Social commentary in historical films

"Altough historical films may contain an element of social commentary -in other words, they do connect on some level with social reality- and they are frequently interpreted in these terms, this is not generally their only, nor even primary, concern. Rather, they use the cinematic medium selfconsciously to explore our imaginary relationship with past events, presenting history as a collection of mementoes, as fragmented and partial, accesible only through the mediation of personal perceptions and emotional responses. In doing so, these films contribute to debates about the status of historical truth and objectivity."

Pam Cook. Screening the past. Memory and nostalgia in cinema. Routledge, London and New York, 2005, p.218.