152 & 52 years ago

Yuri Gagarin - First Man on Space

 

  • 1861 – The American Civil war officially begins with the Confederate army (southerners) firing on Fort Sumter (in the harbour of Charleston), a key fort held by Union troops (northerners) in South Carolina.

Exactly a 100 years later –

  • 1961 – The Russians send a man to space. Aboard Vostok 3KA-3, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin (pictured above) becomes the first man to enter outer space orbiting the earth within 108 minutes. Ironically he died while on a routine training flight, on 27 March 1968, aged 34.

American Civil War on Celluloid

The American Civil War on Film

 

Gone with the Wind (1939), happens to be my favourite movie set during the civil war and the aftermath. It’s in fact my second favourite movie of all time. See my list titled Why I love …. (press on the link) on IMDB. My Top-10 all time favourite movies.

From the silent era, am yet to see D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation (1915), which is supposedly among the best movies about the American civil war. Therefore, The General (1926) one of my favourite silent flicks, happens to be my favourite silent venture set during the 1860’s War torn America. From the 1990’s, I love Amistad (1997), which was set way before the war, and Sommerby (1993), which is set just after the war. The only civil war movie I did not enjoy that much was Glory (1989).  

In the 21st century, the best movie on the civil war, was no doubt Anthony Minghella’s epic Cold Mountain (2003). See my list titled My favourite J-Law Movies (press on the link) on IMDB. A list of my Top-10 favourite Jude Law movies from the 1990’s & 2000’s.

Am yet to see some great epics set during the infamous civil war, that lasted more than four years, between 1861 and 1865; such as The Battle of Gettysburg (1913), The Birth of a Nation (1915), The Red Badge of Courage (1951), Raintree Country (1957), Dances with the Wolves (1990), Gods and Generals (2003) and of course Lincoln (2012); to name a few.

 

Civil War Flicks

 

Nuwan Sen’s Historical Sense. Nuwan Sen n’ General Knowledge

Nuwan Sen’s Film Sense