Causes Won, Lost & Forgotten -- How Hollywood and Popular Art Shape What We Know About the Civil War, UNo. Carolina Press '08, $28, 288 pages, ISBN #0807832065. Index, source notes, no bibliography, b&w images sprinkled throughout.
Few aspects of American history generate as much literary productivity as the Civil War, in all its aspects. In his new book, University of Virginia historian Gary W. Gallagher examines how Hollywood has influenced how Americans feel about the war between the states. In a brief Q&A, Gallagher talks about factors that led him to write his book:
Q. In your opinion as a historian, how good a job does Hollywood do in teaching Americans about the Civil War?
A. I think it is important to remember that Hollywood's overriding goal is to provide entertainment that will earn profits...Almost no one in Hollywood would insist that a historical drama, above all, reflect the insights of the best historical scholarship -- at least not anyone who hopes to attract and satisfy paying customers. The complexity of scholarly investigation translates poorly to cinematic treatments in which images and sound often take precedence over dialogue. As a result, very few films get all the historical details right -- and most get relatively few right. Unfortunately, filmgoers often believe that what they watch is "real" history rather than primarily entertainment."
Q. Do you have a personal favorite Civil War film?
A. I think Glory (1989) is the best Civil War film -- well acted, faithful to the big historical questions, relating to the 54th Massachusetts and black soldiers in the war, and quite moving at many points. Gettsburg (1993), based on Michael Shaara's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Killer Angels, has some very good moments, as does Ride with the Devil (1999), which deals with the guerrilla war in Missouri and Kansas. I also like Pharaoh's Army (1995) a great deal. A small-budget production about the war in backwoods Kentucky that very few people have seen, it deserves the attention of anyone interested in the Civil War on film."
