Abstract

CAPARROS-LERA, José María. A Look at the U.S. Civil War through Cinema. Palabra Clave [online]. 2009, vol.12, n.2, pp.195-206. ISSN 0122-8285.

Historical cinema is one of the most popular Hollywood genres. Nonetheless, few events have been as prolific on the big screen as the United States Civil War (1861-1865), which posed the threat of secession in what was still a young country. This introductory article is an approach to that topic, more quantitative than distinctly analytical, although it does offer an esthetic and contextual assessment of the major films: The Birth of a Nation (1915), Gone with the Wind (1939), Glory (1989) and Gettysburg (1993). These are four classic films on a conflict that divided the United States of America in a way that is comparable only to the division in public opinion generated by the Vietnam War.

Keywords : Civil War; historical cinema; Hollywood; pacifism; anti-war; heroism.

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