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The hijacking of history

January  6, 2008  - Dale

Have you noticed the way “historical” movies tend to adapt the story to fit the views or prejudices or interests of the modern audience? I am thinking of films like the Nativity Story, Alexander the Great, and so on. No doubt a certain amount of “adaptation” is necessary. The same happens with old drama. Shakespeare’s plays are regularly set in a modern context.

But history is different to drama. It is not that only a selected part of the history is described. Historical description is always selective. It is more that the history gets hijacked by modern concerns. At one level this may be a way of saying that the people of the past faced similar issues to us. But at another level it is a means of co-opting the history to support a particular modern point of view. As though the people in the past held the same view that we are supporting or opposing.

One example in the Nativity Story was the strong message that Mary’s arranged marriage was against her (and any sensible woman’s) wishes. While this is an important issue for many modern women, there is no evidence that it was an issue for Mary (or even that her marriage was actually arranged against her wishes).

History also seems to be co-opted fairly regularly in films in the cause of sexual propaganda (from the point of view of a variety of “preferences”).

One of the effects of this is to distort the history. Historical revisionism is not a new idea, and its effect in film is similar to its effect in education. People learn what is untrue about the past, and are reinforced in current views rather than having them challenged or broadened.

In a way the modern audience is also being hijacked because they are being entertained with a distortion of the story for the sake of the profit (or propaganda) of the film-makers. Some would say in reply that at least modern audiences are being informed that there is such a thing as history and that a real person such as Alexander the Great did exist. And they can always check up on the history in more reliable media if they want to.

So does it really matter? Only if history matters I suppose. Ah but does it? For Christians it does. Many faiths don’t need (or want) history because their world-view is cyclical or supra-rational. But Christians know that God has revealed himself in time and space. In real historical events through real historical people. And that the events of human history will reach a culmination which will correspond to the final achievement of God’s purposes. If history is the context for God’s revelation it is better to understand what actually happened. It has to do with truth.
Dale

 

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