Narrative Films with American Civil War Settings
Ken Burns once said that the impression made on the American psyche by the Civil War is demonstrated by the many movies that have been made about this war. Actually, I don’t think many movies have been set directly in the midst of the Civil War. Rather, the Civil War was too traumatic to look at it directly, even more than a century later.
Of the thousands of movies that have been set in the United States during the middle of the nineteenth century, most are set at a distance from the war in time, geography, or even psychologically.
This is not to say that the Civil War is not dramatically significant. Most movies set at a temporal distance from the war are clearly set before or after it, confirming that the war was a watershed: America before the war was a different place from America afterward.
Most of the films on the following list are grouped according to whether they are set primarily during and in the midst of the Civil War (about twenty), before or after the war (although some Civil War epics take place before, during, and after), at a geographical distance from the larger theaters of the war, or at a psychological distance. The last seems to me an appropriate if arguable category because, although the setting of, say, “The Beguiled”, might be Virginia, the effect of the movie is to take the audience into a psychological space that could be anywhere, at any time, set against the backdrop of any war or even any disaster (of which war is a species).
Of the thousands of movies that have been set in the United States during the middle of the nineteenth century, most are set at a distance from the war in time, geography, or even psychologically.
This is not to say that the Civil War is not dramatically significant. Most movies set at a temporal distance from the war are clearly set before or after it, confirming that the war was a watershed: America before the war was a different place from America afterward.
Most of the films on the following list are grouped according to whether they are set primarily during and in the midst of the Civil War (about twenty), before or after the war (although some Civil War epics take place before, during, and after), at a geographical distance from the larger theaters of the war, or at a psychological distance. The last seems to me an appropriate if arguable category because, although the setting of, say, “The Beguiled”, might be Virginia, the effect of the movie is to take the audience into a psychological space that could be anywhere, at any time, set against the backdrop of any war or even any disaster (of which war is a species).
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- DirectorEdward ZwickEstrellasMatthew BroderickDenzel WashingtonCary ElwesLa verdadera historia de Robert Gould Shaw, que aceptó liderar el primer escuadrón formado solo por hombres afroamericanos, desafiando a los prejuicios en ambos lados de la Guerra Civil estadounidense.One of the exceptions that proves my rule that most “Civil War” movies don’t directly take place in the war: This movie, made 124 years after the end of the war, recalls the true exploits of an all-African-American regiment. The movie has a large enough cast (largely thanks to the generous contributions of Civil War reenactors) to stage several good-sized skirmishes and a climactic battle.
- DirectorRon MaxwellEstrellasTom BerengerMartin SheenStephen LangEn 1863, las fuerzas del norte y del sur luchan en Gettysburg en la batalla decisiva de la Guerra de Secesión estadounidense.This movie deals with one of the war’s largest battles, re-enacted from the viewpoint of both sides. Highly recommended to Civil War buffs.
- DirectorRon MaxwellEstrellasStephen LangRobert DuvallJeff DanielsEl auge y caída del general confederado Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, según encuentra el éxito militar contra la Unión entre 1861 y 1863, cuando accidentalmente muere a manos de sus propios hombres.This is another movie that deals directly with the war. If anything, the movie covers too much ground to involve the audience in any one character’s story. Nevertheless, it gives a good survey of the war, almost as if the filmmakers feared that nobody would ever get another chance to tell this story on the big screen.
- DirectorD.W. GriffithEstrellasLillian GishMae MarshHenry B. WalthallLa familia Stoneman ve como su amistad con los Cameron es afectada por la Guerra Civil, ya que ambos luchan en ejércitos opuestos.Set before, during, and after the Civil War, the movie explores how family and friends fought on opposite sides. The film is controversial for its portrayals of African-Americans and its interpretation (Lost Cause and Dunning schools) of the Civil War and Reconstruction. It was condemned by the NAACP at the time. Maybe the fallout from this movie is one of the reasons why many filmmakers have simply avoided dealing with the Civil War too directly.
