Shermans march to the sea is the name commonly given to the savannah campaign by maj. Extras a sixminute interview with ross mcelwee allows the director to discuss his filmic approach but it also serves as an excellent introduction to his other films, from time. The yeasty comic conceit of shermans march is this. The analysis shows the film s remarkable construction, sound track and voiceovers, its images and camera movements. Sherman s march is a story that would have been a better read at the late elementary school and early middle school level.
Sep 05, 1986 at the beginning of ross mcelwees shermans march, the film maker tells us that he had originally planned a documentary about the aftereffects, which are still to be found in georgia and the. Shermans march is a 1986 autobiographical documentary film written and directed by ross mcelwee as mcelwee himself explains onscreen, the film was originally meant to be a documentary about, yes, william tecumseh shermans march to the sea through georgia in late 1864, and his followup march through the carolinas in early 1865, which concluded with confederate surrender and the end of the. The march to the sea has come down to us as an act of savage brutality perpetrated by one of the great villains of american history. It has won best documentary awards at numerous film festivals, been cited by the national board of film critics as one of the five best films of its year, selected for a cinema du reel. Its mostly about ross mcelweethe director and his adventures with hot southern women. Shermans march through georgia while completing the document analysis chart. Oct 19, 2009 one of the interesting aspects of grimsley s analysis is the way he places sherman s march within the broader context of previous wars. Though he almost always starts off to make a film about some legitimate subject in this case, general william shermans infamous march to the sea during the civil war, the movies ultimately never pan out, or the focus changes as mcelwee finds something more interesting to focus on. Sherman s march to the sea analysis 1518 words 7 pages. As helmed by rick king and adapted from the memoirs of general william tecumseh sherman, the 2007 history channel documentary sherman s march recounts the details of the famous. The sea was the goal, the end result, for the union leader. While the march destroyed property and infrastructure and visited suffering and fear on. Sherman s march to the sea was 285 miles in length extending from atlanta to the confederate beachfront town of savannah.
Ross mcelwee is an award winning documentary film maker whos films include shermans march, bright leaves, six oclock news and something tho do with the wall. To this day, many believe that sherman did not bring any supplies with him on his famed. Shermans march to the sea by daniel sidman1 on prezi. The image that i am analyzing comes from her untitled film stills that were created during 1977 to 1980.
Create marketing content that resonates with prezi video. Sherman s devastating march through georgia and the carolinas davis, burke on. Depending on the students level of comfort and experience with analyzing documents, the teacher should choose a method to suit the specific class. Sherman was a southerner turned yankee during the civil war. Romantic love, the heart of many fiction films, is rare in documentary films. We watch as harvardbased documentarian ross mcelwee, planning a 1981 film about the lingering effects of william tecumseh shermans. Just the mention of william tecumseh shermans name conjures. An ideal model for the blogging generation, shermans march integrates the personal and the universal without. When first run released ross mcelwee s sundance award winning sherman s march in 1986, it went on to become one of the largest grossing. Ross mcelwee is a beguiling amateur, and the virtue of his quirky documentary, shermans march, is that it cuts against the grain, communicating the texture of real life with lazy intimacy. After his girlfriend leaves him, mcelwee takes a voyage along the original route followed by general william sherman but rather than cutting a swath of destruction designed to force the confederate south into submission, as. Shermans march to the sea was followed by a similarly devastating march through the carolinas early in 1865, but the message was clear. The actual feature looks as good as its 16mm roots, with variable color and sound. Ross mcelwee documents his march, akin to admiral shermans, from north carolina through the south.
When first run released ross mcelwees sundance award winning shermans march in 1986, it. This documentary chronicles general william tecumseh sherman s fabled march to the sea through georgia and the carolinas, utilizing state of the art production techniques including cgi, special effects and historical recreations. Ross begins his documentary intent on the journeys of w. Shermans devastating march through georgia and the carolinas davis, burke on. November 15december 21, drawing, 18621865, by alfred r waud, 18281891, an american artist famous for his american civil war sketches, america, us.
The purpose of shermans march to the sea was to frighten georgias civilian population into abandoning the confederate cause. Sherman s march to the sea also known as the savannah campaign or simply sherman s march was a military campaign of the american civil war conducted through georgia from november 15 until december 21, 1864, by maj. A meditation on the possibility of romantic love in the south during an era of nuclear weapons proliferation is the least favorite film i have watched for this column. Mclane, a new history of documentary film new york. Shermans march to the sea would set the south ablaze. The campaign began with shermans troops leaving the captured city of atlanta on november 15 and ended with the capture of the port of savannah on december 21.
