Sherman’s March

Director: Ross McElwee Run Time: 158 min. Release Year: 1986

Starring: Charleen Swansea, Dede McElwee, Patricia Rendleman, Ross McElwee, Ross McElwee Jr.

Documentarian Ross McElwee originally set out to make a travelogue of sorts tracing General William T. Sherman’s infamous scorched-earth march through the Confederacy in the latter stages of the Civil War. Instead, haunted by a recent breakup with a girlfriend, McElwee ends up documenting his progress — or lack thereof — in starting a new relationship. His journey then becomes one of self-reflection and self-discovery rather than a historical/sociological exploration.