Battle Ballet

Busby Berkeley, one of the greatest movie choreographers (best known for his geometric patterns made of women's bodies) got his start in the military.  It is no easy feat to coordinate the movements of hundreds of people in a way that actually accomplishes something.  

I had wondered to what extent the Civil War battle would be choreographed - it obviously wouldn't be a free-for-all, but who's calling the shots? The man at the loudspeaker who provided running commentary throughout the battle was good enough to explain that the officers on both sides decide what will happen in advance, but the troops are left in the dark.  This way, people have to actually give and receive orders, couriers have to sprint across the field with messages, spies have to sneak around and report on their findings, and so on.  The result was quite remarkable, with well-coordinated acts of simulated violence played out all over the landscape.  Every now and then a soldier would "die" (eliciting cheers from the crowd if a Yankee), falling to the ground in poses that ranged from the comical to the lyrical. I was impressed with the resolve of the "dead" who lay motionless in the mud for a full hour, as it had been raining hard all day and the field was full of cow pies.

In case you were wondering about the final result, the South lost.  Authenticity to the end.