Filmed History: Watching Historic Films Can't Always Deliver the Full Picture

Seeing is believing. Or Is it? Despite human equality in more intangible ways, some are endowed with better vision. Still, can even the most eagle eyed of us decipher truth from merely watching something? Even more difficult, can we decode truth from just watching a film? A magician fools us. Optical illusions are powerful. You swear what you see is real, but of course it's not.

From a blimp's destruction, to the most shocking act of terrorism in American history, these are moments of history that were filmed. We can look at footage again and again, but does it get us closer to the truth?

Hindenburg Disaster - 1937

The enormous German airship burst into flames on an airfield in Manchester Township, New Jersey. Newsreel cameras caught the fiery disaster, which killed 36 people. In 1996, the original footage was chosen for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

Theories on what caused the Hindenburg disaster have been debated for seventy years, including sabotage by bomb, lighting and the most likely, a static spark theory involving build-up of a static electricity charge. Interestingly, Hugo Eckener former head of the Zeppelin company, which built the blimp, was a proponent of sabotage theory - then later changed his mind to embrace the accidental static spark explanation. However, having film didn't cement an explanation.

JFK Assassination - 1963

The famed Zapruder film, which captured John F Kennedy being assassinated while traveling in his motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, may be one of the most watched historic films ever.

As the beloved leader of America is shot by a high powered rifle, what can you tell is transpiring? Does the film support the official lone gunman in Lee Harvey Oswald - or does the "grassy knoll" still inspire valid speculation from you? It's been debated for years in pop culture, most notably in Oliver Stone's movie "JFK".

Paterson Gimlin Bigfoot Film - 1967

You may chuckle, but this film recorded something - what is still argued four decades later.

Roger Paterson and Robert Gimlin set off on horseback armed with a movie camera to film a mysterious man creature known as Sasquatch or Bigfoot. That they actually filmed what they were searching for still astounds many and perhaps amuses even more. If you haven't seen it by now, a search on YouTube or other sites should fetch footage. Decide for yourself. Is it a hoax or real? Can you come to a conclusion by watching this film? The most renowned zoologists and anthropologists to top Hollywood special FX people have passionate responses to the film. They can't agree on what's before the camera. Can you tell by viewing?

Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster - 1986

Where were you when the Space Shuttle Challenger blew up?

I remember when my English teacher gave us the news, our class was moved into the school library to watch the accident and discuss our feelings. The film is 73 seconds long. Depending upon quality of the copy, the vehicle can be discerned clearly as it makes its descent, then once the malfunction happens - later discovered in NASA's investigation to be failure in the O-Rings - the explosion shocks and leaves us in dismay. Can you give a reason for the Challenger disaster by looking at those 73 seconds of film? Can anyone? It was only after careful examination of physical evidence that a plausible explanation could be given for the destruction.

World Trade Center - 2001

More than any disaster in modern times, the World Trade Center destruction was filmed, photographed and witnessed by thousands of people live and on air by millions more.

As massive amounts of jet fuel burned away and ignited the towers, cameras rolled. When the WTC collapsed, it was documented. Charges of a "9/11 Conspiracy" still resonate strongly. People look at the footage and shout it appears a "controlled demotion". Engineers and demolitions experts have weighed in, yet without careful studying of physical evidence or advanced digital treatment; can naked eyes reveal truth? Can you tell why the WTC fell by looking at films?

Those who say confidently they can tell absolute truth from looking at a few minutes or few seconds of film should really examine their conclusions. As I've proven here, some of the most watched historic films offer clues, but they're no definitive explanation on anything other than how fleeting images are and how much our intelligent race must rely on careful examination of physical evidence and science to provide us with the truth.