- DirectorSean McNamaraEstrellasMichael KrebsJake LawsonSean MarquetteA group of teenage cadets sheltered from war at the Virginia Military Institute must confront the horrors of an adult world when they are called upon to defend the Shenandoah Valley.Another exception to the rule, this movie is about the war itself. The Battle of New Market involved a unit of teen-aged boys fighting on the Rebel side. This is based on their story.
- DirectorAndrew V. McLaglenEstrellasJames StewartDoug McClureGlenn CorbettDurante la guerra de Secesión, un granjero de Virginia y su familia juran permanecer neutrales, pero uno de los hijos es capturado por los soldados de la Unión, lo que hace que el granjero acuda a su rescate.Civilians try to stay out of the Civil War but get sucked in. There are some blue versus gray battle scenes.
- DirectorJohn GrayEstrellasArmand AssanteDonald SutherlandAlex JenningsDuring the siege of Charleston of 1864, Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley becomes the first submersible to sink an enemy warship in wartime.While I am shying away from made-for-TV movies, this one portrays the use of submarines during the Civil War. The naval aspect of the war is an important yet often neglected topic in popular culture.
- DirectorJames NeilsonEstrellasKevin CorcoranDon C. HarveyDarryl HickmanJohnny Shiloh is a 1963 made for TV film that originally aired in two parts on the Wonderful World of Disney in Color. It was released in other countries theatrically as one film and is on DVD as one film. Johnny Shiloh is the true story about Johnny Clem, the ten year old drummer boy who became a union officer in the Civil War.Another made-for-TV movie – actually more of a miniseries – that is told from the perspective of a boy serving in the Union Army. It is notable for showing some battle scenes.
- DirectorJohn FordEstrellasJohn WayneWilliam HoldenConstance TowersEn 1863, un batallón de La Unión debe hacer una incursión tras las líneas confederadas en Mississippi para destruir los ferrocarriles enemigos, pero una bella prisionera sureña y el médico de la unidad causan tensiones dentro de las filas.Although it is about a mission behind the lines, this epic takes place in the middle of the war and has battle scenes.
- DirectorSergio LeoneEstrellasClint EastwoodEli WallachLee Van CleefUn estafador de caza recompensas se une a dos hombres en una incómoda alianza en una carrera para encontrar una fortuna en oro enterrada en un cementerio remoto.A fictional story set against the backdrop of the historical 1862 Confederate invasion of what is now northern New Mexico. This movie was made in Spain by an Italian director but starred several American actors. I have included it with other true Civil War movies, even though I have inconsistently grouped another New Mexico Civil War movie with those that are more removed from the war. (I have never seen the other movie.) Historical notes: The U.S. War Department almost decided to send troops to New Mexico after the territory was invaded by a Confederate brigade consisting largely of Texans. The proposed westward shift of Union troops to meet this threat did not take place because of the recommendation of a single man, General Henry Halleck, who told Secretary of War Edwin Stanton that New Mexico’s military governor, Col. E.R.S. Canby, had the situation well in hand. This movie would be a fairer take on the South’s short-lived foray into the West if it were not so inaccurate: Contrary to the movie, there were no railroads in New Mexico until after the war, neither side had a prisoner of war camp in New Mexico, there were no long bridges over any of New Mexico’s big rivers, and almost nobody in 1862 New Mexico had heard of General U.S. Grant.
- DirectorWilliam Cameron MenziesEstrellasJames CraigBarbara PaytonGuy MadisonDos viejos amigos se encuentran en bandos opuestos durante la Guerra Civil en una batalla desesperada en lo alto de una montaña inexpugnable.Most of this movie takes place late in the Civil War. The story is loosely based on the war in Tennessee and Georgia. A fictional (and evidently highly inaccurate – see "Goofs" for this film) skirmish, using cannons, maximizes explosions but uses few extras. (This is also a shortcoming of many low budget movies set during the Civil War and other wars besides.)
