"A New Birth of Freedom"

Ken Burns is an amazing and highly skilled documentarian/filmmaker. He and his Florentine Films crew have focused their camera on such diverse topics as Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Hart Benton, and Jack Johnson, the Brooklyn Bridge and baseball, all the while maintaining a distinct, recognizable, and oft-imitated style. In my humble onion, there's a level of genius at play in his work, and he has definitely produced works of art.

Day-Lewis is Lincoln

So Daniel Day-Lewis will be Abraham Lincoln in the Spielberg film with a screenplay based on Doris Kern Goodwin's book Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was supposedly around 6'4" "barefoot," whereas Day-Lewis is only around 6'1" (as was previously mentioned to play Lincoln, Harrison Ford). But I think he looks a bit like Lincoln, and God knows makeup and/or CGI could make up the difference. As far as height is concerned, Liam Neeson, standing at 6'4", was the closest actor/candidate to play America's sixteenth (and possibly greatest) president.

Music of The Civil War

Just a cheery little post for your humpday! Enjoy, oh mighty Googlebot. :)

From The Civil War, Episode Four: "Simply Murder," as narrated by historian David McCullough:

Troops sang in camp and on the way to battle. Confederates favored "Dixie" and "The Bonnie Blue Flag." Union soldiers still preferred an old Methodist tune. Mostly they liked sentimental songs - "Just Before the Battle, Mother," "The Vacant Chair," "All Quiet Along the Potomac," and "Home Sweet Home." In many camps, the men were forbidden to play a song called "Weeping, Sad and Lonely," officers considering it destructive of morale. Both sides loved "Lorena."


"Just Before the Battle, Mother"


"The Vacant Chair"


"All Quiet Along the Potomac Tonight"


"Home, Sweet Home"


"Weeping, Sad and Lonely" (a.k.a.. "When This Cruel War Is Over")

"Lorena"

During the opening moments of The Civil War, Ken Burns shows this image of the soldier, followed immediately thereafter by the shot of a dead solider, who I assume are one in the same (or perhaps the point is, they could be).

...And then, there is "Ashokan Farewell," the only music used in the series which isn't an authentic, 19th century composition. This one moves me to tears every single, damn time I hear it (like Pavlov's dog):