TEXT F The problem with history
is simple. There is too much of it, And more of it comes along every day. We
need something that will cut the past down to size. We want heroes and heroines
that a modern person can identify with. That is where Hollywood comes
in. Film makers have often based their work on historical
events. Why go to the trouble of writing a brand new story when so many exciting
things have happened in the pasty People will often already know the story, That
leaves the director free to thrill us with details of what life as like in
imperial China or ancient Rome. Most historians dislike this
attitude. They see history as a complex thing, influenced by great political and
economic forces. Film audiences are not very interested in this. They want kings
and queens. They pay their money to see fancy clothes and a good fight. And this
is what the film industry tries to give them. Sometimes this
approach can cause trouble. The film Titanic was a success around the world. In
one of the film’s most dramatic moments, a member of the ship’s crew begins
shooting into the crowd trying to get into the lifeboats as the ship sinks. When
the film was released, the real life sailor’s surviving relatives protested.
They pointed out that this was not what had actually happened The film makers
made a public apology. But everyone who has seen the film remembers the sight of
the man shooting into the crowd. Defenders of "Hollywood
history" say that most of the time the film makers get the facts right. The
action is based on real events and the clothes are accurate. People talk in the
way that they would have done in the past even if they do it with a modern
American accent. For many people, a historical film will be the closest they
come to discovering the past. It is still possible to find
mistakes. Millions have been spent on putting together a replica of ancient
Rome. The costumes are right and the atmosphere is perfect. Yet if you look very
closely, a plane can be seen passing through the sky above. Some
film makers say that history needs to be simplified if it is to be filmed. The
film maker’s job is to make viewers interested. If they want to know more, they
can do their own research. The difference between film history
and real history is the difference between the facts and the truth. We can watch
a "costume drama" and know that all the materials used are probably accurate.
But if we want to find out the whole story, we have to do it ourselves. We have
to go back to the books. The main point of the passage is______.
A.that films based on past events are often big hits B.how much we can trust the Hollywood version of history C.that we should read books rather than see films to know the history D.why film audiences are interested in film history rather than real history