Originally posted by sling322
I watched a feature on the History Channel a few weeks back that was all about the War of 1812. I think it was actually called the Forgotten War because, as you say, most history books do gloss over it and it doesnt get as much pub as the other wars in our history. It was very well done and showed a lot of different angles to what happened. It even included info on how the President's wife risked her life by staying in the White House up to the last minute and made sure that a famous portrait of George Washington was removed right before they all evacuated it and the Brits burned it down.
I remember reading that story. Thats the kind of thing I'm talking about. Historical fiction movies can help a whole new generation learn little facts like that before they are all gone and no one remembers anymore.
A few other ideas...........
A book I just finished that would make an incredible movie: 1776. It's historical fiction. The story exactly as it happened, but with the gaps filled in, and the characters fleshed out to be real people. I've read alot of works about George Washington, and the more I study him the more impressed I am. This is a man who people wanted to make a King! The loyalty of his troops was unbelievable. He must have had incredible charisma.
While looking up the info in my previous post for the battle of Baltimore, I found some interesting info on Fort McHenry that might make a good movie. During the Civil war, federal troops held the fort to keep the people of Maryland from helping the Confederacy, and actually trained the guns of the fort on Baltimore. Confederate sympathizers were imprisoned there, often without ever getting a trial (remind you of anything?). Be a great historical fiction AND political commentary piece.
Also, I have been collecting info on guerrilla units that operated for the Confederacy in Missouri and Kansas during the Civil war. This is where people like the James brothers and the Youngers learned their trade, before they became true outlaws. Men like William Quantrill and Bloody Bill Anderson. In some parts of Missouri, Anderson and James are still thought of as heroes, and always have been. As the Civil War is a particular interest of mine, I'd like to see some movies made that didnt just focus on the big battles like Gettysburg or Shiloh or Cowpens.
Or another, what about a movie that focuses on the war with Mexico OTHER than the Battle of the Alamo? Can anyone name battles of the Mexican War? Some of the big players in the Civil War got their start there, and made names for themselves. Men that fought alongside one another that would be mortal enemies just a few years later.
What about the Spanish American war? Again, so many long-ranging effects from that war, and hardly anyone can tell you when it happened, or who the major players were, or why it happened. So much unplumbed material worthy of film.
Amazing with all these ideas we can come up with sitting here brainstorming, Hollywood is giving us remakes of TV shows and movies that have been done to death.