- DirectoresClyde BruckmanBuster KeatonEstrellasBuster KeatonMarion MackGlen CavenderCuando unos espías de la Unión roban la amada locomotora de un maquinista, este les persigue en solitario a través de las líneas enemigas.This classic silent movie is based on the true story of the attempted theft of a Confederate train by a group of Union saboteurs. It takes place during the Civil War but is set largely behind Confederate lines. It is told from the Confederate side, and the Union soldiers are treated unsympathetically.
- DirectorFrancis D. LyonEstrellasFess ParkerJeffrey HunterJeff YorkDurante la Guerra Civil, el espía de la Unión Andrews y sus hombres se ofrecen a robar un tren confederado y llevarlo a territorio de la Unión mientras destruyen las vías confederadas en su camino.Another version of the story told in “The General” about the theft of a Confederate train by Union saboteurs operating behind Confederate lines. Told mainly from the Union viewpoint, although it tries to be even-handed toward both sides.
- DirectorVictor FlemingEstrellasClark GableVivien LeighThomas MitchellUna mujer manipuladora y un oportunista se embarcan en un turbulento romance mientras la sociedad a su alrededor se desmorona con el fin de la esclavitud y se reconstruye durante la Guerra Civil Americana y el periodo de Reconstrucción.A subcategory of Civil War movies includes those set mostly on the home front rather than on the battlefield. “Gone with the Wind” is an iconic Civil War movie, which is set before, during, and after the war. It tells us how the war affected civilians – especially, Scarlet O’Hara (Vivien Leigh). It relates her story through the parallax lenses of the Lost Cause and Dunning schools of Civil War and Reconstruction historiography.
- DirectorRaoul WalshEstrellasClark GableYvonne De CarloSidney PoitierAmantha Starr crece como una privilegiada belleza sureña antes de la guerra, pero tras la muerte de su padre arruinado, su mundo se desmorona cuando descubre que su madre era negra.Set before, during, and after the Civil War, this movie primarily focuses on how the war affected civilians. It especially looks at race relations in the period. Noteworthy for its surprise ending: What famous star of one generation turns out to be the parent of what famous star of the next?
- DirectorDavid ButlerEstrellasShirley TempleJohn BolesJack HoltShirley Temple's father, a rebel officer, sneaks back to his rundown plantation to see his family and is arrested. A Yankee takes pity and sets up an escape. Everyone is captured and the officers are to be executed. Shirley and "Bojangles" Robinson beg President Lincoln to intercede.At some point, movies stopped being so sympathetic to the Confederates, but the 1930s were well before that shift. In this “home front” movie, a Confederate officer crosses Union lines to return to his family during the war. It is all about how adorable the Confederate’s daughter is. The movie is notable for the oft sampled scene of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and Shirley Temple in a dance sequence.
- DirectorAnthony MinghellaEstrellasJude LawNicole KidmanRenée ZellwegerEn los últimos días de la Guerra Civil Americana, un soldado herido se embarca en un peligroso viaje de regreso a Cold Mountain, Carolina del Norte, para reunirse con su novia.Another movie set on the Confederate home front during the Civil War. Emphasis is on the home guard, who were paramilitary units that did not go to war but policed the home front, not always to the liking of even law-abiding civilians.
- DirectorKatherine StenholmEstrellasBob Jones Jr.Bob Jones IIIJack ButtramThis is the story of two wars - one in the heart of General Richard Stoddard Ewell and the other on the battlefields of Bull Run and Manassas. The film traces the influence of General "Stonewall" Jackson's vigorous faith upon the unbelieving Ewell.Another movie I have only read about. It is primarily about the religious convictions of Confederate General Richard Ewell, who was influenced by the devout General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. However, it is also about the Battle(s?) of Bull Run (a.k.a., Manassas – there were two and Ewell was involved in both), and perhaps other battles.
