Description
[Modern] You see them everywhere — films about art history. They appear on PBS, the History Channel, the Discovery Channel and, particularly recently, in our local movie theater. In the 1950s and 60s movies such as “The Agony and the Ecstasy,” “Moulin Rouge” and “Lust for Life” depicted that era’s version of the lives of famous artists Michelangelo, Toulouse Lautrec and Vincent Van Gogh. More recently, “The Da Vinci Code,” “Angels and Demons,” “The Rape of Europa” and “The Cave of Forgotten Dreams” have been released. Because these films have become so common, it is important for us to be good consumers of this entertainment and infotainment. In this class we will view many of the films from the television channels most commonly showing “historical documentaries” as well as some of the theater releases and then explore the accuracies and inaccuracies contained in them, as well as the kinds of half-truths which sell tickets and raise ratings. Beyond viewing films and discussion, ther