Sherman's March
Tags: autobiographical

Plot synopsis:
The documentary chronicles General William Tecumseh Sherman's historic "March to the Sea" through Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina during the fall of 1864. It shows Sherman marching 62,000 Union troops over 650 miles in less than 100 days, and losing only 600 men along the way. The march introduces a new concept to the already brutal Civil War: total war, where the distinctions between combatants and civilians is blurred. While hated by white Southerners as a destroyer, Sherman is hailed by black Southerners as a liberator. It ends with Union victory and closes with Sherman as an old man living in New York and fondly remembering how his "nephews" and their "uncle Billy" would make ten miles a day.
The documentary utilizes state of the art production techniques including CGI, special effects and historical re-creations. It relies on historical reenactors to play Sherman's soldiers and all dialogue is in fact quotes from historical sources: letters, Sherman's memoirs, diaries, etc. The documentary features a psychological profile on Sherman, stating that in the months leading up to the Civil War he was accused of being insane and that he contemplated suicide.
Bill Oberst, the actor playing Sherman, states in a behind-the-scenes featurette that while the general will always be a controversial figure, he hopes that the documentary will shed light on why the man did what he did. It emphasizes that Sherman was loved by the enslaved blacks whom he freed and that while he did not see himself as fighting to destroy slavery, he nevertheless made a point of treating blacks whom he met with courtesy and respect. (The documentary also shows the reactions of his soldiers as they met blacks along the March. Many had never seen a black person and were surprised to learn that blacks were ordinary people.) The documentary also mentions that Sherman killed far fewer Confederate soldiers and civilians than did Ulysses S. Grant, his friend and fellow general, yet Sherman was the one vilified. The scholars interviewed postulate that the South had need for a scapegoat in the wake of the Civil War and that Sherman was the easiest target. For his part, Sherman is stated to have seen himself as only doing his duty and that he did not care what people said about him one way or the other.

Review: Instead, Sherman's March is an incredibly patient and passionate examination of oneself, the pain and frustration that come with mid-life depression, and the quasi-comic mystery surrounding Southern culture.
In filming his relationships with a number of different women over the course of a year, McElwee reveals himself to be a deeply frustrated individual, whose penchant for chasing life with a camera proves both constructive of an insightful film, as well as destructive to his own sense of balance and structure in his own life.
One sequence ends with McElwee's filmed conversation with a woman with whom he has tried to forge a romantic involvement out of an ancient friendship; the sharpness with which they speak to each other is jolting.
McElwee manages to evoke an entire persona for himself - whether authentic or not - with scenes like these, at the same time drawing an insightful - if slightly overblown, though satirically so - comparison of himself to William Tecumseh Sherman and his devastating Civil War march through the South.
Sherman's march through most of Georgia and the Carolina's left a painful scar of our country in troubled times.
And quite easily, this documentary changes tone as Ross becomes obsessed with the women he encounters on the way.
At times he does jump back to "Sherman's March", but the lure of lust and love prove to be too much for Ross.After seeing this movie, I ask myself, What did I just see?
It took a while to think about this documentary, and it opens up thoughts of life and love.
A southern documentary filmmaker starts to make his film about Civil War General Sherman but he breaks up with his girlfriend and goes back home down south and starts filming everyone in his life (his parents, his siblings, his friends) and they are all giving him advice on his struggling film career and his love life and they all try and fix him up with all these "southern belles" and he just films it all.
Ross McElwee is an incredibly talented filmmaker and a sweet, neurotic human being who has no trouble baring his soul on film.
Ross McElwee, a native Southerner, started off wanting to make a straightforward documentary film about General Sherman's march, but then his girlfriend broke up with him.
The result is an idiosyncratic and personal documentary, as McElwee tries to film his Sherman movie but can only obsess about the various women he meets along the way, and his own personal failings."Sherman's March" is funny because of its many characters and lines of dialogue that are so crazy, you'd never believe them if they were in a fiction film.
