How have the modes of communication been a reflection of history and society?
The film shows how society was in the 1960s not only by describing the lifestyles at Harvard and Yale, but also delving into topics such as the Vietnam War and the sexual revolution. This film reflects how life was in the 1960s as one player from Harvard stated, "the 1960s began with the Gulf of Tonkin and ended when Nixon resigned." This film not only described Harvard and Yale, but how the colleges and the game were part of the 1960s. Rafferty showed that the game was a small part of the 1960s, but all of the game's participants were still living in the 1960s such as Tim Conway. Conway was a Harvard student who served in Vietnam and then returned to Harvard in 1968 to play cornerback. He describes his experiences on the field, but also discusses the war and the perceptions of the Harvard student body. He said that when he returned to Cambridge he was egged because of the negativity towards the war. The film reflects America in the 1960s, but Rafferty focuses towards the population of students at Harvard and Yale.
How have the modern modes of communication been received and perceived by the global community?
The film showed the story of the 1968 Harvard-Yale football game as the backdrop for an exploration into the culture of the 1960s. The film tells a story that is not as well known as other stories in sports, but presents it in a way that not only describes the game, but the country during the time of the game. With documentaries, filmmakers have the opportunity to expand a story with the information around them to not only tell the story at hand, but also tell the whole story: in this case, the 1968 Harvard-Yale football game and the attitudes of the colleges towards the Vietnam War and the various social revolutions in America. The film was given high praise by many critics for its excellent story telling of the game and America during the 1960s. This film is an excellent example of how film has evolved to tell stories and become a tool to present claims and defend, challenge, or qualify an argument. This film is more expository, but clearly and effectively tells a story and presents information that has not been considered greatly before. There have been films and movies about colleges during the 1960s, but this is a unique film that delves into two of the world's premier learning institutions and sets a football game as a backdrop to the story. The documentary shows how film can inform its viewers and establish a claim that may not have been thoroughly considered before.
Monday, May 28, 2012
IRD Post 1
The documentary I chose to watch was Harvard Beats Yale 29-29. It was produced by former Harvard graduate Kevin Rafferty. The film switches between game footage from the Harvard-Yale football game in 1968 and interviews with over 50 of the games surviving participants. The interviews discuss the game itself as well as life in 1968 at Harvard/Yale and in America. Rafferty decided to produce this film for the fortieth anniversary of what is considered to be "the greatest game in the history of the Ivy League."
Rafferty mainly presents the film by switching between archival footage of the game, interviews with the surviving players, and with images and videos of America during the 1960s. In his interviews he uses expert testimonial to present the feeling of the game by having different players from both Harvard and Yale discuss what they remember from the 1968 game. He also alludes to Garry Trudeau's Doonesbury comic, which included small plots about the Yale football players such as Brian Dowling. By using Trudeau's comics, Rafferty shows the attitudes towards the Yale players on the university, which was a jock-like attitude. Rafferty uses archival footage to show the game itself and uses the actual broadcast to recreate the game and how it played out. By using the archival footage, Rafferty is able to show how people saw the football teams and the excitement created by Harvard when they scored 16 points in 42 seconds to tie the game. Rafferty is able to establish credability by showing his interest because he went to Harvard and objective viewpoints by having interviews from both Harvard and Yale players.
Rafferty mainly presents the film by switching between archival footage of the game, interviews with the surviving players, and with images and videos of America during the 1960s. In his interviews he uses expert testimonial to present the feeling of the game by having different players from both Harvard and Yale discuss what they remember from the 1968 game. He also alludes to Garry Trudeau's Doonesbury comic, which included small plots about the Yale football players such as Brian Dowling. By using Trudeau's comics, Rafferty shows the attitudes towards the Yale players on the university, which was a jock-like attitude. Rafferty uses archival footage to show the game itself and uses the actual broadcast to recreate the game and how it played out. By using the archival footage, Rafferty is able to show how people saw the football teams and the excitement created by Harvard when they scored 16 points in 42 seconds to tie the game. Rafferty is able to establish credability by showing his interest because he went to Harvard and objective viewpoints by having interviews from both Harvard and Yale players.
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