Sir Winston Spencer Churchill, a Life Told in Film

John P. Kondelik, Ph.D., Director of Libraries Emeritus, Albion College. 

Wednesdays.  1:30-4:00 p.m.  October 2, 16, 23, 30.  Bohm Theatre.

Winston Churchill has been portrayed in as many as 65 films (feature films and documentaries). This class will view four of the feature films that have been produced since 1972. These include some of the best portrayals and some of the worst. Some of these films have been based on sound historical research and interpretation, while others we will see have been based on unsound revisionist interpretations. I will introduce each film for about 15 minutes and provide a guide to viewing each film with suggested scenes to think about. After the viewing of each film there will be time for discussing these scenes and what is historically accurate and what is not. Some scenes in each film take liberties with historical accuracy to make some point that supports Churchill’s actions and events of Churchill’s life. My hope is that each participant in the class will come away with a critical view of film-making as an accurate portrayal of history and biography.