Robert Rosenstone: Inventing Historical Truth on the Silver Screen

When dramatic historical films and docudramas become controversial (such as JFK or the recently cancelled TV film on Ronald Reagan), the charge often made is that they are worthless because they fictionalize and invent the past. But after working on films for two of his own books, and researching the topic for fifteen years, historian Robert Rosenstone argues that it is precisely by fictionalizing and inventing a past that such films communicate much of value to us about our history. His talk will be illustrated with clips from historical films.

Robert Rosenstone is Professor of History at Caltech.

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All Watson Lectures will be available online at Caltech's Streaming Theater.