At one point he discusses the strength and courage displayed by the women of Atlanta when Sherman destroyed their city, then cuts to some footage of two self-absorbed actresses--you can't help thinking that Southern women have diminished in quality over the last 100 years.
But he never picks up this thread again."Sherman's March" is a rambling movie, and at over 2.5 hours, way too long.
Ross McElwee is a filmmaker commissioned to make a movie about the Civil War. Right before he begins his odyssey, his girlfriend leaves him.
This film and his follow-up, Time Indefinite, seem to serve as his personal catharsis.
But I have yet to see a more personal and entertaining documentary than Sherman's March..
If you watch "Sherman's March" with that it mind, it can be a tremendously rewarding experience - touching, subtly funny, and thought-provoking.
Ross McElwee will never have the commercial viability of Quentin Tarantino or Arnold Schwartzenegger or whoever, but I don't think his "home movies" are intended to be viable.
Sherman's March is three hours of footage from a broken man's life.
Ross McElwee takes us on a journey to make a documentary on Sherman's March, but ends up showing us a sequence of extensive real life footage from his subsequent crisis in love.
The "alternative" title Ross McElwee initially came up with captures the mood of the film very well as it was called:"Sherman's March: A Meditation to the Possibility of Romantic Love in the South during an Era of Nuclear Weapons Proliferation".
Originally McElwee set out to make a documentary following the route General Sherman took during the Civil War and investigate the impact he had on the lives of people past and present who live there, but somehow he ended up marking the lives of past girlfriends and practically every other woman he meets on his journey, interwoven with occasional bits of history.The film is quite funny in it's own way as well.
And there's a hilarious subplot involving Burt Reynolds, who increasingly becomes McElwee's nemesis.Wisely, he trimmed the original title a bit, which he perhaps could have done with the movie itself, which is a bit long, 155 minutes, but it doesn't matter much, especially when watching it at home.
Combined with the occasional touch of history and the wonderful voice-over narration of Ross McElwee, this is a truly inspiring journey of almost epic proportions.
But this gives a great introduction to his "style" -- the guy who takes the camera everywhere and films his life, and not just in trivial ways -- ala web cams today.
This pre-dated the well-known and wildly successful "Sex, Lies, and Videotape" -- some would call it an outright steal or rip-off of "Sherman's March." As far as I know, McElwee had nothing to do with and is not credited in "Sex, Lies, and Videotape.
"Sherman's March" has indie-film written all over it; it's not about stars, only indirectly about sex, and everyone plays themselves: it's a documentary.
Ross McElwee originally set out to shoot a documentary following General Sherman's Civil War path in the south, but then decided to shift the focus, upon a break-up with his girlfriend, to the various single women he comes across while ambling through the south.
In the purest of D.I.Y. film-making, McElwee stars, operates the camera, handles sound, and narrates...all at the same time!
On the surface, this loose and rambling documentary might appear too self indulgent, but it does indeed succeed its task of tracking General Sherman's historic march, albeit in a most unique way.
It follows Ross McElwee around while he is trying to collect footage that can be edited into a documentary on General Sherman.
Ross McElwee and his team of post-production editors would needed to have edited down from hours and hours of footage, however the final running time of two and a half hours is still too lengthy.
It is innovative, original and reflects something very true about all documentaries: that they are ultimately subjective, showing what the filmmaker believes and feels.
McElwee compares his journey in the film to Sherman's actual march, which is a fascinating example of this type of subjective expression.
The artist in this case, however, just does not quite know how to trim down what exactly he wants to say, but what he does say is interesting nonetheless, and you do learn something about General Sherman too..
Sherman's March is one of the best documentaries I've ever seen.
Ross McElwee starts out making a film about General Sherman's march through Georgia, North and South Carolinas during the Civil War. It becomes much more of a personal story, as Ross has just broken up with his girlfriend and has trouble remaining focused on his project.
Although a bit long at over two and a half hours, I never lost interest in McElwee's quest for knowledge and companionship; Sherman's March is a winner..
