The Film Gone with Gone - Essay Example

Gone with the Wind The film Gone with Gone (1939) tells a story about the life of a Southern girl during the Civil War. The film earned various cinematographic awards and is seen as an iconic work. However, it also has a historical value. The movie provides some insights into the hard times of the American nation. It portrays the period of the Civil War and the way Southerners lived through it. It is necessary to add that the film is quite accurate historically in many ways though there is certain social and racial bias. As far as historical accuracy is concerned, it is possible to consider numerous episodes. For instance, the atmosphere in the South and the way Southern rich people lived. They were careless and happy and they were living in the world they understood well. They knew that their wealth was based on their slaves’ labor. They also saw nothing wrong about the order established. Slaves were seen as property and they served their masters well. The movie does not provide explicit information on the factors that caused the start of the Civil War. However, the atmosphere is revealed perfectly well. Southerners wanted to defend the life they were accustomed to and the world order that had been established. Young people were fascinated by the idea of having the war, and they gladly joined the army. The atmosphere at Scarlett’s house during the party shows this enthusiasm. The overall support of the war is also seen when the charity ball is depicted. Men and women gladly donated, as they believed that the war was the right cause. It is noteworthy that during one of his lectures, Dr. Foner stresses that war cannot be romanticized as it is horrible and ugly. It is associated with death and destruction. The film provides a lively picture of such statements. Scarlett decides to go back to Tara and she is fleeing a deserted city. She also has to move across a battle field where corpses are still there. The horrible picture of war is provided. As for bias, it is necessary to note that the book (the film is based on Margaret Mitchell’s novel) was written by a white wealthy Southern female who lived during the time of segregation. The film was produced in 1939. Clearly, at that time, voices of African Americans were hardly heard. Thus, no hardships of slaves are depicted. The protagonists are all kind to their slaves. Of course, they still make it clear that they are in charge and their slaves do not know anything about the way things should be going. All slaves express support of their masters and seem to be happy with the order established. They seem to be happy to live as slaves of Scarlett’s family and even die for ideas of masters (as some male slaves joined the army to fight against Northerners). In some cases, slaves are depicted as indecisive and somewhat impractical in everything but manual labor. Nonetheless, irrespective of this bias the movie still provides insights into individuals’ lives during the Civil War. Of course, it is a historical fiction and some historical inconsistencies may exist. However, in general, the film reveals the atmosphere of that period, which is sometimes more important than certain data and figures. The Civil War: A Film by Ken Burns (1990) The Civil War (1990) is a documentary filmed in 1990. It focuses on the period of the Civil War revealing many facets. For instance, factors that contributed to the start of the war, various details concerning battles (including casualties, weapons used and so on) as well as lives of people in pre- and post-war period. The film does not include major bias as it is a documentary and due to the time when it was produced. A lot of attention is paid to the issues associated with race. Notably, Dr. Foner states that the Civil War was one of the most important periods in the US history as it shaped the development of the nation. The historian stresses that Americans living in the 21st century, their beliefs and values, can be regarded as a result or product of the events that took place in the middle of the 19th century. Historians featured in the film have a similar view on the Civil War. The movie also includes the idea that Southerners could hardly win due to the lack of resources as compared to Northerners they had fewer weapons, people and so on. Nevertheless, the war started and many people believed that Confederates could win it. The documentary dwells upon particular factors that contributed to the start of the war. It is noteworthy that memories of various people, speeches of US presidents, letters of ordinary Americans used in the film provide a broad picture of what the life was in the middle of the 19th century. Slavery was the major cause and, hence, the film includes a lot of information on this aspect of the US history. Importantly, the focus is made on the sufferings of slaves, their hard manual labor as well as horrible conditions they had to live in. Of course, cruelty of white people and the struggle for freedom or sometimes for humane conditions is also depicted. It is possible to trace certain bias, as when watching the film, it seems that all of the Southerners were cruel. Of course, there were different people and some tried to avoid using slave labor even in the South. Many Southerners were against that shameful peculiarity of their society. Therefore, one of the aspects that can be criticized is the lack of information on the way Southerner were thinking. Of course, there is some information and ideas and thoughts of Southerners are present in the film. Nevertheless, a deeper analysis of the viewpoint of those living in the South could eliminate this slight bias. It is also important to add that the documentary shows the real price of the war and the ones who suffered more. Those were ordinary Americans who were killed in battles, lost their homes and their close ones, found themselves in ruins. The price of the Civil War was very high and Americans learned their lesson. In conclusion, it is possible to note that the documentary is detailed and comprehensive. It unveils many secrets of the Civil War and the way it shaped the development of the American nation. The events are depicted accurately and those interested in that period can learn a lot. Read More