Movie Analysis Assignment Sheet – HIS 141 – African American History to 1877
You must complete ONE assignment for any movie (of your choice) focusing on African American history
from ancestral Africa through federal Reconstruction. Some suggestions are below, but you are free to select
your own film as long as it fits the above requirements. All assignments should be 3-4 pages (750-1000 words)
and should be typed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins and a 12-point standard font. You may submit
assignments by typing directly in the submission text box or by uploading an assignment composed in Word or
a PDF. No late assignments are accepted, and you must submit by the deadline published on Canvas.
Overview: History is a craft and writing is the craft of the historian. It is the medium that any historian must use
to disseminate interpretations of the past to the public and fellow historians. In many ways the historian is much
like a detective; gathering and evaluating evidence, forming hypothesis and drawing conclusions in order to find
out who done it. History is not memorizing facts, dates and people; it is how the historian analyzes and
interprets information. Film is history, and it can be analyzed and interpreted. One of the tasks particular to
this class is to think carefully about who is telling the story? Are African Americans granted agency in their
story or are they of secondary in importance? There are real challenges in creating African American films
(particularly in early American history where African Americans, given their enslaved status, leave very few
written sources). Much of our information, as historians, about Black Americans in this early period comes
from outside sources: think court records, tax records, plantation records or others’ recorded opinions of Black
Americans. Your task is to view a film that depicts African American history to write an analysis of that film
connecting it to issues discussed in class.
This is a specific issue you MUST address in this critique – are African Americans central to the telling of their
own story? For example, Oscar nominated actress Viola Davis, who starred in the 2011 film, The Help, later
said she regretted the role agreeing with critics of its “white savior” narrative. The story set in 1963 Jackson,
Mississippi tells the story of Black maids whose stories of everyday racism are exposed by a young white
woman writing a book. You may see this issue repeatedly with Hollywood productions that deal with African
American historical themes. In an interview with the New York Times, Davis said “I just felt that at the end of
the day that it wasn’t the voices of the maids that were heard,” she said. “I know Aibileen. I know Minny.
They’re my grandma. They’re my mom. And I know that if you do a movie where the whole premise is, I want
to know what it feels like to work for white people and to bring up children in 1963, I want to hear how you
really feel about it. I never heard that in the course of the movie.”
Many films with African American themes are criticized for being films where Black Americans are largely
silent and white people occupy center stage. You need to determine if that allegation is entirely fair. Given the
oppression in 1960s Mississippi, where the threat of violence and economic punishment was ever-present, was
there another way to tell the story of The Help? Alternatively, are there moments in the film where African
Americans are center stage? Are they driving the narrative? Are they determining their own fate? It’s a tricky
question and one you must wrestle with when you choose and watch your film.
Description: A film analysis is not simply a review or summary of the plot, it should go deeper into analysis
and reaction. It should discuss the issues raised by the film, address the film’s importance and purpose, state
reactions to the content and quality of the film, and connect it to ideas and material presented in class. You
should include the following (in any order you choose).
1
Structure of Assignment:
Describe the film in general terms. What subjects does it cover? Describe the plot and setting. What
issues does it raise? What do you see as the main purpose of the film?
What are the major theme(s) of the film?
Evaluate the film for quality and interest. Comment on the screenplay, acting, direction, production
values and music. Are any literary techniques such as symbolism, character development and
foreshadowing used? Would a young person be interested in this film?
Relate the film to class discussions, readings, notes or knowledge. Is the film historically (or factually)
accurate and realistic? Does it contradict or support anything you have learned?
Summarize briefly emphasizing the strengths and weaknesses of the film.
What role do African Americans play in the telling of the story? Are they at the center of the narrative?
Why or why not may this have been possible.
You MUST submit through our Canvas website. Your paper WILL be checked for plagiarism through
Turnitin.
POSSIBLE MOVIE SELECTIONS
***this is not a comprehensive list - if you venture out on your own make sure your section is focused on
African American history and is within the time period of ancestral African to federal Reconstruction.
Twelve Years a Slave Amistad Glory
Gone with the Wind Lincoln Roots
Jefferson in Paris Birth of a Nation (2016) Free State of Jones
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman Beloved
