Gettysburg (Widescreen Edition)
|
List Price: Our Price: $8.99 You Save: $5.99 (40%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $3.61 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of Gettysburg (Widescreen Edition)
Movie Review: The novel comes to life
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a nice transfer of novel to screen. Michael Shaara's work is well known to those interested in the Civil War. It used an interesting technique--selecting several characters and reporting their observations of events and their perspectives and understanding of those. Among the key characters from whose eyes we see things include: Robert E. Lee, James Longstreet, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, Winfield Scott Hancock, and--from the First Day--John Buford. This is a long movie, over 4 hours. But to encapsulate as sprawling a battle as Gettysburg, this is altogether appropriate.
What of the cast? Overall, awfully good for a movie that is far from a traditional theater release. Martin Sheen plays Robert E. Lee (I'm not sure that he's as wooden as some reviewers comment, but his "It's all in God's hands now" does become a bit stale by the end); Jeff Daniels is quite affecting as Chamberlain (he has an appropriate academic air and portrays an amateur's sense of warfare); Sam Elliott as the hard-bitten, crusty Buford is almost perfectly cast; Tom Berenger does a nice job portraying Longstreet's discomfort with strategy and tactics and a foreboding of the battle's outcome. Secondary characters are played well, too, such as Stephen Lang's George Picket, Richard Jordan's Lew Armistead, and Kevin Conway's Sergeant Kilrain. All in all, the acting is quite well done.
The scope of the movie? It begins with the hours before the meeting engagement at Gettysburg (this was an "accidental" battle with neither side anticipating a great fight there). Among the scenes is a delightful meeting among Armistead, Pickett, and Longstreet in which a pleasantly diverting discussion of Charles Darwin takes place.
The first day featured the confrontation between Harry Heth's division and Buford's cavalry. As the pressure begins to be too much, General John Reynolds, at the head of the fearsome fighter of the First Corps arrives. At this point, the movie gets a but fuzzy historically. One gets the sense that the line starts collapsing at one place as the Iron Brigade arrives at another, under the direct command of Reynolds. This is misleading; the forces to the immediate north of the Iron Brigade did not collapse until after Reynolds' placement of the fighting Westerners and his death. The day ends with a powerful meeting between Buford and the Union generals gathering at Gettysburg.
On the Second Day, the key action in the movie includes Devil's Den and Little Round Top. On that day, much more happened, including desperate fighting on Cemetery Ridge and Culp's Hill, not depicted in this movie (but the movie is already long at 4 hours, so this is merely a minor quibble). The DVD accepts pretty much without question Chamberlain's rather self-serving version of the 20th Maine's stalwart fight, protecting the left flank of the Union army. Nonetheless, this is a powerful scene and works most nicely.
The Third Day? The focus is Pickett's Charge (technically a misnomer, since other divisions were involved as well (Pettigrew and Trimble commanded troops as well). The tension of the day is well portrayed. E. Porter Alexander directed a massive cannonade to try to wreak havoc on the Union Center. At the close of the barrage, the 12,000-15,000 Confederate troops are shown beginning their doomed charge. The music swells in a most affecting scene. And then the carnage begins, with Union artillery and later rifled musket fire decimating the attackers.
Much poignancy in this third day. The personal courage of Hancock (which appears to be historically accurate), the brave last stand by Armistead (also correct), the effort by Lee to inspire his troops after the repulse, and so on.
There are some historical glitches here. The movie misses many dramatic moments (although how could it be otherwise with the time limitations of a movie format?). On the whole, however, this is a powerful version of the critical battle at Gettysburg. Well worth watching.
Movie Review: An Long, but Intriguing Epic!
Summary: 3 Stars
This film was Ted Turner's baby. He wanted to produce a movie that re-enacted the bloddiest battle on American soil. When it was completed, the film was over 4 hours long. Much too long for theatrical release. So he premiered it on his cable network, TNT in 1993. The battle scenes itself are worth the long run time. It's not too graphic and works as a historical referrence. That may be it's downfall, as well. Another is the long stretches of dialogue. Though needed for continuity, after a while, the film started to suffer from overindulgence. If you can endure it's length, you might find this film rather entertaining. Give it a try!Movie Review: Gettysburg
Summary: 5 Stars
Gettysburg is a great movie that was inspired by one of the most decisive battles during the Civil War. Ronald Maxwell, the director, hired a historain, James McPherson so help him in making sure the battle scenes were as true as they actually happened in 1863. Gettysburg has three days of fighting along with events that led up to the war making it very gory and action-packed. There is alot of death in this movie but since Gettysburg was one of the bloodiest battles with 50,000 American casualties, the amount of death in the movie is appropriate.
The first day of fighting consists of Buford trying to maintain his position in Gettysburg to make sure that the Union army has the best land position. The second day of fighting is centrally located at Cemetery Hill, Little Round Top, and Culp's Hill. The third and final day at Gettysburg consisted of one of the most famous battles at Gettysburg: Pickett's Charge. This is the day that Lee realizes that he has to retreat due to too many Confederate losses.
This movie is, historically, very correct. The locations of the battles are historicall accurate along with the general's names. Mostly everything in this movie was, in McPherson's eyes, historically accurate. One can learn alot about the Civil War by watching this movie because it shows how the soldiers felt and lived and the effects of war on them. It also talks about past and upcoming issues in the war. This was a great historical movie but also very entertaining and i would recommend it to anybody that was interested, or wants to become knowledgable about the Civil War.
Movie Review: Historical Referance
Summary: 4 Stars
I found this movie to be an excellant composite of historical facts and charactors.
Heavilly based on the book "Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara.
Movie Review: For Civil War Enthusiasts...
Summary: 5 Stars
Turner Pictures' "Gettysburg" is the lengthy but fascinating dramatization of Michael Shaara's classic Civil War novel "The Killer Angels." At mini-series length and populated with an army's worth of solid actors, "Gettysburg" delivers the gripping story of the three-day battle as experienced by some of the key personalities.
Among the highpoints:
Sam Elliot as hardbitten Union Cavalry General John Buford, who recognized the value of the terrain at Gettysburg and whose decision to stand there helps bring on the battle.
Jeff Daniels is absolutely superb as Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain of the 20th Maine, a professor at Bowdoin College become a leader of men at war. Jeff Daniels manages to capture both the intelligence and the determination that won Chamberlain a Medal of Honor in the desperate struggle for the end of the Union line at Little Round Top.
Tom Berenger gives a nuanced and conflicted performance as Confederate General Longstreet, Lee's most reliable Corps Commander, who advises Lee against the Battle at Gettysburg and who must overcome his better instincts to execute Lee's orders.
Martin Sheen does his best to deliver as Confederate General Robert E. Lee, but only just fails to capture the charisma and the hidden steel that made Lee such a deadly and successful battlefield commander for so long. Perhaps the best of his performance in this movie is his meeting with his missing cavalry commander, J.E.B. Stuart, after the second day of battle.
The movie was filmed over the actual ground at Gettysburg using properly equipped re-enactors who add much authenticity to the battle scenes. The sharp-eyed viewer will enjoy picking out a number of actors hiding behind more or less authentic period whiskers. The magnificent score adds to the appreciation of what was at stake at Gettysburg, while the prologue and epilogue provide a haunting sense of the harsh fates awaiting many of the key players in the battle.
This movie is most highly recommended to fans of the Civil War who are prepared to overlook some TV-movie production shortfalls for an entertaining and educational dramatization of the Civil War's most fateful battle.