Biography and History in Film

This book seeks to analyse the representations of historical individuals in certain biographical films made in the period extending from the aftermath of the First World War to the twenty-first century. While there is an increasing literature analysing historical films and their relationship to history, biographical films and their relationship to biography have been largely ignored. The contributors examine the sources on which the biographical films were based, the purposes which their creators wanted them to serve and the political and social contexts in which they were made. They also compare the contents of these films with the knowledge of their subjects which existed at the time that these films were made. Based on these analyses, this volume will examine how biographical films reflect changing attitudes towards issues such as race, gender and sexuality as well as the influence of biographical films on popular perceptions of the past.