- DirectorGeorge SiegmannEstrellasDorothy GishFrank BennettBob BurnsSallie is a beautiful Kentucky girl who belongs to a family of Union sympathizers. Her brother is a lieutenant in the Union army, and on a visit home brings Major Rushton, his superior officer, who falls in love with Sallie, "the little Yank." Lieutenant James Castleton encourages his sister to make hospital supplies for the wounded soldiers. While the two Union officers are at the Castleton home, the house is surrounded by Confederates, but Sallie utilizes a clover ruse in helping her brother and the Major to escape. She herself starts through the Confederate lines to carry her supplies to the wounded Unionists. She is assisted by Captain Johnny, a handsome young Confederate. Lieutenant Castleton is captured by the Confederates after a battle in which he has been injured, and Sallie goes to the enemy's camp to nurse him. While there she falls in love with Captain Johnny. Meanwhile Major Rushton has become a spy, following the Confederates as a sutler. He learns of the attraction between Sallie and Captain Johnny, and decides to break it up. He returns to the Union lines and sends Captain Johnny a note, presumably from Sallie, asking him to meet her at a trysting place. Johnny is captured, evidence is "planted" on him, and he is condemned to death. Sallie learns of the perilous situation, and. going to Rushton's headquarters, flirts with him, so that attention is diverted from her Confederate lover, and he is enabled to escape. Shortly after hostilities cease and a long lifetime of happiness dawns for Sallie and Captain Johnny.This silent movie is a love triangle set in the Civil War. Union and Confederate soldiers vie for the hand of the same Southern woman. Her loyalties are tested, and they shift depending on whether she is influenced by her brother and suitor (both Union officers) or her Rebel suitor. The character Sallie, a Kentuckian, is emblematic of her "border state", caught between the two sides.
- EstrellasPaul Andre GibbonsJarrod EmickFrederic ForrestLa historia del campo de prisioneros de guerra confederados más notorio de la Guerra Civil estadounidense.This picture focuses on a prisoner of war camp during the war.
- DirectorEdward DmytrykEstrellasWilliam HoldenRichard WidmarkJanice RuleDurante la guerra civil americana, Álvarez Kelly, un granjero mexicano, provee a los unionistas hasta que los confederados le obligan a cambiar de clientes.Though it proposes to follow the Civil War from Texas to Richmond, Virginia, this movie takes place near the war's end and remains focused on a limited event.
- DirectorKevin CostnerEstrellasKevin CostnerMary McDonnellGraham GreeneEl teniente John Dunbar, asignado a un remoto puesto de avanzada de la Guerra Civil occidental, se hace amigo de los lobos y los indios, lo que lo convierte en una aberración intolerable en el ejército.This movie starts out with a short Civil War battle scene and then gets as far away from the war as it can, and as fast as it can.
- DirectorHugo FregoneseEstrellasVan HeflinAnne BancroftRichard BooneA group of Confederate prisoners escape to Canada and plan to rob the banks and set fire to the small town of Saint Albans, Vermont. To get the lay of the land, their leader spends a few days in the town and finds he is getting drawn into its life--especially into that of an attractive widow and her son.One of my favorite Civil War movies is about the true story of a Confederate attack on the obscure town of St. Albans, Vermont, just to spread terror and rob the local bank. Talk about distance from the main theaters of war! (In his 1996 book, “Don’t Know Much About the Civil War”, Kenneth C. Davis said that Hollywood would never make a movie about such an ignominious event – but they already had.)
- DirectorRaoul WalshEstrellasClaire TrevorJohn WayneWalter PidgeonEn Kansas, durante la Guerra de Secesión, los bandos de la Unión y la Confederación se enfrentan y Bob Seton, de visita en Texas, se enfrenta a los asaltantes de William Cantrell.This movie looks at guerilla warfare in the western states (Kansas) during the Civil War. In this story, cruelty and personal ambition run amok amidst the fog of war. Noteworthy: This movie happens to feature what is arguably the best performance of Roy Roger’s career.
- DirectorAng LeeEstrellasTobey MaguireSkeet UlrichJewelDurante la guerra civil americana, dos amigos se unen a una milicia Confederada llamada Bushwhackers.Another – if more recent – movie that takes us into the West during the Civil War. The “Bushwhackers” are a paramilitary group similar to the one that spawned the outlaw gang of Jesse James. Such guerrillas were privateers who operated outside of the control of the combatant armies.
