Gods & Generals
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Movie Reviews of Gods & Generals
Movie Review: Exact Opposite of Gettysburg...
Summary: 5 Stars
I was terribly disappointed with Martin Sheen's portrayal of Roberyt E. Lee in Gettysburg. Sheen - whether by his own design or by Ted Turner's - made Lee look indecisive, too reliant on J.E.B. Stuart (and Sheen portrayed Lee as confused and near-clueless due to Stuart's absence in the fiorst two days of Gettysburg, when Lee did have Cavalry under his Nephew, Gedneral Fitzhugh Lee, who as as able a commander as Stuart), and basically hopelss in the face of the coming battle. In Gods and Gernerals, Robert Duvall made General Lee look like the man he was: capable, decisive, able, and brilliant. After watching this classic, I am convinced that the way Duvall portrayed Lee is exactly how the man was! My breath was taken away by Duvall's portrayal of General Lee! This movie - along with "Open Range", "Lonesome Dove", and "Secondhand Lions" has made me into a huge Duvall fan! His portrayal of Lee, as well, showed the General as he was in his Christian Faith: a man who led, but was also led by a Greater Leader.
Stephen Lang, as well, did an awesome job portraying Thomas Jonathanm "Stonewall" Jackson. Many times in this day and age, people who are died-out-to-Christ Christians are often protrayed as brainwashed, crazy, Pharisaical, prudish, and/or out-of-touch with reality. This has been done in some history books when describing and covedring General Jackson. Lang's portrayal of Jackson was as down-to-earth and real as Duvall's portrayal of Lee was, and Lang made Jackson look like a real person, who - though he had an intense faith and high belief in Jesus Christ -didn'tg leave his brain and personality at the door, as Hollywood has done to prior and later charachters who professed some kind of faith in Jesus Christ. As with Pickett in "Gettysburg", Lang went over-the-top with this rendition of General Stonewall Jackson, and showed him to be a real man of living, breathing flesh, but also a down-to-earth believer of Jesus Christ, and a man who was comitted to doing what was right.
Finally, Jeff Daniels' portrayal of Joshua Chamberlain was, again, well-done. As in gettysburg, Daniels showed us the real side of a man who is only known of from History. As with lang and Duvall, Daniels made Chamberlain come to life in a way rarely seen. Mira Sorvino, as well, portraying Mrs. Joshua Chamberlain, did a great job, though her part was brief.
This movie is a great improvement over Gettysburg, and if the third installment of this trilogy again uses Duvall, Lang, and Daniels, I'll be on the front row watching the whole thing!
Movie Review: Don't Pay Attention To The Reviews.
Summary: 5 Stars
So Roger Ebert doesn't like this movie because it doesn't have a black actor in a leading role, and the first black actor with a speaking part doesn't appear for 70 minutes....boo hoo hoo, Mr. Ebert, get a life. This is not a movie about slavery, it is about the men who fought the civil war. Also, many reviewers put down this movie because of its portrayal of blacks and the southern generals attitude toward slavery. I have news for them, if they would read their history they would find that the leading southern generals, Lee, Jackson, etc. were not fighting for the slave holders of the deep south, but instead to defend Virginia from Invasion. Another myth is the treatment of blacks in the south at the time of the civil war. Black slaves had a better standard of living than the average white southerner. They usually lived in cabins, were given food, medical treatment, and clothes. They were given 1.5 days off per week. Were allowed to visit other slaves on neighboring plantations. Were allowed to marry and practice religion. Some were allowed to hunt for food on their days off, and they were allowed to have dances. In addition, at the time of the civil war there were over 5,000 free blacks who owned black slaves in the south. Also, in New Orleans there were thousands of free blacks who were business owners. Many black slaves, especially the house slaves, were treated like family members. Very few black slaves suffered being whipped, tortured, or lynched because slaves were so expensive their owners could not afford to injure them. Thousands of blacks freely volunteered to fight for the south in the war. Also, 1 million Africans were enslaved by white Europeans, while 10 million were enslaved by Arabs. Ebert and other reviewers point out the scene where Stonewall Jackson and a black slave pray together as one of the phoney parts of this movie. Obviously big fat Ebert has never read his history, because if he had he would know that Stonewall Jackson was extremely religious as were most black slaves in the south. There is no reason to believe that this scene could not take place. My only complaint about this movie is that I wish they had made the battle scenes a little more realistic. This was brutal combat, and the horror of it could have been conveyed better if the movie was more like Saving Private Ryan. Still, it is well worth watching, and certainly much better than reviewers like Fat old Ebert would have you believe.
Movie Review: A Great and Accurate Tale!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was amazed by this film. Of course it isn't as good as it's brother film-Gettysburg, but it is still a beautiful and inspiring film. As I watched this, I just couldn't find that many historically accurate mistakes. It's truly one of the most historically accurate films ever made. While it's great battle scenes show the complete horror of war, this films also shows a human side to the American Civil War.My favorite hero is Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain-the film's main character. I first knew of him back in 1994 when I first saw Gettysburg(which I also highly recommend). Just like Gettysburg, Gods and Generals shows the true heroism of men like Chamberlain, Jackson and Lee. It also spreads the emotion of many other epic war films. It displays the carnage and horror that these brave men went through. They fought for what they believed was right. No war is a good war.
