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Ross McElwee, Charleen Swansea, Richard Leacock, Burt Reynolds

A disarmingly engaging personal documentary, Sherman's March is a portrait of a man in personal crisis that is also an often hilarious ode to Southern women. Filmmaker Ross McElwee states in the film'... read more read more...s opening shots that, as a native Southerner, he had always been fascinated with the psychological effect that Union General William Tecumseh Sherman has had on the region. To that end, he intended to make a film that would retrace the route of the general's famous march that brought so much devastation to the Confederacy, talking with contemporary Southerners about the Civil War. But just before he leaves his New York apartment to begin the shoot, McElwee learns that his girlfriend has left him, and his journey turns into one of self-examination through the women he encounters. Some are old friends -- the most memorable being Charleen Swansea, a teacher determined to find Ross a good woman -- and some are new acquaintances, including an aspiring actress and a survivalist. McElwee occasionally turns the camera on himself for late-night musings over the day's events. Sherman's March was a sleeper hit when it was released, and its reputation has grown with strong word of mouth. McElwee's next film Time Indefinite was also a personal story, about his own family, though with less of the ingratiating humor of Sherman's March. ~ Tom Wiener, Rovi

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83% liked it

1,080 ratings

Critics

100% liked it

12 critics

Unrated, 3 hr.

Directed by: Ross McElwee

Release Date: September 5, 1986

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DVD Release Date: April 6, 2004

Stats: 124 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (124)

  • whosinthenews
    May 7, 2012
    whosinthenews
    Not only is Sherman's March a beautiful portrait of one man's personal journey through the strange tapestry of love and history, it's a wonderful snapshot of the American south in the early 80's. Heartwarming, hilarious, insightful, seemingly everyone in Ross's life is full of a ... read morekind of esoteric wisdom about life and existence. What makes any documentary great is how much personality a filmmaker can squeeze from the subject in a brief window of time. Ross McElwee's talent lies in his almost priestly ability to get people talking, about everything. This shy, unassuming man is like a great cosmic sponge who gets closer to unraveling the great mystery of woman more than anything else I've seen.
  • HuskersNC949597
    May 31, 2010
    HuskersNC949597
    Kind of disjointed, much like real life. Not bad, I like the first-person perspective. The camera as an appendage of Ross McElwee is, for the most part, effective, and he doesn't spare much detail. That's where occasional boredom arises I guess, some parts are exactly like rea... read morel life, and while the ultra-obnoxious Charleen tries to delineate life from artistry, I don't believe Ross sees much of any distinction (not that he doesn't understand there's a time and a place for the camera.)
  • columbiatch
    June 21, 2009
    columbiatch
    While the premise is about the director recording a series of encounters with various women in the South in search of romantic relationships, what's really interesting was the slew of characters he meets during his journey along Sherman's path and their life, dreams, and their vi... read moreews on topics such as the Civil War and threat of nuclear war. These are made possible through McElwee's use of camera as a solicitor, a key into their more private life. This is very much like the cinema verite technique used by Rouch and Morin in Chronicle of a Summer. In the end the film is very much about Sherman and his march, except it is filtered through McElwee's parallel journey for love, all the while being an ethographic study of Southern identity. And yes it's hilarious as well.
  • terris85017
    November 20, 2007
    terris85017
    (1986 Director: Ross McElwee) Documentary. Watching it now. review to follow...Watched this as an Instant View from Netflix but encountered difficulty completing it. Cute story of a young Southern male filmmaker being fixed up by his family who is trying to find him the right... read more girl! Interesting & beautiful photography...but i had been hoping for some historical data about CIVIL WAR'S SHERMAN'S MARCH..oh well..
  • aelric99
    January 23, 2007
    aelric99
    i reviewed this before from the memory of watching it when i was 13 years old. upon seeing it again tonight i felt compelled to re-write this review. this is one of the most impressive documentaries i have ever seen. a morosely tragic and funny year in the life of a lovesick film... read moremaker attempting to document Union General Sherman's march through the south. instead, what we see is a man laid bare in a fruitless pursuit of love with women of the American south. We also explore elements of nuclear paranoia, isolationist and hippie living, matchmaking, southern rockers and finally a floundering, desperate attempt to couple with an old friend. what makes this film work is it's genuinely up front, no bullshit style, filmed far more like vacation video with narration than specially edited and polished. really a MUST WATCH

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Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy
March 22, 2007
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

An utterly charming docu, McElwee's personal essay-travelogue parallels and inverses General Sherman's march during the Civil war, centering on lost loves and new ones, shrewdly using the camera as a ... Full Review

Leo Goldsmith
February 7, 2006
Leo Goldsmith, Not Coming to a Theater Near You

Unlike Sherman and his reviled scorched earth mode of warfare, McElwee's chasse romantique is ultimately less effectual and usually ends in a nervous, frustrated goodbye. Full Review

Christopher Null
November 30, 2005
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com

earns him a place as one of America's most unique, and treasured, documentary filmmakers. Full Review

Louis Proyect
June 19, 2004
Louis Proyect, rec.arts.movies.reviews

Love and alienation in the nuclear age

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
April 29, 2004
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

Sherman's March is an extraordinary documentary by Ross McElwee that mixes American history, a romantic quest, and the search for meaning in the early 1980s. Full Review

Ed Gonzalez
April 2, 2004
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine

McElwee asks us to reconnect not only with each other but with our human spirit. Full Review

Nick Davis
August 17, 2003
Nick Davis, Nick's Flick Picks

Piquant, hilarious social tapestry of the American South, warmly and creatively extrapolated from a filmmaker's romantic despair.

Vincent Canby
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Paul Attanasio
January 1, 2000
Paul Attanasio, Washington Post

Click to read the article Full Review

Pat Graham
January 1, 2000
Pat Graham, Chicago Reader

Click to read the article Full Review

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