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From real life to reel life : a filmography of biographical films

Includes films released in English or with English subtitles and shown commercially either in a theater or on television since the advent of sound.

A companion to the biopic

"Despite being undoubtedly the most hated of all film genres, the biopic has endured since the very beginning of cinema. A review of the biopic of Alan Turing, The Imitation Game (dir. Morten Tyldum 2014), sums up the general contempt for the genre itself: "sometimes it feels like a line is being crossed. I really wasn't sure which side I was on with the Turing movie-certainly knowing how much was wrong with it was damaging to my enjoyment of it, but did that make it bad art? In the end I think it did because it was all just so unnecessary and generic, and so persistent...Good acting, direction, sets etc....though" ("Two NYRB Essays"). Biopics are routinely dismissed as bad art, shallow, formulaic, inauthentic and disrespectful of history. Among the biopic's many decriers are film critics, literary scholars, historians, politicians, journalists and anyone wedded to the notion that portraits of individuals should be "true" to life. But as the reviewer of The Imitation Game begrudgingly admits, these films are often very watchable, essentially due to the performance of the lead actor"--The most comprehensive reference text of theoretical and historical discourse on the biopic film The biopic, often viewed as the most reviled of all film genres, traces its origins to the early silent era over a century ago. Receiving little critical attention, biopics are regularly dismissed as superficial, formulaic, and disrespectful of history. Film critics, literary scholars and historians tend to believe that biopics should be artistic, yet accurate, true-to-life representations of their subjects. Moviegoing audiences, however, do not seem to hold similar views; biopics continue to be popular, commercially viable films. Even the genre's most ardent detractors will admit that these films are often very watchable, particularly due to the performance of the lead actor. It is increasingly common for stars of biographical films to garner critical praise and awards, driving a growing interest in scholarship in the genre. A Companion to the Biopic is the first global and authoritative reference on the subject. Offering theoretical, historical, thematic, and performance-based approaches, this unique volume brings together the work of top scholars to discuss the coverage of the lives of authors, politicians, royalty, criminals, and pop stars through the biopic film. Chapters explore evolving attitudes and divergent perspectives on the genre with topics such as the connections between biopics and literary melodramas, the influence financial concerns have on aesthetic, social, or moral principles, the merger of historical narratives with Hollywood biographies, stereotypes and criticisms of the biopic genre, and more. This volume: Provides a systematic, in-depth analysis of the biopic and considers how the choice of historical subject reflects contemporary issues Places emphasis on films that portray race and gender issues Explores the uneven boundaries of the genre by addressing what is and is not a biopic as well as the ways in which films simultaneously embrace and defy historical authenticity Examines the distinction between reality and 'the real' in biographical films Offers a chronological survey of biopics from the beginning of the 20th century A Companion to the Biopic is a valuable resource for researchers, scholars, and students of history, film studies, and English literature, as well as those in disciplines that examine interpretations of historical figures .

Online Wiley Online Library

Reel portrayals : the lives of 640 historical persons on film, 1929 through 2001

Countless films have been based on fictional characters and their lives and experiences, but many have also been based on real people and events in their lives. Six hundred forty non-fictional characters of historical or social importance who have been portrayed in at least two feature films can be found in this comprehensive reference book. It lists 569 real people arranged alphabetically (from George Adamson to Emile Zola), provides a brief biography of each, and lists each film in which he or she has been portrayed. The actor portraying the real person is listed first, followed by such details as the film's title, country, year of release, running time, color or black & white, director(s), source (novel, play, etc.), awards, alternate titles (if any), and cast credits. The appendices list 71 additional real people who have been portrayed in feature films, including American presidents, British, French, Russian and German monarchs, and Billy the Kid and Wild Bill Hickock.

Film and Media Studies

Stanford Libraries' Film and Media Studies collections include video, film, and television titles in all historical video formats.