Ross McElwee sets out to make a documentary about the lingering effects of General Sherman's march of destruction through the South during the Civil War, but is continually sidetracked by women who come and go in his life, his recurring dreams of nuclear holocaust, and Burt Reynolds.
This epic documentary has received high praise. I can understand why, but it is rather weird and almost no documentary at all. What was allegedly supposed to be an investigation of Sherman's march to the sea, it instead seems to be the director's ongoing attempt to get romantically involved with a series of women.
As far as documentaries go, this one works well in an offbeat sort of way (like "Grey Gardens") but I think ultimately fails because it doesn't really document anything. After almost three hours, the only thing viewers will learn is about the pursuits of Ross McElwee, which hardly seems worth knowing. Prior to renting the film, I had never heard of McElwee.
This epic documentary has received high praise. I can understand why, but it is rather weird and almost no documentary at all. What was allegedly supposed to be an investigation of Sherman's march to the sea, it instead seems to be the director's ongoing attempt to get romantically involved with a series of women.
As far as documentaries go, this one works well in an offbeat sort of way (like "Grey Gardens") but I think ultimately fails because it doesn't really document anything. After almost three hours, the only thing viewers will learn is about the pursuits of Ross McElwee, which hardly seems worth knowing. Prior to renting the film, I had never heard of McElwee.