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Sherman's March

Name: Sherman's March
Director: Ross McElwee
Released: 1986
Duration: 158 min

Representation Score

6.0/10

Good

1986

Not Rated

Director

Ross McElwee

Runtime

158 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Sherman's March is a postmodern documentary that prioritizes personal autobiography over objective historical documentation. It successfully deconstructs traditional documentary forms by merging the observer and the observed. While the film challenges masculine stereotypes through a portrayal of vulnerability, it remains limited by its narrow focus. The narrative centers on the filmmaker's personal journey, often sidelining broader systemic or perspectives that reflect multiple aspects of identity. Ultimately, the work serves as an intimate, subjective exploration, achieving a unique structural accomplishment but falling short in representing diverse identities.

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Category Breakdown

Does Sherman's March have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film primarily centers on the filmmaker's heterosexual relationships and lacks substantial representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-binary gender roles.

How does Sherman's March portray gender?

Fair

The film challenges traditional masculine stereotypes by focusing on the filmmaker's vulnerability and social awkwardness. However, it maintains a perspective influenced by the male gaze.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Sherman's March?

Fair

While exploring the complex racial history of the American South, the film emphasizes the filmmaker's personal lineage and family connections, rather than broader multi-layered racial issues.

How does Sherman's March represent religion and culture?

Fair

The film prioritizes personal truth and subjectivity over religious doctrine, presenting a postmodern perspective rather than a systematic critique of Western or capitalist institutions.

Does Sherman's March include disability representation?

Limited

The film does not feature characters with visible or invisible disabilities, focusing instead on the filmmaker's psychological and romantic experiences.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional masculine archetypes by depicting a vulnerable and emotionally unstable protagonist.
Uses a postmodern, subjective lens to question the authority of traditional historical institutions.
Blurs the observer-subject distinction in documentary filmmaking.

Limited or Absent

Does not adequately represent LGBTQ+ identities or non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth narratives.
Focuses on the filmmaker's personal lineage and connections rather than broader multi-layered racial issues.
Lacks meaningful representation of characters with visible or invisible disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Documentarian Ross McElwee originally set out to make a travelogue of sorts tracing General William T. Sherman's infamous scorched-earth march through the Confederacy in the latter stages of the Civil War. Instead, haunted by a recent breakup with a girlfriend, McElwee ends up documenting his progress -- or lack thereof -- in starting a new relationship. His journey then becomes one of self-reflection and self-discovery rather than a historical/sociological exploration.

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