NCSS Poster Presentation

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Cold War Era Film Curriculum

Overview of a history and film elective that examines the intersection between movies and historical context during the Cold War. This educational approach helps students gain a deeper understanding of the Cold War and teaches them to see films as primary sources that often contain politically and socially relevant themes; this is an understanding that is transferrable to the present day. Coupling the study of film and history allows students to develop media literacy skills, teaches students to ask questions about the past, and helps students understand how to think like historians.

Lesson Plan: Beyond the Waterfront

The focus of this five-day lesson plan is the history of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and its investigation of communists in Hollywood during the Cold War. The lesson blends the study of this topic with analysis of the film On the Waterfront (Kazan 1954), a feature film that serves as a political allegory defending and explaining why director Elia Kazan cooperated with HUAC.

Behind the Waterfront

This reading provides a detailed history of the making of On the Waterfront and its political connection to the issue of naming names. It also provides and account of the downfall of the friendship of director Elia Kazan and screenwriter Arthur Miller - Kazan named names (one of the names was Miller) and Miller refused to cooperate. The chapter is taken from the book Running Time: Films of the Cold War by Nora Sayre.