Hindsight, as they say, is 20-20, so it’s hard to believe that the Union and Confederate troops originally predicted a quick, neat end to the American Civil War. For their part, the rebels assumed that if they showed enough willingness and determination to break away from the United States, the North would accept that choice. The Union underestimated the South’s steely resolve and well-disciplined fighting force.
Any pretenses about the war ending early came to a screeching halt during the First Battle of Bull Run – known in the South as the Battle of Manassas – which took place in summer of 1861. Just a few months after the Confederacy fired on Fort Sumter, the Union was feeling overconfident. Several generals decided to march on Richmond and secure a quick victory. When the smoke from the cannons and Civil War guns cleared, several thousand troops on each side had been killed. The prospect of a short, tidy war vanished with that smoke.
Have you ever taken the time to pinpoint the attributes that your favorite movies have in common? It’s rather vague to say that I like “comedies” or “dramas,” even if both those statements are technically true. After some serious consideration, I’d have to choose period pieces and war movies as my favorites – but only if they’re realistic and believable. And that means scrupulously authentic costumes.
When done right, a movie should make me forget that I’m in the theater and actually watching a film. Anything that draws me out of that engrossing experience is to be criticized. Movie costumes don’t have to be flashy; in fact, they should just look and feel right for a particular time and place. Subtlety and accuracy should be the two foremost goals for any historical costume designer.
Pirates have been romanticized in Hollywood movies and popular culture to the point that their images softened somewhat over time. That’s why the recent trend of high-seas hijackings off the Somalian coast was so jarring to the Western world. Films such as “Pirates of the Caribbean” portray these seafaring bandits as little more than colorful characters in search of a little plunder.
Historians and hobbyists know the truth, however. Pirates have always been vigilantes – indiscriminant criminals who had no qualms about breaking international law just to get rich. With that said, pirate replicas such as guns, sword hangers and hats only serve to prove that the pirates of old were a fascinating bunch. Part of their appeal lies in the fact that they could conquer and pillage mighty naval vessels with little more than some extensive nautical knowledge and a few rudimentary weapons.
Looking back now, so many decades after the fact, it’s easy to find irony in President Woodrow Wilson’s claim that World War I would be “the war to end all wars.” At the time, the major participants called it the Great War. They never imagined that another conflict would come along just 35 years later and that the casualties and consequences would be even greater.
By the end of World War II, the world had been virtually rid – however temporarily – of a great fascist threat. It didn’t take long for movies to romanticize the conflict to the point of obscuring many of the facts. There’s no denying that World War II was one of the bloodiest, hardest-fought in all of history. WWII guns represented physical proof of just how far military technology had advanced during the 20th century.
By now I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’ll never be a famous thespian. The fact that I earn a generous living at a day job I happen to love does something to soften the blow. Still, I get a genuine thrill from performing in theatrical productions with a local acting troupe. In our most recent play, I was cast in the titular role of Julius Caesar. When offered the part, I said I would take a stab at it.
Our community theater budget is especially low this year, so I had to turn to a third party for a suitable costume. Luckily it took practically no time at all to find replica Roman costumes online. I placed an order and donned my costume in a matter of days. From there, I went on to ham it up in a play that I’ve always admired. It looks like I’ll be shopping for something a bit more Scottish because we’re getting ready to tackle Macbeth.
Those interested in cultivating a new hobby would be well served by checking out historical reenactments. This pastime is especially popular among veterans who yearn to honor the warriors and tacticians who came before them. For instance, a Vietnam vet might be reticent to talk or think too much about his experience overseas. Some things just hit a little too close to home. But what about reliving the thrill of a Civil War battle?
The Civil War has become known as the campaign that eventually saved our union from becoming divided in two. Exhaustive histories have been written, and every principal participant has earned at least one biography. Re-enactors dedicate a special level of realism for their Civil War battles, utilizing replica Civil War swords and other convincing armaments. This is a hobby that commands respect as well as dedication.
In ancient times, just as in modern times, the outcome of battles was often decided by which foe had the superior weaponry. In the Age of Steel, soldiers, knights, and warriors wielded medieval swords made from steel. While the weapons were all made with the same blacksmithing techniques, the length and width of the blades differed greatly. The effectiveness of a blade often depended on the foe it went up against. A long blade, for example, would be suitable for cutting down several enemies with medium length blades. The tradeoff with a long blade was its weight, and the effort required to swing it. If the first swing missed with a long blade, an opponent with a short blade might be able to close the gap to strike before the long blade wielder could swing again. With medieval swords, most blades were about 24-28 inches in length. A short blade would be 12-16 inches, and a long blade would be in excess of 36 inches.
Armies of soldiers clashed wielding these blades, and the outcome of many battles was decided by the technique of warriors and the quality and length of their blades.
Throughout history, war and religion have often been closely linked. The Ancient Romans and Vikings both believed their Gods compelled them to attack and conquer neighboring peoples, and while the idea of a religiously motivated empire state can seem primitive and outdated, many more modern cultures have had a similar attitude. America has always been a religious country, and American politicians and religious leaders have often described us as God’s “chosen people.” They pointed to the vast country they’d been given to inhabit, a “new Eden,” as it was sometimes called, and the abundance of natural resources that lay within its borders.
In 1845, a newspaper columnist named John O’Sullivan coined another phrase, “manifest destiny,” to describe the role of the American people in human affairs. The phrase has meant different things over the centuries; at best, it implies a sense of responsibility to other peoples and an obligation to use our nation’s power and influence to ensure their well being. To most Americans, this meant encouraging the spread of democracy and the God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, as well as the spread of Christianity in order to save souls of more primitive peoples. Unfortunately, those noble goals could be used to justify almost anything. It basically meant that Americans believed their values and way of life were superior to all others, and that they had a right to impose these things on other people. This was how the government defended turning its western guns against the Native Americans, which is great evidence that religion and politics don’t always mix.
Most people wouldn’t understand what a LARPer (Live Action Role-Player) is, but there are a select few in the fantasy role playing world who know of these elite gamers. Unlike traditional role playing games which partake on a table top or television screen, LARPers take their fantasy role playing one step further, and translate it into real life with fantasy costumes and accessories. Most LARPing takes place in wooded areas outside the boundaries of society, and is not for the faint of heart.
If one were to compare LARPers, roleplaying gamers, and regular people in fantasy roleplaying terms, regular people would be considered human (as they are now). Humans lead short lives, are often regarded as foolish, and are well renowned for their dedication and piety (often to excess). In this scenario, roleplaying gamers would be dwarves, who tolerable in society, but tend to stick together. Dwarves are those who burrow in the earth (often a basement) seeking riches (fat game loots). LARPers are of dwarven blood, but over time, evolved into a subterranean race. These dwarves, also known as “deep dwarves”, delved so deep and so greedily that they became more creature than human. LARPers, in our modern society, would fall into this role.
My friend and I are making a parody of spaghetti westerns and we needed some realistic looking props. Despite the fact that we’re shooting in black-and-white, we still need to have realistic looking western guns for the movies climatic ending.
We scoured the internet and found a great website where we were able to purchase beautifully made replica guns and now we can shoot the scene without having to resort to drawn on and modified water guns!
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