MovieChat Forums > Mindhunters (2005) Discussion > The Roanoke Island part

The Roanoke Island part

posted 14 years ago by jirshon
17 replies | jump to latest

There's always those parts in movies where someone tells some kind of story and everyone listens intrigued and the audience is supposed to listen to and yada yada yda, but is it just me or isn't the Roanoke Island story common sense to people who have taken any basic history class? I learned about that when I was in 4th grade I'm pretty sure, and again in 9th grade, and even again my freshman year in college. It was just annoying to hear him talk about it like nobody has ever heard of it, and it was even worse when L.L. Cool J says, "It disturbs me you know that story."

Did anybody else feel the same way, did you already know this story?

P.S. I'm not a hater on the movie, I enjoyed it, I was just wondering how many others already knew that story I suppose.

[–] Angel_Buffy 14 years ago

I knew some of the story, but I didn't know about the carving of Croatoan into the tree. But I don't know how common it is in History class, I was homeschooled, so I don't know if this is something you normally learn or not.
Heh, they did manage to make the story sound much creepier then in actually was. Though I admit I didn't quite get the connection between the story and the events of the movie.

[–] jirshon 14 years ago

Yeah I definitely don't see the connection there either haha

[–] AtheistRevolution 14 years ago

Its one of the most common stories horror films and TV shows use. Storm of the Century,Freakylinks,Supernatural,etc.How can someone not know about that story? Of course the reality is they most likely just went to Croatoan island and carved that in a tree to let settlers know where they were.But if people want to believe it was demons and everything else they can go right along with believing that.

Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful.

[–] e-kelly01 14 years ago

"How can someone not know about that story? "

I didn't. It's American history, and a minor story, so obviously non Americans won't know

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[–] BlondeandBlueEyed 13 years ago

Noone said they thought that. I think you're a bit paranoid with religion. I feel sorry for you.

[–] Strazdamonas 13 years ago

i never heard about it.

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All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for enough good men to do nothing.

[–] Blathnat69 13 years ago

While it is a common perception that anything that an 'American' knows must be known by everyone else, that certainly isnt the case here. Like many movies, this would have been hopeful of making money overseas, where they don't actually learn US History. Hell, I dont even know when the American Revolution was, nor do I care. I think they did a very good job here of giving a very condensed version of the Roanoak Island story, explaining the basics to people who have never heard of it.

[–] squirt_fry 13 years ago

but is it just me or isn't the Roanoke Island story common sense to people who have taken any basic history class

You do realise that America isn't the only country on the planet, right? Also, "common sense"?

[–] honeylocs 12 years ago

Also depends on who teaches the basic history class and where you take it. When one lives longer and learns more, you have more experiences in life and recognize that there are differences.

[–] sidgirl 10 years ago

You do realize that the point isn't whether or not the audience knows the story, but the fact that a group of American FBI trainees, who are living in Virginia at a time when archaeological digs were taking place at Jamestown and the state was preparing for a large anniversary celebration there, supposedly didn't know it? This isn't about the viewers, it's about the characters.

Better scriptwriting would have acknowledged the fact that the story of Jamestown is taught in elementary school in the US and that college-educated FBI trainees in Virginia would definitely know it, while at the same time providing viewers unfamiliar with it the information they needed.

Instead, the script treated it like some weird, obscure urban legend that nobody's ever heard of.

That's the point being made here. It's not about Americans thinking everyone in the world knows every bit of our history, it's about Americans wondering how the characters in this film somehow don't know it.

People said love was blind, but what they meant was that love blinded them.

[–] gothor 11 years ago

I learned about that when I was in 4th grade

It disturbs me you know that story. >:(

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[–] Captain_Wesker 10 years ago

I'm an American, and I never learned about Roanoke in school.

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It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing .

[–] Burning_Sosobra 10 years ago

I'm also American and don't recall learning this story in school. Maybe if you lived on the east coast you'd hear more about it but I was born and raised on the west coast. I'm kind of embarrassed I didn't know it actually, since I'm a history buff and studied history in school. Or perhaps I did learn it in school and forgot. It's been a long time since I was in grade school, or school in general. Can't remember every little story or lesson I was taught.

I no longer know who I am and I feel like the ghost of a total stranger

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