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Reviews
| Civil War Films for Teachers and Historians, by William B. Russell III. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, Inc., 2008. 71 pages. $18.95, paperback.
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| The Civil War era is a dramatic and defining period in U.S. History, so it is understandable that scores of filmmakers have found it an appropriate topic for movie making. In this diminutive volume, the author intends to guide teachers and historians through a maze of Civil War films by providing readers with a filmography, or annotated list of films pertaining to the Civil War, and advice on how to use film in the classroom. The first two chapters in the book focus on pedagogy. The author offers suggestions based upon what he calls the "Russell Model for Using Film," a model rooted in the belief that "film is used to enhance the curriculum, not as the curriculum" (p. 6). The Model includes suggestions for previewing activities, viewing the film, and assessing the effectiveness of a film. This section also includes valuable information about rules for legal use of copyrighted film in the classroom. The third section of the book is the filmography, comprised of an annotated list of ninety-two widely available dramatic films that relate to the Civil War, including films produced as early as 1910 and as late as 2003. A few silent films appear on the list, although the annotations do not clearly designate them as silent films. The author does not intend the filmography to be a comprehensive list of films related to the Civil War. Documentary films, among other types of non-dramatized film, are not part of the list. The final content section of the book is the transcript from a brief interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning, Civil War historian, James McPherson about his favorite Civil War films and the relationship between film and history, among other topics. An appendix explains the motion picture industry's film rating system. |
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High school and college history teachers may find portions of this book useful for their teaching. The recommendations in the section on pedagogy are a reminder that film, like other types of media in the classroom, must be used thoughtfully and with the intent of promoting critical thinking. The explanation of legal issues pertaining to the use of film in the classroom is clear and concise. The filmography is less helpful, especially some of the annotations. Films, such as Dances With Wolves, barely pertain to the Civil War, but there is no indication in the annotation how much actual time in the film applies to the Civil War. The annotations tend to focus on the story line of the films, but since this book is targeted for teachers, it would be helpful if the annotations also commented on why these films are useful for the classroom. There is no mention in the annotation for Gettysburg, for example, of the large-scale battle reenactments in the film. Likewise, there is no hint in the annotation for D. W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation that the film was highly influential and controversial in its day. |
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| University of Central Missouri |
Sara Brooks Sundberg |
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