The overall structure of the film is a clever look at the unpredictability of an artist's focus, in that filmmaker Ross McElwee set out to make a documentary about the Savannah Campaign and ended up making a film about his failed relationships.
But McElwee's free-form approach to storytelling is the sole cause of the films only major flaw; at a whopping 157 minutes, it's padded with excessively long shots and pointless detours, including several attempts to find Burt Reynolds.
Ultimately, this film is worth viewing for its glimpses into the human condition and the interesting characters that enrich McElwee's travels (I especially like Charleen).
If Ross McElwee was aiming for a movie about a very sad, very pathetic man, then he hit the target.
Unfortunately for him he made a mockery of himself instead of actually getting to a point with this uninspired, unintentionally funny documentary.Let's start at the beginning.
Mr. McElwee sets out to make a documentary on a man named Sherman, a famous General who destroyed a lot of things in the South during the civil war.
Well, we get to learn a small amount about General Sherman throughout the film, facts that have no real context in the rest of the movie.Now, let's get to the real point of the movie.
There was no sense of reality in any of the conversations he had with any of the females; the only one that seemed slightly sane he made CRY.I think my favorite part in this movie is when he, Ross, takes the camera to a woman he sort of saw in High school.
Watch it only if you wish to feel better about your own life, and/or to laugh at a very sad, very pathetic hairy little man..
Ross McElwee is on the march..
Ross receives finance to produce a documentary on Sherman's bloody march through the southern states of USA during the Civil War. But the subject of looking for a wife sidetracked him as he followed certain women who had the potential to be Mrs. McElwee.
But the parallels between Sherman's violent march and McElwee's peaceful march through the States in search of love is an interesting concept in itself..
It seems as though pride and responsibility have left director Ross McElwee long before his journey to find Sherman.
mcelwee, with his narcissistic focus on himself, something morris always avoids, manages to record (as opposed to filming, because the recording mostly concerns his puerile musings on his own love-life) a lot of drivel.
there was definitely some salvageable material in the film if viewed as a portrait of the south,but i don't know how the movie could have been organized or edited to save it..
This is nothing more than a movie about a self obsessed person driving around looking for woman to try to sleep with.It is pretty clear to me after watching the movie that Ross had never intended on making a movie about Sherman, but rather was the inventor of the modern day self absorbed BLOG.TERRIBLE - POINTLESS - BAD FILM.
How dare Ross McElway declare his life experience to be an epic.How dare he take my tax dollars and use it to go on a journey of self-exploration.All we end up seeing is his inability to connect with women.All we end up hearing is his whining about how he can't get laid.I don't find it funny, amusing - or the least bit entertaining.Any time a filmmaker decides to turn the camera lens on him/herself in order to capture "Poor Little Me," I lose interest immediately.It reeks entirely of everything that pathetically-defined the (Poor Little) "Me" Generation.Grow up Ross - get a real job.(Oh - wait a minute - Harvard ended up hiring you as film prof - uh...guess that's why I attended YALE???).
I saw that film when i studied films in england, i liked the director's techniques with his subjects.First of all he provokes them in order to get more informations from them, second he manages to become intimate to the viewer with his monologues that take the form of a confession.Many commented that his life is pathetic, maybe so, but it takes courage to expose to the public some very 'personal' moments.Many people might comment about the ethics of documentary, because sometimes he seems to abuse some of his subjects, or even mock them,i have a specific scene in my mind:When he interviews one of the so called patriots,inside a snack bar he pans his camera and while we listen to the 'patriotic credo' we watch another man dressed like a clown.I think this is a film that deserves to be seen because it is a prerequisite for people who enjoy BIG BROTHER and other similar assortments, that victimize their subjects sometimes to the extreme.Compared to those SHERMAN'S MARCH is very innocent much more entertaining though.8/10.
A brilliant documentary ostensibly about a man tracing General Sherman's swath of destruction across the south that won the civil war for the North.
Watching "Sherman's March" is like discovering a great novel for the first time.