Shermans devastating sweep through georgia and the carolinas during the last days of the u. Mcelwee began the film with the idea of tracing general shermans decisive campaign through the south, showing how its devastations still linger psychically, if not visibly. A meditation on the possibility of romantic love in the south during an era of nuclear weapons proliferation is a 1986 documentary film written and directed by ross mcelwee. Sherman s devastating sweep through georgia and the carolinas during the last days of the u. As helmed by rick king and adapted from the memoirs of general william tecumseh sherman, the 2007 history channel documentary shermans march recounts the details of the famous. Shermans famed march to the sea began in november 15, 1864, when federal forces began leaving atlanta. The civil war was a fight for people, by people, and about people. In sherman s march, the times shaped the individuals. In 2000, sherman march was chosen for preservation by the library of congress national film registry as a historically significant american motion picture. Why was shermans march to the sea so important to union victory. Shermans march to the sea analysis 1518 words 7 pages. Cindy sherman is an american photographer and film director, best known for her photographs in which she is dressed in costumes representing another person.
Sherman s famed march to the sea began in november 15, 1864, when federal forces began leaving atlanta. After leaving the decimated city of atlanta on november 16, sherman led his troops. Sherman s march is an excellent account of william t. Was general shermans use of total warfare justified. In addition to the thorough and engaging narrative, davis includes eyewitness accounts from hundreds of soldiers and civilians that serve to make history come alive in this work of non. A documentarians attempts to study the effects of general sherman.
Shermans march to the sea union leader william tecumseh sherman introduced scorched earth burn crops, kill livestock, and gather supplies the union 62,000 confederates 39,000 union. Shermans march nr by paul attanasio washington post staff writer december 25, 1986 ross mcelwee is a beguiling amateur, and the virtue of his quirky documentary, shermans march, is. Shermans march was a hit, despite its length nearly three hours. An extraordinary documentary by ross mcelwee that mixes american history, a romantic quest, and the search for meaning in the early 1980s. Was it sherman who drove the final nail in the onfederacys coffin, or was it grant to the north. Rather than looking ahead to the twentieth century we should appreciate the extent to which shermans policies reflected a continuation of. And davis notes, without bias, that shermans march to savannah went virtually unopposedthis despite the dire predictions of military men everywhere who shared an apocalyptic vision of the fate awaiting shermans army, surrounded in swamps and woodlands, fired on from fences and hedgerows, and bled to death by georgia guerrillas. Ellen draper, shermans march, film quarterly 40 spring 1987. Jun 17, 2007 the opening scene to ross mcelwee s sherman s march. The first fulllength narrative of general william t. Aug 15, 2016 fashion and female identity is a recurring theme in cindy shermans art.
Shermans march is an excellent account of william t. Ross mcelwees shermans march on first run features. If ever a movie fit that description, it would be ross mcelwees groundbreaking 1986 documentary shermans march, a loping, idiosyncratic reverie through history and the heart, loosely conjoined by the camera lens. In 2000, the library of congress deemed the film culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant and selected it for preservation in the national film registry, calling it a hilarious, oneofakind romantic exploration of.
Ross mcelwee documents his march, akin to admiral shermans, from north carolina through the south, in search of true romance. Roseman, a documentary fiction and ethnographic production. From november 15 until december 21, 1864, union general william t. On the eve of making a documentary on william tecumseh sherman, the civil war. One of the interesting aspects of grimsleys analysis is the way he places shermans march within the broader context of previous wars. A contentious debate about shermans march film school rejects. Shermans march is a story that would have been a better read at the late elementary school and early middle school level. The campaign began with shermans troops leaving the captured city of atlanta on november 15 and ended with the capture. Shermans march to the sea devastated georgia and the confederacy. Jul 11, 2017 movie loosely based on the actual sherman s march.
