Author: Ellen Whitton
Whitton, Ellen, 2021 Filmmakers as historians: understanding authentic representation within the films of Powell and Pressburger, Flinders University, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
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The complex relationship between film and history has been discussed by scholars since cinema’s earliest features; however, in the past twenty years, conversations regarding authenticity and historical representation have dramatically increased. Discussions have now spilled significantly into the wider public discourse and have influenced how filmmakers discuss and publicise their research and filmmaking practices. Despite this growing interest and such changes, a gap remains regarding the interrogative methods used in historiophoty studies and a focus on modern film/television releases (post-1980s) has produced a gap regarding the work of early-mid 20th century filmmakers and the development of authenticity on screen. Using a newly refined methodology developed specifically for the interrogation of authenticity on screen, this thesis aims to fill this gap through the in-depth interrogation of the historically set war films from Britain’s acclaimed filmmaking duo ‘The Archers’, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (1939-1957).
Keywords: Powell and Pressburger, British Film, Historical film, Authenticity, Historiophoty, Film History, British Cinema
Subject: Humanities thesis
Thesis type: Doctor of Philosophy
Completed: 2021
School: College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Supervisor: Associate Professor Andrekos Varnava