"People consume the Civil War like any other piece of popular culture, that is they chose the narrative they want," said Kantrowitz, when asked what is missing from discussions about the Civil War. In teaching about the Civil War, Kantrowitz provides students with clips from four movies to represent the war. One is from the Ken Burns Civil War documentary, showing the reading of the letter from a dying soldier, Sullivan Ballou, to his wife. It represents the positive image of the hero doing all for his country. Next is a clip from the movie "Gettysburg," where Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain gives a stirring speech outlining the reasons for the war, to save the union and free the slaves. This, said Kantrowitz, is the war Wisconsinites relate to. Next is a clip from "Gone With The Wind," a Scarlett O'Hara moment, the message of the war as a lost cause, pretty much the Southern version, the version accepted the year of the movie, 1939. The final clip is from the movie "Glory," where the point of reference is closer to reality, especially for African-Americans, with self-emancipation as the narrative, Kantrowitz said. Every point, however, has powerful missing parts, he said.
