Considering film as historical research entails thinking of it not just as a historical source or a kind of popularised presentation of history, but as a tool of production by which unique historical insights can be gained. Though film is widely regarded as a legitimate source material of historical scholarship, it is seldom employed as such. Siegfried Kracauer's investigation of the popular rise of Nazism in German society and Marc Ferro's study of Russian revolutionary history are among the pioneering works in this field. The presentation of history in film is at the very least discussed among historians as a serious option to aid the dissemination of historical insights into the classroom and the larger public realm. Increasing numbers of historical journals have started providing space for film reviews. Renowned historians like Robert Rosenstone and Natalie Zemon Davis have also participated in the production of historical films and published their reflections on the experience of this involvement. But, to think of film as a medium of historical research still seems to be a very odd idea for the overwhelming majority of historians..