This entry was posted on Friday, May 11th, 2007 at 1:08 am and is filed under Action, Drama, G, Movie Reviews, True Stories, War. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Director: Ronald F. Maxwell
Starring: Tom Berenger, Martin Sheen, Jeff Daniels, Richard Jordan, Cooper Huckabee, Sam Elliott, C. Thomas Howell, Kevin Conway, Stephen Lang,
Gettysburg is magnificent civil war epic that seems to run for longer than the battle itself! At over four hours, and with more characters than a season of soap operas, there is little doubt that director Ronald Maxwell’s editing knife was just a tad dull. Still, as a history, and movie, enthusiast, I love this film exactly the way it is. I would not wish for a single scene to be cut, and if more were left in, that would probably been ok with me as well. Gettysburg strikes a remarkable balance between telling a big story, but not losing touch with the individuals involved. The cinematic battle scenes are as grand as any I’ve ever seen and are mesmerizing in their scale, if not their effects. The screenplay, based on Michael Shaara’s novel, The Killer Angels, and the resulting performances (many by familiar actors), are surprisingly theatrical, with long soliloquies that they serve to give a voice to several diverse groups involved in the battle. Why are the officers fighting? How did they chose with which side to align? How do they feel about friends standing on the opposite side of the field? Why are the enlisted men fighting? These questions and countless others are addressed.
Gettysburg begins as the troops first become aware of one another’s presence, but are still unaware of the awesome numbers gathering for both sides. it continues through the most important three days of the Civil War in 1863. They are the bloodiest three days in American history and are almost equal to all of the American deathes in the entire Vietnam War. Viewers are privy to the various strategic views, as well as some of the personal opinions of the participants. Director Maxwell bends over backward to not pass judgment and doesn’t create protagonists or antagonists. These are just honorable men with differing loyalties and ideologies, who meet on the field of battle to do their duty. One area of contention might be the portrayal of Robert E. Lee (Martin Sheen) as a slightly deluded man on an unwavering course to disaster, while his second-in-command, Gen. Longstreet, had the answers. Jeff Daniels plays professor-turned soldier, Col. Chamberlain, who desperately tries to hold ground with his unit. His character, and those in his unit, made for some of the most poignant, and exciting, scenes in the film.
Gettysburg is a genuine treat for history students of all ages. The film builds patiently, but relentlessly, taking its time as if the director knew he was making the most historically important film ever made about the American Civil War. It’s long, and for those with little interest in the subject, it would be a tedious half day, indeed. If, however, this is a subject that holds interest for you, then Gettysburg is a required addition to your film library.
