The American Civil War on Film and TV: Blue and Gray in Black and White and Color

Author, Researcher, or Creator

Cynthia J. Miller, Emerson CollegeFollow

Department

Marlboro Institute for Liberal Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies

Author(s)

Cynthia J. Miller, Shea T. Brode, and Douglas Brode

Resource Type

Other

Publication, Publisher or Distributor

Lexington Books

Publication Date

2018

Related Information

Reviews from Amazon.com “This excellent collection of essays insightfully analyzes most of the important films about the Civil War. Moreover, it sheds new light on the evolution of American attitudes toward the Civil War and its significance.” --John G. Cawelti, author of Adventure, Mystery, and Romance: Formula Stories as Art and Popular Culture “Douglas Brode, Shea Brode, and Cynthia Miller’s The American Civil War on Film and TV: Blue and Gray in Black and White and Color not only offers a great study of a specific genre of popular film and television, it is also highly informative about the popular culture reception of one of the great, turbulent times in American history. This book is a ‘must have’ for anyone interested in the Civil War or in popular film and television. It is both discerning and entertaining.”-- Gary Hoppenstand, Michigan State University

Brief Description

Co-authors Cynthia J. Miller, Shea T. Brode, and Douglas Brode, compile nineteen essays from an array of scholars to explore issues surrounding the portrayal of the American Civil War from films such as Buster Keaton’s The General (1926), Red Badge of Courage (1951), Glory (1989), Gettysburg (1993), and Cold Mountain (2003), as well as television mini-series The Blue and The Gray (1982) and John Jakes’ acclaimed North and South trilogy (1985-86). From the big screen to the small screen films focusing on the war provide a historical education, a setting, ideologies, and also provide character archetypes for cinematic narratives of morality, gender, race, and nation. This book is accessible and devotes its context to a critical conversation about the Civil War on film.