Civil War movies
Eric D Johnson (ejohnso8@mason1.gmu.edu)
Fri, 8 Oct 1993 21:24:28 ECT
I think one thing to keep in mind while watching all Civil War films is
that (fortunately or unfortunately) myth and grandeur are often replace-
ments for the emotional impact which cannot be shown: the overwhelming
destruction of human life out there on the battlefield. There is no
question that the Civil War was THE pivotal event of the lives of millions
of Americans, soldiers, sailors, and non-combattants alike. In films of
the battles, we have no way in the modern world of showing the emotional
impact of the battles themselves, unless we use sweeping sentimentality.
For modern American audiences COULD NOT sit for the surely XXX rating
strictly for gore: boys having their legs shorn off by round shot, Minie
balls piercing cheek-to-cheek through a man's face so his jaw is blown
out, medics sawing arms off with nothing to quell the wounded man's
pain. The blood on the fields, by all accounts, was overwhelming.
Well, we can't SHOW that kind of emotional impact, so other sources
must be explored. Unfortunately, the result is too often a distortion,
but better a distortion--with a subsequent look at the reality through
studies--than no presentation at all.
I apologize for the strange syntax here--I'm very tired! But I think
y'all can see my point.
Eric Johnson