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. 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. Sherman s famed march to the sea began in november 15, 1864, when federal forces began leaving atlanta. Why was shermans march to the sea so important to union. The civil war was a fight for people, by people, and about people. The sea was the goal, the end result, for the union leader. 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. 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. In sherman s march, the times shaped the individuals. Sherman s march to the sea analysis 1518 words 7 pages.
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. 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. His forces followed a scorched earth policy, destroying military targets as well as industry, infrastructure, and civilian property, dis. 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. 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. An abundance of alcohol greeted the union army as it entered columbia on february 17, 1865. Shermans devastating sweep through georgia and the carolinas during the last days of the u. An analysis of shermans march, cultural anthropology 6 november 1991. William tecumseh sherman during the final months of the civil war. Shermans devastating march through georgia and the carolinas davis, burke on.
The analysis shows the film s remarkable construction, sound track and voiceovers, its images and camera movements. Rather than looking ahead to the twentieth century we should appreciate the extent to which shermans policies reflected a continuation of. Shermans march to the sea was 285 miles in length extending from atlanta to the confederate beachfront town of savannah. Shermans march is a story that would have been a better read at the late elementary school and early middle school level. Mcelwee began the film with the idea of tracing general shermans decisive campaign through the south, showing how its devastations. 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. There were approximately 3,100 casualties of which 2,100 were union soldiers, but the countryside took years to recover. One of the interesting aspects of grimsleys analysis is the way he places shermans 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 devastating sweep through georgia and the carolinas during the last days of the u.
Shermans march to the sea by daniel sidman1 on prezi. 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. Not only is sherman s march a beautiful portrait of one man s personal journey through the strange tapestry of love and history, it s a wonderful snapshot of the american south in the early 80 s. But on december 16, 1864, sherman received a letter from lieutenant general ulysses s. 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. 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. Create marketing content that resonates with prezi video. Acquired through the generosity of jo carole and ronald. 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 march is an excellent account of william t.
Sherman was a southerner turned yankee during the civil war. A documentarians attempts to study the effects of general sherman. Her art addresses issues in femininity and the role of women in society. Fashion and female identity is a recurring theme in cindy shermans art. Autumn, 1864, and the civil war has ground to a bloody stalemate. The first fulllength narrative of general william t. 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. In the film shermans march 1986, ross mcelwee parodies. While the march destroyed property and infrastructure and visited suffering and fear on. Jun 17, 2007 the opening scene to ross mcelwee s sherman s march. He recalls seeing a atmosphere nuke test as a child. It won the grand jury prize at sundance, and until the midnineties was ranked as one of the highestgrossing.
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. 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 march to the sea is the name commonly given to the savannah campaign by maj. Roseman, a documentary fiction and ethnographic production. 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.
Ellen draper, shermans march, film quarterly 40 spring 1987. Then the focus turns to shermans march, the documentary that best reveals romantic love in all its. Jul 11, 2017 movie loosely based on the actual sherman s march. 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. 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. A contentious debate about shermans march film school rejects. 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. The purpose of shermans march to the sea was to frighten georgias civilian population into abandoning the confederate cause. 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. Shermans march to the sea was a military campaign of the american civil war conducted through georgia from november 15 until december 21, 1864, by maj.
Ross mcelwee sets out to make a documentary about the lingering effects of general sherman s 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. Was it sherman who drove the final nail in the onfederacys coffin, or was it grant to the north. 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 devastating march through georgia and the carolinas davis, burke on. Shermans march to the sea devastated georgia and the confederacy. Shermans march was awarded the grand jury prize in the field of documentary at the 1987 sundance film festival. Grant, commander inchief of the union army, dashing his plans. When first run released ross mcelwees sundance award winning shermans march in 1986, it. It was awarded the grand jury prize at the 1987 sundance film festival. Ross mcelwees shermans march on first run features. Sherman s march to the sea was 285 miles in length extending from atlanta to the confederate beachfront town of savannah. 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.
I wondered if that was the way the author wrote or if it was the way sherman spoke. After his girlfriend leaves him, mcelwee takes a voyage along the original route followed by general william sherman but. 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. After leaving the decimated city of atlanta on november 16, sherman led his troops. William tecumseh sherman taking place from november 15, 1864 to december 21, 1864. Other articles where march to the sea is discussed. Shermans devastating march through georgia and the carolinas. Shermans march is an excellent account of william t. November 15december 21, drawing, 18621865, by alfred r waud, 18281891, an american artist famous for his american civil war sketches, america, us.
Sherman led some 60,000 soldiers on a 285mile march from atlanta to savannah, georgia. Shermans march to the sea was followed by a similarly devastating march through the carolinas early in 1865, but the message was clear. The image that i am analyzing comes from her untitled film stills that were created during 1977 to 1980. 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. 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. Shermans famed march to the sea began in november 15, 1864, when federal forces began leaving atlanta. 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. 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. Romantic love, the heart of many fiction films, is rare in documentary films. 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. The yeasty comic conceit of shermans march is this. 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. Ross mcelwee documents his march, akin to admiral shermans, from north carolina through the south. In 1864 we took a little tripalong with general sherman near the mighty mississippiwe took a little hardtack and we took a lotta beans.
The actual feature looks as good as its 16mm roots, with variable color and sound. The campaign began with shermans troops leaving the captured city of atlanta on november 15 and ended with the capture. Mclane, a new history of documentary film new york. 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. Ross begins his documentary intent on the journeys of w. We watch as harvardbased documentarian ross mcelwee, planning a 1981 film about the lingering effects of william tecumseh shermans. From november 15 until december 21, 1864, union general william t.
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. Most of mcelwees camerawork is excellent under the circumstances and his framing always gives us. 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. In shermans march, the times shaped the individuals. 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. Shermans march through georgia while completing the document analysis chart. Shermans march to the sea analysis 1518 words 7 pages. 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.
In 2000, sherman march was chosen for preservation by the library of congress national film registry as a historically significant american motion picture. An ideal model for the blogging generation, shermans march integrates the personal and the universal without. Shermans march was a hit, despite its length nearly three hours. He captured savannah, 285 miles 460 km from atlanta, on december 21. Was general shermans use of total warfare justified. 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. It s mostly about ross mcelweethe director and his adventures with hot southern women. To this day, many believe that sherman did not bring any supplies with him on his famed. Shermans march to the sea would set the south ablaze. The brutality of shermans march has been well documented. An extraordinary documentary by ross mcelwee that mixes american history, a romantic quest, and the search for meaning in the early 1980s.
Depending on the students level of comfort and experience with analyzing documents, the teacher should choose a method to suit the specific class. In november and december of 1864, william tecumseh sherman was given the task to bring total war to the south. First run features dvd of shermans march augments the film with some wellchosen extras. This essay begins by explaining its absence and shows that, when it appears, romantic love is usually depicted unfavorably. Just the mention of william tecumseh shermans name conjures. On the eve of making a documentary on william tecumseh sherman, the civil war. Aug 15, 2016 fashion and female identity is a recurring theme in cindy shermans art. General sherman was a rogue if only for a few months, the general of the union army stationed in the heart of the. 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. Its mostly about ross mcelweethe director and his adventures with hot southern women. 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. Sherman s march is a story that would have been a better read at the late elementary school and early middle school level.