How much of this journey really compared with the actual Sherman's March?
Welcome to the class blog for E344L: The American South in Literature, Film and Other Media. Here, we will post our responses to the readings for the day. Each student has to post at least six times in the course of the semester, and will have signed up for posting dates early on. See the Post Instructions page for specific posting guidelines.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
McElwee: Sherman's March
I also found myself having a hard time following this documentary. However, once the film started going, I was overwhelmed with the different personalities and perspectives he encountered along the way. I was surprised that McElwee was able to capture such intimate feelings through his eccentric appreciation for the details in life. Although the original purpose for his film was to look at the impact of the destructive march made by Union troops under General William T. Sherman, McElwee is able to present different Southern cultures and beliefs through the filming of different women. Despite the apparent forward motion of society that McElwee was displaying, there was a portion of the movie that caught my attention on the subject of Southern stereotypes: Pat is talking to her friend about her audition and how her roles were very limited due to her Southern accent. There was such an acceptance seen in her demeanor, that it was kind of hard to see how much of her culture still identifies her and limits her opportunities. She has big modern aspirations, but she is ultimately unable to pull away from her Southerness.
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McElwee
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