Three Films About the American Civil War

Examine three films about the American Civil War: Ken Burns documentary series, The Civil War (1990), the film of Glory (1989), about the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, one of the Union Army's earliest African American regiments in the American Civil War, and the film Cold Mountain (2003), about a Confederate deserter’s journey to return to his home in North Carolina.

DELIVERY MODE

• Online

SUGGESTED READING

• Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier, Atlantic Monthly Press (1997)

COURSE OUTLINE

• Causes of the American Civil war and a summary of the conflict
• The Civil War (1990): Making of, key scenes and highlights
• Glory (1989): The story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. We examine the making of the film, how it compares to the real events, including the struggle of the Regiment to be recognised, and its subsequent renowned.
• Cold Mountain (2003): The book by Charles Frazier, a Homeric journey of Inman to find home and love. We review the themes behind the book and the making of the film.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Appreciate the background of each of the three films and recognise their link to history.
2. Develop/ revisit an appreciation of the films and interest in the era.