Welcome back to my school essays, I hope you enjoy it and let’s begin!
“Quiz Show” is a 1994 movie that tells the story of the quiz show scandals of the 1950s. The movie portrays several key historical figures, such as Charles Van Doren and Herb Stempel, in a way that is not entirely truthful. This raises the question of whether the movie broke the commandment, “Thou shalt not bear false witness.” I’ll be comparing the movie’s level of honesty with the given commandment from the Bible, for the events in this movie are real true events that happened in history, so it’s important to rate the honestly level of the movie.
The commandment “Thou shalt not bear false witness” is a commandment written in the Bible which is often interpreted as a prohibition against lying and dishonesty. It is a commandment that is closely tied with the idea of truthfulness and honesty. In the context of “Quiz Show,” the question is whether the movie’s portrayal of historical figures was truthful and honest, or whether it was misleading and dishonest.
In the movie, Charles Van Doren, played by Ralph Fiennes, is portrayed as a clean-cut, all-American hero who becomes a victim of the quiz show scandals. Van Doren is shown as a brilliant young man who is lured into cheating on a quiz show, but who ultimately confesses his wrongdoing and redeems himself.
However, the truth about Van Doren is much more complex. In reality, Van Doren was not an innocent victim, but a willing participant in the cheating scandal. He was a privileged and wealthy young man who was given special treatment by the quiz show producers. He was also a professor at Columbia University, and his involvement in the scandal tarnished the reputation of the university.
Similarly, Herb Stempel, played by John Turturro, is portrayed in the movie as a bitter and jealous loser who is replaced by Van Doren on the quiz show. Stempel is shown as a man who is willing to do anything to win, including throwing the game and revealing the cheating scandal.
However, the truth about Stempel is also more complex. Stempel was not a willing participant in the cheating scandal, but a victim of the quiz show producers who manipulated the outcome of the game. Stempel was a working-class Jewish man who was seen as an outsider in the world of television. His involvement in the scandal led to his being blacklisted and prevented him from finding work in the television industry.
In conclusion, “Quiz Show” did not tell the truth about key historical figures in the quiz show scandals of the 1950s. The movie’s portrayal of Charles Van Doren and Herb Stempel was not entirely truthful and accurate. This raises the question of whether the movie broke the commandment, “Thou shalt not bear false witness.” The movie’s portrayal of these historical figures was misleading and dishonest, and it did not accurately reflect the complexity of their roles in the quiz show scandals. While the movie is a work of fiction, it is important to remember that it is based on real events and real people, and that it has a responsibility to tell the truth about them.
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