In november and december of 1864, william tecumseh sherman was given the task to bring total war to the south. On january 30, 1865, shermans 65,000man army launched the invasion moving 10 to 12 miles a day, burning a swath 60 miles wide in grim determination readily viewed as retribution. Rather than looking ahead to the twentieth century we should appreciate the extent to which sherman s policies reflected a continuation of previous wars. Shermans march to the sea also known as the savannah campaign or simply shermans march was a military campaign of the american civil war conducted through georgia from november 15 until december 21, 1864, by maj. Acquired through the generosity of jo carole and ronald. Shermans march was awarded the grand jury prize in the field of documentary at the 1987 sundance film festival. Shermans march looks and sounds like its from 1986, but no amount of dirt and noise and theres some here and there can diffuse any of the film s magic. Most of mcelwees camerawork is excellent under the circumstances and his framing always gives us. And davis notes, without bias, that sherman s march to savannah went virtually unopposedthis despite the dire predictions of military men everywhere who shared an apocalyptic vision of the fate awaiting sherman s army, surrounded in swamps and woodlands, fired on from fences and hedgerows, and bled to death by georgia guerrillas. Shermans march to the sea likewise called the savannah crusade was embraced by general william tecumseh sherman between november 12, 1864, and december 22, 1864. Sherman s march is a 1986 autobiographical documentary film written and directed by ross mcelwee as mcelwee himself explains onscreen, the film was originally meant to be a documentary about, yes, william tecumseh sherman s march to the sea through georgia in late 1864, and his followup march through the carolinas in early 1865, which concluded with confederate surrender and the end of the. It s mostly about ross mcelweethe director and his adventures with hot southern women. In the film shermans march 1986, ross mcelwee parodies.
It won the grand jury prize at sundance, and until the midnineties was ranked as one of the highestgrossing. Shermans devastating march through georgia and the carolinas. Sherman s march to the sea likewise called the savannah crusade was embraced by general william tecumseh sherman between november 12, 1864, and december 22, 1864. Sherman s march to the sea union leader william tecumseh sherman introduced scorched earth burn crops, kill livestock, and gather supplies the union 62,000 confederates 39,000 union. He recalls seeing a atmosphere nuke test as a child. Other articles where march to the sea is discussed. But on december 16, 1864, sherman received a letter from lieutenant general ulysses s. The brutality of shermans march has been well documented. Not only is shermans march a beautiful portrait of one mans personal journey through the strange tapestry of love and history, its a wonderful snapshot of the american south in the early 80s. An analysis of shermans march, cultural anthropology 6 november 1991.
It was awarded the grand jury prize at the 1987 sundance film festival. An abundance of alcohol greeted the union army as it entered columbia on february 17, 1865. Grant, commander inchief of the union army, dashing his plans. His forces followed a scorched earth policy, destroying military targets as well as industry, infrastructure, and civilian property, dis. William tecumseh sherman during the final months of the civil war. This documentary chronicles general william tecumseh shermans fabled march to the sea through georgia and the carolinas, utilizing state of the art production techniques including cgi, special effects and historical recreations. Why was shermans march to the sea so important to union. Ross mcelwee sets out to make a documentary about the lingering effects of general shermans march of destruction through the south during the civil war, but is continually sidetracked by women who come and go in his life, his recurring dreams of nuclear holocaust, and burt reynolds. I wondered if that was the way the author wrote or if it was the way sherman spoke. Sherman led some 60,000 soldiers on a 285mile march from atlanta to savannah, georgia.
This essay begins by explaining its absence and shows that, when it appears, romantic love is usually depicted unfavorably. Nov 17, 2014 from the vantage point of the 21st century, shermans way of war seems a dramatic departure from earlier methods and has prompted some historians to characterize his march to the sea as the birth of modern total war. First run features dvd of shermans march augments the film with some wellchosen extras. Shermans march to the sea was 285 miles in length extending from atlanta to the confederate beachfront town of savannah. Then the focus turns to shermans march, the documentary that best reveals romantic love in all its. Grant directed sherman to establish a base on the coast and with the balance of his command, come to grant by water with all dispatch. At the beginning of ross mcelwees shermans march, the film maker tells us that he had originally planned a documentary about the aftereffects, which are still to be found in georgia and the.
In 1864 we took a little tripalong with general sherman near the mighty mississippiwe took a little hardtack and we took a lotta beans. Mcelwee began the film with the idea of tracing general shermans decisive campaign through the south, showing how its devastations. Autumn, 1864, and the civil war has ground to a bloody stalemate. There were approximately 3,100 casualties of which 2,100 were union soldiers, but the countryside took years to recover. General sherman was a rogue if only for a few months, the general of the union army stationed in the heart of the. At the beginning of ross mcelwees shermans march, the film maker tells us that he had originally planned a documentary about the aftereffects, which are still to be found in georgia and the carolinas, of the total warfare waged by gen. Fashion and female identity is a recurring theme in cindy shermans art. Shermans march looks and sounds like its from 1986, but no amount of dirt and noise and theres some here and there can diffuse any of the films magic.
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