The first comprehensive collection of perspectives in a growing field of research, this essential volume seeks to answer questions that lie at the heart of our response to the genre. How does a narrative history film speak about the past? What does it reveal about the generation creating it? How can we tell its fictions from its truths? Can popular entertainment of this kind also be a serious purveyor of historical knowledge and understanding? Featuring contributions from international scholars in the fields of History, Film Studies, Anthropology, and Cultural and Literary Studies, this collection offers a variety of interdisciplinary approaches.

A rich diversity of themes is taken into consideration, ranging from the nature of cinematic truth and the poetics and politics of the history film, to its interplay with written accounts of the past and its place in the classroom. The essays tackle inclusive subjects, such as how the form developed in different political contexts, alongside more focused assessments of individual films and auteurs. Prefaced with an introductory survey of the field by its two distinguished editors, this new Companion is a notable contribution to the field.