Film och historia. Historisk Hollywoodfilm 1960-2000
(2004)- Abstract
- The hypothesis put forward in this thesis stipulates that films always say more of empirical value about the time in which they are produced than they do about the periods they depict. The aim is not only to prove that such an idea is valid, but also that it might be transformed into a new and applicable theory in studies of film and history. Here, this is done in contextualized analyses of the production and reception of historical Hollywood films made between 1960 and 2000. General approaches analyzing how theories and narrative strategies have evolved over time are continuously combined with close-readings of each respective context and film. It is suggested that historical films function as fictions because they function and not... (More)
- The hypothesis put forward in this thesis stipulates that films always say more of empirical value about the time in which they are produced than they do about the periods they depict. The aim is not only to prove that such an idea is valid, but also that it might be transformed into a new and applicable theory in studies of film and history. Here, this is done in contextualized analyses of the production and reception of historical Hollywood films made between 1960 and 2000. General approaches analyzing how theories and narrative strategies have evolved over time are continuously combined with close-readings of each respective context and film. It is suggested that historical films function as fictions because they function and not because they are true. In order to validate this and other similar ideas, Swedish film reviews published at the time of the films’ premieres function as metonymic exemples of European perspectives on America in general and Hollywood in particular. The Swedish reception is then put in relation to international theories and debates. Such a comparative strategy constitutes a specific attempt to better understand the academic terra incognita undoubtedly still existing between film scholars and historians when audiovisual media are discussed as historical source material. More than anything else, these conflicting opinions depend on whether you concentrate on the period represented in the film, or focus on the time during which the film was produced. If the latter perspective is chosen, as is the case in this contextualized study, it is proposed that empirical anlyses of audiovisual media, such as the historical Hollywood film, undoubtedly will make significant contributions to our future understanding of both film and history. (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- Popular Abstract in Swedish
Denna avhandling studerar relationer mellan film och historia. Tesen som drivs är följande: Film utgör ett i stora delar outnyttjat historiskt källmaterial som alltid säger mer av empiriskt värde om sin produktionskontext än det gör om perioden som skildras. Denna tes bygger vidare på resonemang kring film och historia som genom åren har framlagts av företrädesvis historiker, sociologer och filmvetare. Den är giltig oavsett om filmen i fråga utspelas i dåtid, nutid eller framtid och kan säkerligen förefalla tämligen självklar för en del läsare. På grundval av uttalanden som under årens lopp har gjorts om film står det emellertid klart att den endast undantagsvis har accepterats av exempelvis akademi... (More) - Popular Abstract in Swedish
Denna avhandling studerar relationer mellan film och historia. Tesen som drivs är följande: Film utgör ett i stora delar outnyttjat historiskt källmaterial som alltid säger mer av empiriskt värde om sin produktionskontext än det gör om perioden som skildras. Denna tes bygger vidare på resonemang kring film och historia som genom åren har framlagts av företrädesvis historiker, sociologer och filmvetare. Den är giltig oavsett om filmen i fråga utspelas i dåtid, nutid eller framtid och kan säkerligen förefalla tämligen självklar för en del läsare. På grundval av uttalanden som under årens lopp har gjorts om film står det emellertid klart att den endast undantagsvis har accepterats av exempelvis akademi och press. Deras respektive kritik av historisk film finner snarare sin största gemensamma nämnare i koncentrationen på brister i historisk sanningsenlighet, trovärdighet och korrekthet, särskilt vad gäller amerikansk film. Det är ett av skälen till att internationella teoretikers och svenska filmkritikers syn på historisk hollywoodfilm avhandlas i detta arbete. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/21906
- author
- Jönsson, Mats LU
- supervisor
-
- Erik Hedling LU
- opponent
-
- Professor Salmi, Hannu, Åbo universitet
- organization
- publishing date
- 2004
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Film and history, palimpsest of historical consciousness, historical thinking vs History with a capital H, conventional markers, authorship, matrix, Hollywood, 1960-2000., History, Historia
- pages
- 257 pages
- publisher
- Mats Jönsson, Klostergatan 5B, 703 61 ÖREBRO,
- defense location
- Edens hörsal, Paradisgatan 5, Lund
- defense date
- 2004-03-27 13:15:00
- ISBN
- 91-628-5971-4
- language
- Swedish
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 80c2aab1-fe44-4f31-b608-07ca34a212f0 (old id 21906)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-04 11:36:53
- date last changed
- 2018-11-21 21:06:00
@phdthesis{80c2aab1-fe44-4f31-b608-07ca34a212f0,
abstract = {{The hypothesis put forward in this thesis stipulates that films always say more of empirical value about the time in which they are produced than they do about the periods they depict. The aim is not only to prove that such an idea is valid, but also that it might be transformed into a new and applicable theory in studies of film and history. Here, this is done in contextualized analyses of the production and reception of historical Hollywood films made between 1960 and 2000. General approaches analyzing how theories and narrative strategies have evolved over time are continuously combined with close-readings of each respective context and film. It is suggested that historical films function as fictions because they function and not because they are true. In order to validate this and other similar ideas, Swedish film reviews published at the time of the films’ premieres function as metonymic exemples of European perspectives on America in general and Hollywood in particular. The Swedish reception is then put in relation to international theories and debates. Such a comparative strategy constitutes a specific attempt to better understand the academic terra incognita undoubtedly still existing between film scholars and historians when audiovisual media are discussed as historical source material. More than anything else, these conflicting opinions depend on whether you concentrate on the period represented in the film, or focus on the time during which the film was produced. If the latter perspective is chosen, as is the case in this contextualized study, it is proposed that empirical anlyses of audiovisual media, such as the historical Hollywood film, undoubtedly will make significant contributions to our future understanding of both film and history.}},
author = {{Jönsson, Mats}},
isbn = {{91-628-5971-4}},
keywords = {{Film and history; palimpsest of historical consciousness; historical thinking vs History with a capital H; conventional markers; authorship; matrix; Hollywood; 1960-2000.; History; Historia}},
language = {{swe}},
publisher = {{Mats Jönsson, Klostergatan 5B, 703 61 ÖREBRO,}},
school = {{Lund University}},
title = {{Film och historia. Historisk Hollywoodfilm 1960-2000}},
year = {{2004}},
}