Documentary filmmaker ross mcelwee sets out to make a movie about union general shermans march to the sea towards the end of the american civil war, but keeps getting sidetracked by his own love life. Shermans march has such an engagingly loose attitude that one is surprised to find it developing a structure albeit a loose one, as the civil war trail seems to mirror mcelwees own failed. Sherman s march made me realize that cinema could be whatever you wanted it to be. In 1981, filmmaker ross mcelwee set out to recreate general shermans historic civil war march through the southand find true love along the way. Rent shermans march 1986 starring ross mcelwee on dvd and bluray. A good 20 minutes could have been hacked away, resulting in a stronger film. All the while, mcelwees apparently aimless exploration of the south delivers insights. My only criticism of sherman s march is that it s a bit indulgent with respect to its length. Carl reiner, who knew sherman socially, said shermans college friend, tv and film writer sheldon keller, once appeared on ive got a secret as a man who wore a girdle. Sherman s march won several awards, including the grand jury prize for best documentary at the sundance film festival in 1987. After his girlfriend leaves him, mcelwee takes a voyage along the original route followed by general william sherman but. Rent shermans march 1986 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. A meditation on the possibility of romantic love in the south during an era. Shermans march 1986 film jump to navigation jump to search.
Shermans march through the south and its effect on the modern south. 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. Shermans march is a 2007 american civil war television documentary film first aired on the. Shermans march is a documentary following general william shermans civil war fall of 1864 march to the sea. The campaign began with shermans troops leaving the captured city of atlanta on november 15 and ended with the capture. Shermans march was a sleeper hit when it was released, and its reputation has grown with strong word of mouth. First run features dvd of shermans march augments the film with some wellchosen extras. 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. January 9 shermans march sets out to follow general william t. A meditation on the possibility of romantic love in the south during an era of nuclear weapons proliferation is mcelwees fourth documentary.
An utterly charming docu, mcelwees personal essaytravelogue parallels and inverses general shermans march during the civil war, centering on lost loves and new ones, shrewdly using the camera. Sherman led some 60,000 soldiers on a 285mile march from atlanta to savannah, georgia. 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. This 1986 feature has won best documentary awards at numerous film festivals including sundance, and was selected as one of the top 20 documentaries of alltime by the international documentary association. Sherman s march through the south and its effect on the modern south. In 1864, during the american civil war, union general william t. The actual feature looks as good as its 16mm roots, with variable color and sound. The production combines narration with reenacted dramatic sequences as its foundation.
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. He marched 62,000 union troops over 650 miles, through georgia, south carolina and north carolina, in less than 100 days. Sep 29, 2017 what it s like to watch one of the most influential documentaries of all time, in a year when once again we debate the confederacy and worry about nuclear apocalypse. For example, glass and film photographic negatives are particularly subject. Please use the following steps to determine whether you need to fill out a call slip in the prints and photographs reading room to view the original items. Shermans march was a hit, despite its length nearly three hours. If ever a movie fit that description, it would be ross mcelwee s groundbreaking 1986 documentary sherman s march, a loping, idiosyncratic reverie through history and the heart, loosely conjoined by the camera lens. In 1985 mcelwee was set to begin work on a film about the lingering effects of shermans march through the south.
Shermans march is an extraordinary documentary by ross mcelwee that mixes american history, a romantic quest, and the search for meaning in the early 1980s. It was my first inspiration to make a film myself though it would take me many years to actually do that. This march removed the distinction between warriors and civilians. Throughout shermans march, mcelwee meets and reconnects with a series of female friends and potential flames, from a struggling actress hellbent on starring in a burt reynolds film to a woman who seems to live by the mantra thoreau laid out in walden. National board of film critics as one of the five best films of its year, was selected for a cinema. With an army of 60,000 men, he swept into the south destroying atlanta, georgia. It has won documentary awards at numerous film festivals including sundance, has been cited by the centre pompidou in paris, and chosen as one of the top 20 documentaries of alltime by the. That is, i think, one of the signs that the film was effective. It won the grand jury prize at sundance, and until the midnineties was ranked as one of the highestgrossing. It has won best documentary awards at numerous film festivals including sundance, has been cited by the national board of film critics as one of the five best films of its year, was. Shermans march is a 2007 american civil war television documentary film first aired on the history channel.
The library of congress generally does not own rights to material in its collections and, therefore, cannot grant or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute the material. 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. Ritchie, alexander hay, engraver, and felix octavius carr darley. Before shooting began, however, mcelwees girlfriend at the time ended their relationship. Shermans march to the sea in the fall of 1864 has been the focus of countless books and studies for the past 143 years, and even today remains the source of vocal and widespread condemnation in the south and measured respect in the north. 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 film is directed by rick king and the executive producer is jason williams. 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.
