One of the most common forms of documentary films is the documentary that follows and examines one person's life in detail. The documentaries typically try to reveal to the world just who the person they are following is. What if though, the subject of the documentary has no clue who they themselves are? A crisis of identity is closely observed in Sherman’s March. The subjects of this film goes through some sort of crisis where it seems all they really know about themselves is their name, and nothing else.

Sherman's March presents first hand an identity crisis from the person who is going through it. Ross Mcelwee's crisis is actually the basis of the entire film. The opening shot eludes to this crisis as all it is a empty space. Mcelwee narrates over the shot that he intended to film a documentary on Sherman's March through the south but his girlfriend broke up with him, and it has left him without a close as to what to due. This lack of what to do with his life is shown in the emptiness of the room he is in. It could be said that this room is Mcelwee's sense of his direction in life, and it being so empty symbolizes how he has no clue as to where to take it.

Mcelwee's crisis of identity is further shown throughout the movie as he attempts to meet and become intimate with people. Rather than show his own personality, he seems to hide behind his camera. He constantly asks questions of the people his filming but whenever the people ask Ross something, he shrugs them off. He may not want to answer the questions because he doesn't know to the answers to them. His sense of self has been so far lost to the point that he becomes fearful of letting others know of his crisis. He is extremely introverted in that sense.

One of the most important scenes in the film that illustrates just how far gone Mcelwee is occurs when he spends the night at his parents house. He beings filming himself talking to the camera in a whisper and he explains that he thinks he is going to start following Sherman's march again but his tone of voice reveals a sense of uncertainity in himself. His sense of self is so far he even compares himself to Sherman saying that Sherman had a beard, and he has a beard too. The relation is small and he sounds desperate as he struggles to remember why he started making the movie in the first place.

Lastly, Charleen plays an important role in Ross realizing he is having a crisis. As I said earlier, whenever someone asks Ross a question he is shocked and tries to play it off. But Charleen pushes him over an edge. She is the only person who really creates a sense of unease in him to the point that he has to stop filming her. He says after the segment with her that just had to leave since she wouldn't stop pushing women on him for him to settle down and find himself. He didn't like having someone there constantly pointing out that he didn't know who he was, so he just had to run away from her.