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1. Gordon Angus Mackinlay <gam47@bigpond.com> 2. Stuart Kohn <stuay@comcast.net> -----Message from: Gordon Angus Mackinlay <gam47@bigpond.com>----- Ms Bingham wrote : " One of the films I used in a Western Civilization class was "Gallipoli" which tells the story of two Australians going to fight in WW I.............. Peter Weir's film also reflects the anti-Vietnam era and gives a good sense, I think, of trench war at its worst, (or so say the memoirs of some of the Australians who fought both at Gallpoli and on the Western Front.)" Weir wrote to the Editor of The Australia (the only National newspaper) some years ago. He stating that the film had little historical or factual base, and was made to make money, not to provide a iconic basis for a flawed belief. He has subsequently made similar remarks whilst lecturing, and in the electronic media. Many years ago I had it very firmly drummed into my head that the use of the film in its entirety as a teaching tool was very lazy teaching. But, the use of film clips to show a certain concept during a lecture was not. Whilst in the mid> 1980's when I first started using the concept, our efforts were very crude, today they are dramatically enhanced. Using (general term) a power point with a variety of audio-visual clips can be extremely effective. Having in early 2009 given a copy of the 1958 film "Tunes of Glory", which I found extremely impressive. I had the friendly techo extract the relevant sequences from it, using a total of 19 minutes (including a 2 minute fun clip) giving a clinical study of two men suffering the chronic stage of PTSD is well brought out in a manner which the students can understand. Mind you the brilliant acting of the two 'Sir's' Alec Guinness and John Mills does help! There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the use of the products of the cineographers art is a important tool (if not vital) for the student of these rapidly changing times. But, of course it must be used in a way to which they can relate. Having recently talked to a peer of mine who has gone over to the 'dark side' and works for the advertising industry, she stating that recent studies carried out by the industry worldwide, is that the attention span for viewers of scenes in entertainment shows such as CSI (in all its forms) is 7.3 seconds, and for news video clips, 10.4 (music videos are a totally different subject matter). So to sell your product a max of 15 seconds is effective - beyond interest wanders. The sequences that you need to retain the student interest must be of this length (a friend who teaches calculus, bemoans the loss of the chalk board, and how the handy little pieces of chalk well thrown, retained student interest!) What is also forgotten with using the film as a teaching tool, is the students background. Their ethnicity, home and social background does affect the way in which they look at a 1940's Hollywood classic, with violent games or music clips being their probable normal screen fare added. A article in the NY Times (10JAN) is probably the first I seen outside the professional press that gives a inkling on this : http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/magazine/10psyche-t.html?th&emc=th The Americanisation of Mental Illness Whilst in the same edition, in the Business Section : http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/business/10mba.html?th&emc=th Multicultural Critical Theory. At B-School? has a degree of relevance. An example of this possible miscomprehension of a visual sequence is currently the uproar in the US of a KFC advertisment made for the Australian and NZ markets. One of a series depicting cricket. It showing a Australian cricketer with a box of KFC sitting surrounded by scowling West Indian cricket fans - complete with dreadlocks, his sharing of the KFC brings smiles and bonhomie to them. Shown over some internet connection, in the US to which there had been no intention of showing it, an outcry that it was racist. Oddly, since shown to West Indian groups, no such response. So American humour at odds with Australian (of all cultures) and West Indian comprehension of humour???? Whilst films in their entirety of the glory days of Hollywood may give a message to the students of the 1960-90's, to the 18-25 year old in 2010 the relevance may be lost. I must admit that I am a fan of many of the films recorded in the messages on the thread, with many being of relevance, and to which I could add more, save those on Viet Nam. In common with the bulk of those of a English speaking background who served in South Viet Nam, I have never bothered to see any films relating to such. Yours, G/. Gordon Angus Mackinlay <gam47@bigpond.com> -----Message from: Stuart Kohn <stuay@comcast.net>----- <<Re Wyatt Reader's post referring to a film about King Arthur, I believe it portrays Arthur and his knights as Sarmatian auxiliaries in Roman service, who choose to stay in Britain after the Roman withdrawal.>> In the film, the knights were Sarmation auxiliaries led by Arthur who, in the film, had a Roman father and a Brit mother. Stu Kohn Stuart Kohn <stuay@comcast.net> ----- For subscription help, go to: http://www.h-net.org/lists/help/ To change your subscription settings, go to http://h-net.msu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=h-war -----
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