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. The film, narrated by actor edward herrmann, tells the tale of union general william tecumseh sherman, called uncle billy by his troops, and his fiveweek assault from atlanta to the atlantic ocean and then north to trap c. Sherman s march was recently chosen for preservation by the library of congress national film registry as a historically significant american motion picture. Its a minor point because this film is unlike any conventional documentary or comedy. But just before starting to shoot the film, mcelwees girlfriend ends their.
His target was columbia, the state capital where the secession movement began and considered by shermans generals to be a richer prize and more important capture. The library of congress national film registry recently chose shermans march for preservation as a historically significant american motion picture. Most of mcelwees camerawork is excellent under the circumstances and his framing always gives us. Shermans infamous scorchedearth march through the confederacy in the latter stages of the civil war, but ends up finding something. 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 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. 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. Sherman s march is a documentary following general william sherman s civil war fall of 1864 march to the sea. Sherman s march is a 2007 american civil war television documentary film first aired on the history channel.
It was awarded the grand jury prize at the 1987 sundance film festival. At the beginning of ross mcelwees shermans march, the film maker. In 2000, sherman march was chosen for preservation by the library of congress national film registry as a historically significant american motion picture. Every story that reaches mcelwees ears, however directly or indirectly female inmates escaping a mental institution. In 2000 the library of congress national film registry chose the film for preservation, citing it as a historically significant american motion picture. 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. Mcelwee initially planned to make a film about the effects of general william tecumseh shermans march through georgia and the carolinas the. 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.
May 08, 2008 i finally saw the 1986 genredefining firstperson documentary, shermans march, last week, and now i have a new im icon. The library of congress national film registry recently chose sherman s march for preservation as a historically significant american motion picture. Sep 05, 1986 sherman s march, which opens today at the bleecker street cinema, is the long nearly threehour documentary that was finally produced by mr. Mcelwee, whose dry vocal delivery and occasionally seen, deadpan face are very much a part of his exceptionally comic filmmaking personality. The siblings conversation appears in the first few minutes of the film, and the rest of the movie records mcelwees various attempts at meeting a. The documentary chronicles general william tecumseh sherman s historic march to the sea through georgia, south carolina and north carolina. Shermans march film wellloved and critically acclaimed work of cinema verite, shermans march 1986 weaves together subjects as disparate as the civil war 186165, nuclear holocaust, and southern womanhood to create a subtle and emotionally powerful film. Documentary filmmaker ross mcelwee sets out to make a movie about union general sherman s march to the sea towards the end of the american civil war, but keeps getting sidetracked by his own love life. Pat rendleman, one of the amazing women interviewed in the film about a. 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. Mcelwee s next film time indefinite was also a personal story, about his own family, though with less of the ingratiating humor of sherman s march. Sherman s march was a sleeper hit when it was released, and its reputation has grown with strong word of mouth. Shermans march was recently chosen for preservation by the library of congress national film registry as a historically significant american motion picture. Documentary filmmaker ross mcelwee sets out to make a movie about union general shermans march to the sea towards the end of the american civil war.
Jan 09, 2020 the series will come to an end with the screening of shermans march at the cac on january 9th, 6pm. Mcelwees next film time indefinite was also a personal story, about his own family, though with less of the ingratiating humor of shermans march. The series will come to an end with the screening of shermans march at the cac on january 9th, 6pm. My only criticism of sherman s march is that its a bit indulgent with respect to its length. My only criticism of shermans march is that its a bit indulgent with respect to its length. What its like to watch one of the most influential documentaries of all time, in a year when once again we debate the confederacy and worry about nuclear apocalypse. Every story that reaches mcelwees ears, however directly or indirectly female inmates. From november 15 until december 21, 1864, union general william t. 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. I finally saw the 1986 genredefining firstperson documentary, shermans march, last week, and now i have a new im icon. William tecumseh sherman during the final months of the civil war. An utterly charming docu, mcelwee s personal essaytravelogue parallels and inverses general sherman s march during the civil war, centering on lost loves and new ones, shrewdly using the camera. The film, narrated by actor edward herrmann, tells the tale of union.
This is one of the best portraits of southern women in existence. Mcelwee began the film with the idea of tracing general sherman s decisive campaign through the south, showing how its devastations. The screening will be followed by a conversation with director ross mcelwee. Shermans march 2007 film academic dictionaries and. Sherman s march has such an engagingly loose attitude that one is surprised to find it developing a structure albeit a loose one, as the civil war trail seems to mirror mcelwee s own failed. Ross mcelwees shermans march on first run features.
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