An Unlikely Medium: Comparing Film and Reality in ‘Jesse James’
Criticism of movies based on history, such as Jesse James, raises an interesting point about the purpose of moviemaking. Those who panned the film for being “notorious for its historical inaccuracy” overlooked the entertainment factor, which, after all, overrides all other artistic considerations. Even a “historical” film such as Lawrence of Arabia, widely considered one of the finest movies ever made, is more concerned with adventure and exploring the chaos that can arise from the ambiguities of human morality than with a strictly linear recounting of events in the Middle East ...