While many disliked this film for being "politically incorrect" or "unpatriotic", even more enjoyed it. Some people say that this film is a piece of "southern propoganda" and we shouldn't portray people defending slavery as heros. This is not so. 85% of southerners didn't even own slaves, they were too poor to do so. They fought for rights that they thought were right and did so dignity and honor. Shame on anybody who think otherwise. This film is not "propoganda". It chronicles what really happened and why it happend. There is nothing wrong or "unpatriotic" about that.
Despite all the controversy behind this great film, it still proves to be a fine film and certainly one of the absolute finest American Civil War films ever produced. The movie depicts three major battles from 1861 to 1863, just prior to the major Battle of Gettysburg.
Just as it has educated and inspired people like me, I'm sure this film will do the same for you and all that see it in the future. It is a film that matters about a time that matters. Always remember that. We should never forget what our ancestors did for us in the past. North or South. No matter what you believed the Civil War was fought for, this film tells what the true message is. Men fought and died honorably in times that brother fought against brother. They did so with honor and dignity. We should care for what happened in our history. It is what matters most.
Movie Review: Stephen Lang is awesome!
Summary: 5 Stars
Thomas Jonathan Jackson is a relative of mine, and Stephen Lang did an outstanding job of bringing him to life. Those blue eyes are critical, but Lang is a also superb actor and nailed the the complex Jackson just right. I don't suppose folks without a keen interest in the Civil War or those battles detailed in Virginia will be much interested in this film. But try to watch it anyway. You will learn something from eye-witness accounts that aren't in most history books. Much of what the author, Jeff Shaara, used to create Jackson in the book was taken from memoirs written by his wife, Mary Anna Morrison Jackson for her daughter Julia and her grandchildren. This is a treat for anyone interested in learning about Thomas J. Jackson the person and not just the general. The emotion and kindness of the man as well as the steely nerves of the general are so well expressed. In general, the viewer is placed with both sides of the conflict. Is either side right? Is either side wrong? The viewer feels the reasoning and emotions of both North and South, union and secession. Thank you Ron Maxwell for your writing and direction, and thank you Ted Turner for your financial support. Seeing Robert Duvall as Robert E. Lee is extra special as he is related to Lee on his mother's side and looks so much like Lee in the film. The continuity of using many the same actors in the same roles they played in "Gettysburg" (such as Jeff Daniels, C. Thomas Howell, Patrick Stuart, and Brian Mallon) in key roles in "Gods and Generals" is much appreciated, as well. However, since Maxwell decided to concentrate on Jackson, I am thankful that Stephen Lang plays him rather than reprises Pickett! The heart and soul that Lang poured into the role is amazing and very much appreciated. History buffs should appreciate the hard work and painstaking details that went into producing the film. Yes, there will be nitpickers, but it wasn't their money or their writing or their producing that went into creating this work. I hope that those who are not familiar with the the characters and the battles depicted in "Gods and Generals" will want to learn more and see the film again and again. You will see something new and learn something new with each viewing. This film should be treasured both as a teaching tool as well as good cinema.
Movie Review: well produced
Summary: 5 Stars
My father and I went to the cinema to watch Gettysburg which we both enjoyed. He died before Gods and Generals could come out.
I just recently got around to seeing it on DVD.
I wish they had a section of deleted Scenes. No sence good editing getting rid of good scenes that are not good enough to keep to keep the air time down.
I wish the commentary had been longer and included the North rather than restrict itself to Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. In peticular I wish it had covered teh scene of Winfield Scott Hancock confronting Burnside. Burnside is one of the more fascinating officers of the conflict though not among its better generals. He did not want for courage. He did not want for innovative ability. He designed and built one of the war's better breachloaders. The uniform he designed for his Rhoad Island volunteers was certainly better suited to the southern summers than the regular one issued to most Northern troops. Long before the Marines he created the natian's first amphibous assault corps. Unfortunately he did lack flexability and a capacity for follow up. His business manufacturing his carbine went bust for his lack of advertisement. His amphipeous corps spent most of its use as a regular formation. Fredericksberg speaks for itself.
I enjoyed the movie. I just wish it had not centered around the south in the beginning. Northerners were just as intense. Just as Southerners were mobilizing for war so were Northerners who were just as mad as they. We have to remember this fight had been thirty years or so in the brewing. Now that northern interests were taking over the Federal government which the southern elite now understood they could never recover, the south was trying to cut out so to preserve their power in the area of the nation where they were strong. The North wasn't going to let them get away. Indeed, we don't see the North in its actions until Chamberlain makes his appearence.
Other than these flaws which a later DVD can correct I very much enjoyed this movie. I loved the committment to detail and authenticity. I liked that it gave blacks an authentic place. Acting was first rate. Battle scenes were spectaculer.
This is a great film.