The lines between personal, political, fiction, documentary, history, and present are blurred from the beginning, and this only continues for two hours where McElwee's personal scars mirror the blasted landscape Sherman carved, and just as equally the South's selective memory when it comes to the war.
McElwee says "Sherman really loved the South.
It must have been a terrible choice to make to destroy it.", and so continues to echo a southern Gothic tradition of ambivalence and nostalgia through the personal documentary medium way ahead of its time.
Sherman's March" is complex, awkward, sad, sweet, and very funny, a film so rich in character it's impossible to forget..
After seeing this documentary "Sherman's March" by Ross McElwee in 1986, I was so confused and had no idea what the main point of this "documentary" is.
My first impression was that why the title of this film is called Sherman's March?
I have no idea why he wanted to name this long film "Sherman's March"?
If the director could change the title, and remove General Sherman part, this documentary could be a nice piece about man, woman, and love.
Then I think in the process of seeking love, and he could realize what he really wants by meeting different women around him.
Even though I think this is not Sherman's March - instead, it is Women's March!
The director's unrestrained and vigorous thought and humorous conversation actually made the "path way" to "true love" more interesting..
However, this one was so pathetically pointless and sad, I felt through much of it that someone was reading some very dull person's blog--every excruciating detail including their thoughts, interests and even random people they meet.
Referring to it as a blog isn't originally my idea, though, as roberttroll previously reviewed this film and his observation seemed right on the mark.The film ostensibly stars out as a documentary about Sherman's March.
Instead, the film focuses on the love life of the film maker (Ross McElwee).
This part of the film felt like I was watching someone's home movies.
Ross McElwee's most famous film is a unique masterpiece of autobiographical filmmaking.
It not only is a hilarious journey of love but also one of the greatest and most memorable films of all time.
If this film were purely fictitious, it would still be hilarious and entertaining-which is something I certainly cannot say about every documentary!A great documentarian often searches for the extraordinary in the ordinary, which is exactly what McElwee does here, and he does it to true perfection.
Before I continue praising this masterwork, I must speak of its playful and fascinating premise.Originally, this film was intended to be a documentary on Civil War General Sherman's march through the South-but then McElwee himself reveals that his girlfriend recently broke up with him, inspiring him to go on quest to find a new partner.
He follows the path that General Sherman took through the South, and hooks up and breaks up with various women-all while sometimes being sidetracked by reoccurring apocalyptic nightmares and a search for actor Burt Reynolds.
Ross McElwee brilliantly captures real life in all of its painful and wonderful glory!.
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.This epic documentary has received high praise.
What was allegedly supposed to be an investigation of Sherman's march to the sea, it instead seems to be the director's ongoing attempt to get romantically involved with a series of women.As far as documentaries go, this one works well in an offbeat sort of way (like "Grey Gardens") but I think ultimately fails because it doesn't really document anything.
After almost three hours, the only thing viewers will learn is about the pursuits of Ross McElwee, which hardly seems worth knowing.
I wish I had more time to write a review but Sherman's March is simply one of the greatest and most epic documentaries ever created.
Rarely do epic two and a half hour documentaries show themselves to be worth watching, but this film does.
I believe some critic once said Mcelwee points his camera with "phallic resolve" toward the women he meets.
I wish I had time to say more.Watch the film.
When Ross McElwee's girlfriend walked out on him, the expatriate Confederate filmmaker decided to channel his frustration into a documentary of William Tecumsah Sherman's destructive campaign across Georgia during the Civil War. But along the way something unexpected happened: the project began to evolve into a roving chronicle of McElwee's own unsuccessful love life.
I found and remembered this title from the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, I did not find many reviews by critics for this film, but I was hoping for something interesting.
Sherman's "March to the Sea" during the American Civil War. But filmmaker Ross McElwee is filmed constantly being side-tracked by various women in his life.
So, this film is much more about McElwee's experiences with women, love, romance and religion.
But there is also a little discussion about nuclear holocaust in the Cold War and the legacy and complexity of General Sherman's own life.
The film follows a repetitive narrative pattern, with McElwee becoming enamoured with many women, developing feelings for them.