Holocaust
The Holocaust was a terrible time in world history - so it is no wonder that many dramatic film makers have chosen to reenact the events that took place during this period in world history. Many films about the Holocaust take place in concentration camps or hide outs during the war in Europe. Other directors have added other elements to holocaust films, such as love stories. Schindler's List (1993) is one of the most praised Holocaust movies of all time. It was directed by Steven Spielberg and its screenplay was written by Steven Zaillian. Schindlers List tells the story of a group of Jews who are saved during the Holocaust. Its accurate depiction of the brutal and inhumane events of the Holocaust allowed audiences to experience a both historically accurate and emotionally compelling film. Other movies have been made about the Holocaust, such as the Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008). Based on a novel, the Boy in the Striped Pajamas tells the story of two boys during the Holocaust: one a jewish inmate and the other the son of a Nazi Commandant. As these two boys become friends, the son of the Nazi Commandant struggles to keep the friendship a secret, and secretly enjoys spending time with the Jewish boy. The movie has many more historically accurate depictions, such as the fact that people were told that the camps were a lot nicer than they actually were in reality. In general, Holocaust movies are judged upon their accuracy than their scripts, because the Holocaust is a story line within itself. It allows audiences to re-live what really went on during that terrible time in history, and shows the world a dark side of history that the world will never forget.
Adaptations, Based Upon True Stories
Many great films have story lines that are based on actual events - which is one reason why this minor sub genre is so diverse. Movies in almost any genre can be based on true stories, so this minor sub genre is often present in movies all around the world. Some important movies in this minor sub genre are Changeling, The Blind Side, 21, and Freedom Writers. A recent movie, called 127 Hours, tells the story of a man who gets trapped in the desert for seven days. Because of dehydration and weakness, the man realizes that the only way to survive is to cut off his arm - and he does. The scene is depicted in the movie with both convincing and outstanding special effects. Changeling, starring Angelina Jolie, is about a mother who is searching for her missing son. When the police finally find him and return them to her, she claims that the son isn't hers and demands that they keep looking. Because the police do not want to expose the fact that they were wrong, they throw the mother in jail. Though justice is served in the end, the film displays an outstanding depiction of the time period through its setting and wardrobe. Many films that base their story lines on actual events skew certain facts in order to have story lines that are more interesting. However, because these films do contain certain aspects of truth, they are still based upon events that actually occurred.
