History textbooks describe real-life events in the world utilizing two of the three rhetorical strategies within the rhetorical triangle: Logos and Ethos. They tend to focus on the bare bones of history, especially war and tragedies without being able to accurately portray the emotional toll events take on groups of individuals.

This void is what Hollywood movies attempt to fill when examining how cinema generated commentary can implement the strong emotion textbooks often lack.

Hollywood’s War Machine, exemplified by the Empire Production Company analyzes how accurately war is portrayed in movies depicting events in history. According to the short film, military officials require Hollywood to recruit men and women to consider the accuracy of the film. If the film lacks realism in the eyes of the military, then no stamp of military approval is awarded.

When watching this manifestation of how war movies in Hollywood cinema are actually made, my mind automatically went to a ghastly movie my eighth grade teacher showed us after we read Milkweed, a novel about the heartbreaking transfer of families from ghettos to concentration camps during the Holocaust. As a person who identifies as Jewish, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas turned my world upside down. There’s something horrific about watching families that could have been yours had you been born in a different place and time. I did notice some slight inaccuracies in the film, embellishments made by Hollywood, such as the young boy’s accessibility to the rest of Germany without being noticed.

Hollywood’s primary job before educating the public, is simply to make money. Therefore, our histories are shaped with misconceptions that are seamlessly implemented within movies, sometimes maneuvering our heads to think of history differently than what the textbooks taught us. Even the movie cover states “lines may divide us, but hope will unite us all” which is an addition on Hollywood’s part in order to push Pathos that isn’t necessary historically accurate. There was little hope for people starving and near to death during World War II. The only hope anyone had was when survivors were finally saved and during the Nuremberg Trials. Our minds automatically see these two boys from two different worlds befriending one another and we believe the best.

The few misconceptions in Hollywood’s features however, don’t speak for its actions as a whole. In all, Hollywood movies help the general public understand how horrific the crimes committed during specific time periods were and are. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas for instance, moves its audience to despair, realizing the extent of Nazi crimes.

In my opinion, learning about history through Hollywood films is a trade off. One must first consult primary sources, textbooks, and encyclopedias which are sure to have no bias and will tell the truth. Then, we can move towards Pathos inducing sources, such as novels and movies. When learning through these sources, we must always remember to check what we know and not let dramatic additions facilitate our brains. Ultimately, it is up to us as the privileged to understand that Hollywood can be both an aid and a hindrance.