History 615.002 Mary J. Miraglia
TypePad Blog Entry September 15, 2004
Response to Questions and presentation of Scene Analysis:
Ken Burns wanted to approach telling the story of the American Civil War (1861-1865) in his own visual terms and from his own point of view. His study, a series of videos, was to be no repeat of the traditional “Guns and Drums” written approach with its focus on the military, political, diplomatic and economic history or story of the war. A format normally based on the reenactment and analysis of battles of the war, whose causes rose solely from economic and political issues.
It took only seconds (roughly a minute or two) for Burns to introduce his vision and purpose for creating the series. He did this by not only utilizing visual images but also by using music, sound and narration. He chose images captured in photographic stills, posters, illustrations and art, newspaper accounts, maps, and recently shot interviews with his human resources (consultants such as historians, especially Barbara J. Fields, and writers, Shelby Foote), and videos of battle sights or evocative iconic visualization of his message (the opening shot of a single canon disrupting an idyllic scene).
He also used the other tools and effects of the documentary in telling his version of a well-known story. He effectively used the documented historic words of major and minor actors of the historic era by having well cast performers or actors speak their words from letters, diaries, reports, and speeches. He effectively merged the gripping images of slavery and war with haunting original music (which was so reminiscent of the period as to be confused as being era music). His also used authentic music of the period (especially the gospels), along with creative sound effects (slaves in the cotton field or the furiousness of the sounds of the battlefield or crowd scenes), to bring history alive.
Most importantly, he used a running narrative and description of the history, events, and story (effectively and authoritatively voiced and delivered by author, David McCullough). The narrative delivered Burn’s cultural and social interpretation of the war’s story. Here was an interpretation that codified his theme of an indictment of slavery’s culpability in creating the tension between the North and the South in causing the war, as well as his theme that the war was also a human story in search of freedom and possible redemption, both at the time and projected to the present.
“The Cause” had many impressive scenes and images, as well as evocative sounds, which made a significant impact on me as a viewer. The most central scene of the first episode was the interviews and words of Shelby Foote and Barbara Fields (coupled with the narrative) that followed the graphic scenes of slavery and the newsreels of the aged veterans long after the war. Foot’s and Field’s words gave an underlying documentation and summation of Burn’s themes for the episode and potentially for the series.
The importance of the series (Burn’s documentary) for history was at two levels. First, it reached a far broader and larger audience on public television than anticipated. The series informed educated and stimulated interest in reading and studying American history, particularly the Civil War. Its success may have signaled the return and resurgence of the documentary as a manner to reach the American people, outside of traditional commercial television or films.
Second, video provided a new avenue for presentation of new interpretations of American history for an audience beyond the academic one. Its ability to pack numerous and sometimes contradictory ideas, interpretations, and perception of a topic through images, music, and words meant that a young audience might be reached. Hopefully, the audience would not only be entertained but also encouraged to learn more about a topic, like history.
The use of video, in a rapid succession of images, sounds and words, presents a vision of history that might be more acceptable and accessible for most people than the standard text. It also provides and opens avenues for new interpretations of American history by new voices that might have difficulty finding an audience or expression through traditional venues.
The Burn’s documentary of the Civil War demonstrated both the strengths and weakness of the medium and the methodology (use of images that may be historically incorrect or misleading). However, the strengths of visualizing a story (with complicated issues and ideas) to making it accessible to a large audience were unmistakable. The “Civil War’s” hook was true to history and story telling and effective enough to reach its audience.
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