A Review of Unbroken

I saw Unbroken, the movie at the theaters twice and reviewed it here on my blog. After seeing it, I knew I had to read the book that it was based on.  The movie was good, but the book was so much better.

Laura Hillenbrand did an amazing amount of research and then told the story in a captivating way.  Louie Zamperini's real life story is compelling, and Hillenbrand did a great job of bringing it to life.

What is even more amazing, is that Hillenbrand suffers from CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome).  She isn't able to leave her house for days at a time, yet, she has written two books that have won numerous awards.

I was not only inspired as I read about Louie's life, but I learned A LOT of history as well.  I've realized that most of us know much more about World War II history that took place in Europe, than we do about what took place in the Pacific.

When I saw The Great Raid back in 2005, I learned about the Bataan Death March.  My friend and I couldn't believe that we were just now learning about it.

So, that said, if you want to be inspired and learn history at the same time, take the time to read, Unbroken.

A Review of Selma

The film “Selma,” portraying the historic march for voting rights from Selma to Montgomery, AL in 1965, is a gut-wrenching experience that brings the viewer into the vehemence of the prejudice and the stunning courage of its resistors in this intense critical moment in the history of racism in America – and of nonviolence in the world.  The acting ranges from very good to superb (more on that in a moment).--Soneile Hymn

I've been dying to see Selma ever since I saw the previews.  I finally had the chance to see it tonight, and it surpassed my expectations, which were high.  I am torn now on whether I want American Sniper, or Selma to win the Academy Award on Sunday for best picture.

While watching the film, I took 10 pages of notes.  I have been studying the Civil Rights Movement lately, so I was familiar with a lot of the events that took place in the movie.

The movie showed many important events leading up to the Selma march, although not necessarily in order of when they occurred:

--King accepting the Nobel Peace Prize on October 14th, 1964
--The 16th Street Baptist church bombing where 4 girls were killed on September 15th, 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama
--Annie Lee Cooper attempting to register to vote in Alabama in 1963
--The murder of Jimmie Lee Jackson on February 18th, 1965 during a peaceful protest by a state trooper
--The murder of a white minister, Reverend Reeb on March 11, 1965 who had answered King's call for clergy to join the non-violent movement.

I thought the actors that were picked for this movie all did an amazing job of portraying the men and women who were involved in the civil rights movement one way or another.

While there is some criticism of how President Johnson was portrayed, I thought he came across the way I would've imagined, from what I know of Johnson.  That said, I will be doing more research on how accurate the portrayal was.

I submit to you that if a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live.--Martin Luther King, Jr.

Selma is not a documentary, but as a whole, you can learn a lot about history from watching it.  It was so well done, and gives you a snapshot into the civil rights movement as a whole.

I teared up at the end when they showed footage of the actual Selma march.  It is a dark part of our history that it took so many deaths in order to bring about equality for all men and women.  Race relations are far from perfect today, but for the most part, as Martin Luther King, Jr. foresaw, we have overcome. 

Sons of Liberty!

SONS OF LIBERTY is a dramatic interpretation of events that sparked a revolution. It is historical fiction, not a documentary. The goal of our miniseries is to capture the spirit of the time, convey the personalities of the main characters, and focus on real events that have shaped our past.--History Channel

I'm watching Sons of Liberty on the History Channel.  I am a big history buff, especially when it is about the founding fathers and the Revolutionary War.

As always, when watching something that is historical fiction, I love finding out more about the real story.  The History channel has some great links that help in doing just that.

-The Real-Life Haunts of the Sons of Liberty
-10 Things You May Not Know About John Adams
-10 Things You Should Know About Joseph Warren
-11 Things You May Not Know About Paul Revere
-Boston Tea Party: 10 Fast Facts
-9 Things You May Not Know About The Declaration of Independence

I personally knew very little about Joseph Warren, so I found that link particularly helpful.  There are even more history links, take the time to check them out here.