The Civil War (1990)
Guest Review written by Jared Plotkin
Ken Burns’ The Civil War was, and has continued to be, the definitive film take on the bloodiest and most consequential war in American History. It provoked much discussion and debate when it was released in 1990, and it continues to do so to this very day.
The Civil War masterfully interweaves a variety of historical records, including diary entries, newspaper clippings, public speeches, battlefield diagrams, and other documents to fully enmesh the viewer in the time period. It provides intimate details on the public and private lives of politicians, generals, and public figures, as well as those without much historical currency, such as ordinary soldiers and slaves.
This history is badly needed because, for a hundred years after the war, a campaign of deliberate misinformation and propaganda distorted many Americans’ views on the war and on the so called “Southern way of life". The propaganda came in many forms, from false information on war statues to films and books like Gone With the Wind which sought to portray the Southern cause as noble. This propaganda campaign convinced a plurality of Americans that states' rights, rather than slavery, was the main cause of the war. In reality, the South bitterly opposed so called "states' rights" when it controlled the federal government, even going to abrogate the rights of Northern states not to have slaves. They only embraced states' rights as their cause when Abraham Lincoln because the first anti-slavery candidate to win the Presidency.
Lincoln is wonderfully voiced by Sam Waterston. Our greatest President is given his due, as The Civil War explains the genius of his leadership on many levels. Lincoln was the man who made right our nation’s original sin, and he is rightly celebrated for his determination.
I recommend The Civil War with the highest praise possible. It tells the richness of American history with respect and with grandeur. Never boring, always informative, and, like the era itself, the struggle over The Civil War continues to this day.
More Sam Waterston movies here!
**Note from Edie Nolan: Thanks so much Jared for this fantastic guest review! I have fond memories of watching The Civil War with my brother in middle school. To help me remember the different battles, he actually recreated them, and we fought each other with rolled up socks! Give Ken Burns's documentary a whirl and see if you can resist pelting your sibling with socks!
The Civil War masterfully interweaves a variety of historical records, including diary entries, newspaper clippings, public speeches, battlefield diagrams, and other documents to fully enmesh the viewer in the time period. It provides intimate details on the public and private lives of politicians, generals, and public figures, as well as those without much historical currency, such as ordinary soldiers and slaves.
This history is badly needed because, for a hundred years after the war, a campaign of deliberate misinformation and propaganda distorted many Americans’ views on the war and on the so called “Southern way of life". The propaganda came in many forms, from false information on war statues to films and books like Gone With the Wind which sought to portray the Southern cause as noble. This propaganda campaign convinced a plurality of Americans that states' rights, rather than slavery, was the main cause of the war. In reality, the South bitterly opposed so called "states' rights" when it controlled the federal government, even going to abrogate the rights of Northern states not to have slaves. They only embraced states' rights as their cause when Abraham Lincoln because the first anti-slavery candidate to win the Presidency.
Lincoln is wonderfully voiced by Sam Waterston. Our greatest President is given his due, as The Civil War explains the genius of his leadership on many levels. Lincoln was the man who made right our nation’s original sin, and he is rightly celebrated for his determination.
I recommend The Civil War with the highest praise possible. It tells the richness of American history with respect and with grandeur. Never boring, always informative, and, like the era itself, the struggle over The Civil War continues to this day.
More Sam Waterston movies here!
**Note from Edie Nolan: Thanks so much Jared for this fantastic guest review! I have fond memories of watching The Civil War with my brother in middle school. To help me remember the different battles, he actually recreated them, and we fought each other with rolled up socks! Give Ken Burns's documentary a whirl and see if you can resist pelting your sibling with socks!