppens föreställningar om förr i tiden först och främst går att härleda till skolans historieundervisning. Få spår av den medierade historieförmedlingen har gått att finna. Utifrån undersökningen går det dock inte att utesluta den medierade historieförmedlingens påverkan på unga elevers historiekunskaper.

Este trabalho tem como objetivo compreender o papel da Embrafilme no estímulo à produção de filmes de temática histórica e adaptações de obras literárias, seja através das formas de financiamento tradicionais, seja através da Carteira de Coproduções de Filmes Históricos e do Programa Especial de Pesquisa de Temas para Filmes Históricos, considerando a conjuntura política e cultural do governo Geisel (1974- 1979). Para tanto, realizou-se pesquisa documental e bibliográfica visando esclarecer se este fomento à produção cinematográfica seria o resultado da implementação de uma política mais ampla voltada ao setor. A partir do material consultado, buscou-se conhecer as principais diretrizes do governo Geisel dirigidas à área cultural, avaliando sea(as) estas foram determinantes para orientar o incentivo à produção de filme de gênero histórico e adaptações de obras literárias. Os resultados indicam que o incentivo oferecido pela Embrafilme a estas temáticas de filme fez parte de uma estratégia levada a cabo pela direção da empresa, sem que houvesse uma política de governo específica que determinasse esse apoio. Também concluiu-se que a produção cinematográfica de filme de temática histórica e deadaptações de obras literárias foi significativa no período, levando-se em conta o curto período em que o incentivo foi oferecido. / The purpose of this study have to investigate the importance of the role by Embrafilme--the Brazilian Film Agency--in stimulating the production of thematic historical films and screen adaptations of literary works, either by means of traditional forms of funding or through the Special Program for Research of Themes for Historical Cinema, considering the political and cultural context of the Geisel government (1974- 1979). To this end, desk research and a literature survey were conducted to clarify whether Embrafilme\'s incentive for film production stemmed from a broader policy for the sector. The material thus retrieved served to expound on core guidelines of the federal government for the cultural sector and to evaluate whether they were instrumental in orienting the incentive offered for the production of historical film and screen adaptations of literary works. The results revealed that Embrafilme\'s incentive for these thematics was part of a strategy initiated by the agency\'s management board in the absence of any specific governmental policy shaping this support. For both thematics, production was significant over the timeframe investigated, when measured against the short period in which incentives were available.

Este trabalho tem como objetivo compreender o papel da Embrafilme no estímulo à produção de filmes de temática histórica e adaptações de obras literárias, seja através das formas de financiamento tradicionais, seja através da Carteira de Coproduções de Filmes Históricos e do Programa Especial de Pesquisa de Temas para Filmes Históricos, considerando a conjuntura política e cultural do governo Geisel (1974- 1979). Para tanto, realizou-se pesquisa documental e bibliográfica visando esclarecer se este fomento à produção cinematográfica seria o resultado da implementação de uma política mais ampla voltada ao setor. A partir do material consultado, buscou-se conhecer as principais diretrizes do governo Geisel dirigidas à área cultural, avaliando sea(as) estas foram determinantes para orientar o incentivo à produção de filme de gênero histórico e adaptações de obras literárias. Os resultados indicam que o incentivo oferecido pela Embrafilme a estas temáticas de filme fez parte de uma estratégia levada a cabo pela direção da empresa, sem que houvesse uma política de governo específica que determinasse esse apoio. Também concluiu-se que a produção cinematográfica de filme de temática histórica e deadaptações de obras literárias foi significativa no período, levando-se em conta o curto período em que o incentivo foi oferecido. / The purpose of this study have to investigate the importance of the role by Embrafilme--the Brazilian Film Agency--in stimulating the production of thematic historical films and screen adaptations of literary works, either by means of traditional forms of funding or through the Special Program for Research of Themes for Historical Cinema, considering the political and cultural context of the Geisel government (1974- 1979). To this end, desk research and a literature survey were conducted to clarify whether Embrafilme\'s incentive for film production stemmed from a broader policy for the sector. The material thus retrieved served to expound on core guidelines of the federal government for the cultural sector and to evaluate whether they were instrumental in orienting the incentive offered for the production of historical film and screen adaptations of literary works. The results revealed that Embrafilme\'s incentive for these thematics was part of a strategy initiated by the agency\'s management board in the absence of any specific governmental policy shaping this support. For both thematics, production was significant over the timeframe investigated, when measured against the short period in which incentives were available.

Alois Jirásek (1851 - 1930) was an important Czech writer and author of many historical novels and plays. Jirásek's work has always been very popular. After World War II and the onset of communism in Czechoslovakia Jirasek was promoted to the chief authority in interpreting Czech history. The thesis aims to deal with the second life of Alois Jirásek in the 1950's in the context of filmmaking. This thesis will primarily focus on the films Temno (Darkness, 1950), Psohlavci (The Dog Heads, 1955), Jan Hus (1954), Jan Žižka (1955), Proti všem (Against All, 1956) and Ztracenci (Lost Children, 1956).

The diploma thesis Stereotypes of representation of the Protectorate period in Contemporary Film Creation focuses on the examination of stereotypical depictions of fictional worlds determined by a historical model in film production thematically situated in the period of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. The subject of the research is mainly gender stereotypes of fictional characters and stereotyping of the fictional environment on the example of costumes, masks, period props, musical accompaniment and other elements of narration. The theoretical framework of the work is based primarily on the findings presented in the Introduction to the Semantics of Fictional Worlds by Bohumil Fořt and by Narrative Ways in Czech Literature by Lubomír Doležel. The knowledge of stereotyping theory is drawn from Nick Lacey's Image and Representation: Key Concepts in Media Studies and Pierre Sorlin's Europian Cinemas, Europian Societies 1939-1990. To obtain the necessary information about filmmaking, the publications of Radomír D. Kokeš, The Analysis of Film and David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson, The Art of Film: An Introduction to the Study of Form and Style, were used. The research sample on which this tendency is presented is the Czech war drama Operation Silver A, which depicts the everyday reality of...

This thesis examines how the creators of Croatian Jadran film - especially in the 1960s - portrayed the events bound to known historical reality, how they artistically interpreted this reality, and which historical events in the surveyed period were in the focus of their interest. In my choice of films I followed mainly the production aspect, which is also the main criterion of Croatian film historiography for selection of films in the national cinematography. From the topical perspective, the predominant motives relate to the people's liberation war or the civilian stories taking place in the background of war events. The movie Nevesinjska puška, which treats more ancient historical events, is the only exception. The production can also be characterised by the manner of explicating a historical theme. It features film spectacle, lyrical parable, and film interpretation which can serve as a material for historical research and analysis, or for studying the mimetic period between a generally accepted and understood historical fact, and its artistic rendition. The last mentioned is often featured with pictures from the partizan milieu. Except for some rare cases, the pictures reflecting historical events limited by the end of the World War II are distinguished by a collective, vaguely-specified...