DC is for (Movie) Lovers

 

Washington DC can fairly be called a city of museums. Thanks to the long-ago generosity of a wealthy Brit who never made it onto American soil, the capital city of the new United States  built a castle-like museum on its national mall. From these beginnings back in 1846, the Smithsonian has evolved into a massive umbrella organization for some twenty-one museums, as well as libraries, research centers, and even a zoo. Most, though not all, of the Smithsonian’s treasures are located in the heart of the District of Columbia, where they can be visited sevcn days a week, free of charge. DC is also the home of many other remarkable educational sites (some public, some private)  designed for the public’s education and enjoyment. As someone obsessed with movies, I was surprised by the many creative ways in which film and video have been  put to use for visitors’ education and enjoyment.

 Of course some of the Smithsonian’s most popular museums use film to show us glimpses of a nation’s preoccupations over time. The African American Museum contains film clips from the bad old days when people of color were automatically assumed to be either brutal defilers of white women (see Birth of a Nation) or lovable mammies (see Gone With the Wind). The Museum of American History, one of my very favorites, boasts a pop culture exhibit that shows how films can help raise discussions about complex issues, like What is Justice? Or What is Family? Or What is Love? (In this day and age, I was impressed to see clips from such still-controversial films as Brokeback Mountain.) But this same museum also shows off footage and memorabilia from well-loved classics, like The Wizard of Oz and Star Wars, that underscore the romantic idealism of the American people. Dorothy’s ruby slippers –which have long been on view in this museum—seem to be a special favorite of visitors. In the museum’s gift shop, you can even buy a T-shirt bearing a sketch of the slippers, still on the feet of the now-expired Wicked With of the East, along with these words: SHOES TO DIE FOR.  

 What surprised me was how many museums now use sophisticated video applications to connect the individual viewer with the exhibit. At the Museum of American History you can virtually try on clothing from the museum’s historic collection by using your cellphone and following posted instructions. At the International Spy Museum (a pricey but fascinating attraction that’s not under Smithsonian auspices), you can establish your own spy identity, and even (via video) be outfitted in a nifty disguise of your own choosing. (I’ve supplied a photo, below, of my adventures in spycraft.)  

 The huge stately building dubbed the National Archives is best known for housing our nation’s essential documents, like the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. But the lower floor of the building on Constitution Avenue also features serious exhibits pertaining to social issues,, with showcases devoted to such-hot button topics as immigration, civil rights, and the struggle of women to attain the vote. Naturally, newsreel footage of protest marches is prominently featured.

 One floor up, before you get to exhibits celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, there’s a surprising opportunity to be interactive.  On a large screen you see these words: “THE AMERICAN STORY. The film collection of the National Archives contains motion pictures made by the U.S. government to engage and inform  Americans.”  If you’re tech savvy, you can sign in to a favorite topic, then watch appropriate films to your heart’s content.

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