Lens on History

It’s hard to imagine a more currently relevant film than Selma, Ava DuVernay's 2014 drama about Martin Luther King, Jr. and the quest for voting rights for Black Americans. We’re in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement, perhaps the biggest movement for civil rights in the US since the 60s. While police brutality against people of color has occurred for hundreds of years, the murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd, with the latter two being caught on video, have forced many Americans to confront it in a new way. We’re also in the middle of a very turbulent election season in which the issue of voter suppression has become increasingly important. While the Voting Rights Act did away with literacy tests and outright poll taxes, voter suppression, particularly of marginalized groups, still exists in many forms to this day. For more information, go to lensonhistory.wordpress.com

1917, filmed seemingly in almost one continuous take, follows two British soldiers as they travel across No Man’s land on a dangerous mission during the first World War.  Andy Robertshaw, a military historian, author, and broadcaster, was one of the historical consultants for the film. His website is andyrobertshaw.wordpress.com. For more information, please go to lensonhistory.wordpress.com

Arthur Penn’s 1967 film adaptation is arguably the most notable incarnation of Bonnie & Clyde’s story. It takes its viewer alongside the couple, played by Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty respectively, from their first meeting to their gruesome death. They gleefully rob banks, steal cars, and kill people. But, they’re also weighed down by the bleakness of the Depression, the realities of life on the run, and their dawning awareness of their own mortality.

Jojo Rabbit is certainly one of, if not the most controversial film of the past year. Some people think it’s an absolutely brilliant depiction of the risks of fanaticism and the power of love. Others think it dangerously makes light of Hitler and fascism by cracking insensitive jokes and suggesting that Nazis are just misunderstood. Is Jojo Rabbit genius or is it morally and historically irresponsible? Let’s take a look. For more information and sources consulted, please go to lensonhistory.wordpress.com.

A podcast that helps us discover how the movies we love illuminate our past and shape our present. For more information, go to lensonhistory.wordpress.com