The Representation and Commemoration of the Past
“History vs. the past”
Is what happened yesterday History or the past? In another form, one may ponder- what is the difference between History & history?
Most of history (or the past) goes unrecorded. It is this documentation and recording of the past which makes up History- with a capital H. There are of course events and occurrences each and every day that go unnoticed or recorded. From brushing your teeth to that conversation you had with a friend. These events make up the past- they are history.
But what about History? You’re reading this because you chose to study History, namely modern history. You are studying the documentation and representation of past events. Each piece of writing, each film and each source is coloured by bias, various points of view and numerous factors which we will discover more about.
The following photograph from WWI is a representation in visual form of the characteristics of trench warfare.
Looks like hell doesn’t it? This photograph by Captain Frank Hurley captures the ferocity of war, the barren landscape and the technological advancements that made WWI the first industrial war- one that went on to claim millions of lives.
There’s one problem. This photo was constructed piece by piece. In a time before Photoshop, Hurley was able to ‘create’ a representation of war, rather than aiming to accurately represent an event- he constructed History in visual form.
Does this knowledge of Hurley’s construction completely undermine the historical worth of the source? Let’s discuss this…
History, representation, commemoration and film
Films rooted in the past and those that mimic and represent past events are plentiful. Moreover those that attempt to cement their realism by heralding ‘based on true events’ fill the movie theatres and streaming services each and every year.
But as History students, individuals who seek to grow their understanding of the past and its representation need to understand a few vital things. Although they visually present past events, films first and foremost are commercial undertakings.
Titanic, one the most towering ‘historical’ films was for some time the biggest grossing film taking in more than 2 Billion US at the box office. This film from the late 90s represented one of the most significant events from the 20th century. And it is true that watching this film may give you an understanding of the key events that saw this unsinkable ship fall to the bottom of the Atlantic, but it is a carefully constructed History- one that prioritises profitability over ‘truth’.
Films have an important role in shaping society’s collective memory of past events. Big budget ‘historical films’ play their role in shaping how we commemorate the past.
Commemorate …
mark or celebrate by doing or producing something.
Australia’s modern commemoration and reverence for one our most significant days on the calendar, ANZAC Day, has been shaped by a Hollywood film. Some Historians have written about how Peter Weir’s film, Gallipoli gave a renewed vigour to how we as Australians celebrate this day and remember the sacrifices of Australian soldiers.
Without doubt, film plays a critical role in the construction of Histories, but it must be viewed with a critical mind and interrogated in a logical manner. It must be ‘read’ with the following critical questions in mind;
- Who made the film/television program?
- What was their perspective?
- Are they biased?
- Were there any organisations involved in funding or supporting the production?
- What other historical sources were used in constructing understanding and interpretation of the past?
- When was the production made? Did the context at the time influence the end product?
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