War.
How the Zone of Interest depicted the Holocaust through a new lens
The Zone of Interest depicts the life of Rudolf Höss, the commandant of Auschwitz, who alongside his family tries to create an idyllic setting in their villa meters away from the concentration camp. The Head of the Research Centre at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, Dr Piotr Setkiewicz discusses how the depiction shed new light on the home lives of those who implemented the Holocaust.
How Frank Miller’s ‘Superheroisms’ Distort the Reality of 300
Nearly 20 years on, classical historian Stephen Hodkinson assesses Frank Miller’s influence over the 2007 blockbuster ‘300.’ From the film’s basis on his 1998 graphic novel, to his role as executive producer, how does Miller’s interpretation of The battle of Thermopylae and Sparta compare to the historical truth?
Why Is It So Hard For Hollywood To Accurately Portray The Battle of Thermopylae?
The Battle of Thermopylae is often regarded as the defining moment of the Greco-Persian War, and has inspired Hollywood interpretations 300 and The 300 Spartans. Criticised for their inaccuracies, Ancient Greek expert Stephen Hodkinson explains why Thermopylae is so difficult to portray accurately in film.
The Death of Stalin: How paranoia and antisemitism killed off one of history’s most infamous dictators.
“The Death of Stalin” focuses on the last days of Joseph Stalin and the race to succeed him as the leader of the Soviet Union. Although the movie covers much of the aftermath of Stalin’s death, it leaves out many of the factors that contributed to his death.
Everything wrong with The Imitation Game
The Imitation Game made Alan Turing a tragic, broken genius. Jack Copeland says that’s fiction: the real Turing kept his courage, humour and brilliant work right to the end. So why did the film rewrite one of the twentieth century’s greatest true stories? Copeland and others explain.
Returning to Cold War Germany: Fatherland Trailer Breakdown
Fresh off director Paweł Pawlikowski’s Best Director win at Cannes earlier this month, the trailer for the highly anticipated Fatherland has finally arrived. The striking black and white film follows Sandra Hüller as fierce rally-driving actress Erika Mann, and Hanns Zischler as her Nobel prize-winning father, the author Thomas Mann.
The Dark Side of Winston Churchill: What The Films Don’t Tell You
Winston Churchill is a celebrated icon of World War II, the films Darkest Hour (2017) and Churchill (2017) reflecting his greatest political and military successes. But what about his biggest failure, the Bengal Famine of 1943? Head of the Churchill Archives elaborates on why cinema avoids the dark side of Churchill’s legacy.
Everything you need to know about new D-Day film Pressure
Based on the acclaimed play from veteran playwright and actor David Haig, Pressure tells the true story of the relationship between Britain’s chief meteorological officer James Stagg and American General Dwight Eisenhower in the 72 hours before D-Day.
The Real Reason Churchill Had Two Biopics in 2017
Nine-years ago two different Churchill films hit the big-screen. Darkest Hour and Churchill both follow the war-time policies of Winston Churchill, and the ways the ‘Bulldog warrior’ coped amidst insurmountable pressure. Director of the Churchill Archives Centre, Allen Packwood OBE, discusses the true reason that the two biopics were released in the same year.
The Son of Hacksaw Ridge Hero
While Hacksaw Ridge immortalized Desmond Doss Sr’s pacifist heroism, the man himself passed before cameras rolled. His son, Desmond Doss Jr, stepped in to ensure the story’s integrity. Discover how Jr. helped bring his father’s legacy to the screen and the profound, unexpected personal growth he found along the way.
The Face of Evil: The Dangerous Paradox of Putting Hitler on Screen
There’s arguably no face in the world more recognisable than that of Adolf Hitler. It is a face that has inspired terror and that has represented malignant evil. He is a figure that many would deem too daunting to put on screen, and that filmmakers have struggled with for years.
Dressing Gladiator: An Interview With Academy-Award Winning Costume Designer Janty Yates
From the blood-soaked armour of Gladiator to the lavish high fashion of House of Gucci, Academy Award winning costume designer Janty Yates has spent over two decades outfitting cinema’s greatest spectacles. She lifts the curtain on her legendary collaboration with Ridley Scott, and the chaotic reality of stitching history together.
“Too Big For The Screen”: Why Cinema Continues To Fail Napoleon
For over a century, filmmakers including Ridley Scott, Stanley Kubrick and Martin Scorsese have wanted to capture Napoleon Bonaparte on screen. Yet, despite hundreds of attempts, millions of dollars, and some of cinema’s greatest minds, the true complexities of the man behind the famous silhouette continue to elude the camera.
‘I was the kid whose Dad was a spy’: Life as the son of an infamous CIA pilot whose story inspired a Spielberg Cold War drama
While flying a reconnaissance mission during the height of the Cold War, Francis ‘Gary’ Powers’s U-2 spy plane was shot down, his subsequent capture and exchange for a Russian Spy was immortalised in Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies. His son, Gary Powers Jr discusses the conspiracies that still surround his father 60 years on.