Gods & Generals
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Movie Reviews of Gods & Generals
Movie Review: Accuracy is NOT the story here . . .
Summary: 5 Stars
. . . the story is that war is fought by people, and there are people on both sides of the conflict. Is the story accurate? Maybe not, but does the story convey that there are real people, with real thoughts and feelings and hopes, wishes, desires, hates and passions? "Gods and Generals" does more than succeed at this--it excels. Those who criticize the movie for historical inaccuracies fail to account for the art in film making--tell a story about people and their faults and triumphs and you get the compelling part of any human endeavor, be it war, taming the sea, scaling a mountain or falling in love. Save the accuracy for the History Channel--I prefer a drama which moves and compels and delivers characters. In "Gods and Generals" we get that and so much more--we get the tragedy of war and the triumph, and we leave knowing why war is terrible, and yet, why it must be fought. The real test and question is whether you are able to suspend your disbelief and go where the film maker takes you. For me, the answer was a resounding "Yes!" "Gods and Generals" succeeds in every way that I've described and delivers history as a bonus. To search for accuracy, watch the movie, then visit Manassas, Fredricksburg, Gettysburg and Appomattox--it will enrich you, and if its accuracy you want, your visit to these hallowed places will deliver, and your visit will be enhanced by the film maker who will have already painted the images that will make it all come to life while visiting these battlefields. Be sure to take the time to see the flag of our country fluttering above the visitor's centers at each site, and know that the ground upon which you tread was where that flag was bought and paid for . . . . by people not too unlike you and me.
"Five Stars" for a story about those who wear stars and serve under God's stars.
Movie Review: A SUPERB FILM!
Summary: 5 Stars
A beautiful and excellent telling of the first half of the War Between the States in the East. Dr. James I. "Bud" Robertson, who was the historical consultant on the film, has said that Stephen Lang should get the academy award for his portrayal of Stonewall Jackson and I agree. His is a superb performance. All of the performances are excellent although Robert Duvall as Lee seems a little subdued. He looks much more Like Lee than does Martin Sheen and certainly has more of his bearing, Sheen being too short and not erect enough. It is too bad Robert Duvall was not available to portray Lee in in the film "Gettysburg". And Jeff Daniels again does his excellent portrayal of Chamberlain. But the film really belongs to Stonewall Jackson with a very sympathetic portrayal by Stephen Lang. In fact, I cannot recall Jackson ever being portrayed in a movie. This is definitely NOT a boring movie.Thanks to the reenactment community and the Shaara novels and the labor of love given them by Ronald Maxwell, two films portraying the War between the States as it ought to be portrayed have been produced. Dr. Robertson has told me the DVD will be over six hours so many of the scenes in the theatrical release should be tied more closely together helping fill in the historical record more completely. I eagerly anticipate it's release.
There are a few discrepancies in the film such as the first scene showing Lee with his beard and white hair which he did not have at that time but these are for the most part minor inaccuracies so I will not nitpick. Just as there is no perfect book so there is no perfect movie but Mr. Maxwell's films are by far the best feature films ever done on this subject. I eagerly anticipate the third film of this trilogy, "The Last Full Measure".
Movie Review: To all of the loyal readers...
Summary: 5 Stars
"Gettysburg", stands out on my top ten movie list because I rank it number one, I believe not enough people in today's society are interested in the historical events which brought them into this world, and has given them what they have today. Although I'm still a high school attendant, I am very much interested in movies which potray historical events, although I was only a child when Gettysburg came out, I was not aware that movie critics then, or now would subject a historical movie to such harsh critisism. I've seen Gods and Generals twice in the movie theatre, and look forward to its release date on DVD, although Gods and Generals does not top Gettysburg, it is historicaly accurate and informing, which is probably why I didn't see many people in my age group there. Although the movie was more emotionally tied-into than Gettysburg was, it still had about a good hour of battle renactments. I rate it five stars because of it historical accuracy, and because the movie shows the different people involved in the war, and how the war really did turn brother against brother. Personally, I think they should make more movies that inform us of our past, and not of the immaturaty of society, such as (Malibu's Most Wanted, or The New Guy). I'm sure if you showed Gods and Generlas to an audience, I guarentee 9 out of 10 would feel for the generations that fought and died for freedom, and not judge the movie by how much action is in it. We all must remember that Gods and Generals was not produced to have the same effect as the Matrix did. I would like to thank Ronald Maxwell, Shelby Foote, and Ted Turner for investing time, and 90 million dollars into this movie to pay respect to those that have fallen and sacraficed for our present day society.Movie Review: A great civil war classic!!
Summary: 5 Stars
God and generals is a very good and interesting movie which is part one of a trilogy based on the civil war. Stephan Lang did an excellent job as general Sonewall Jackson his performance gives me a better look as what the real Thomas Stonewall Jackson must have been as a leader of the confederate army. Robert Duvall made a great Robert E. Lee a better performance than Martin Sheen in Gettysburg. Jeff Daniels returns as Lt. Chamberlain a roll which stands out in Gettysburg and continues to shine in Gods and Generals. The battle scenes in this were a lot clearer and had more of a punch than the battles in the film Gettysburg. The battles that really stood out in this movie were Fredericksburg when the two Irish Birgades on opposing sides were shooting and killing each other. Between the music score and the way the battle was filmed it really has a powerful impact. The battle of Chancellorsville the films final battle really stood out when you see all these confederates coming out of the woods without making a sound made my heart race. I enjoyed Gettysburg and it makes a very good sequal to gods and generals but between the two Gods and Generals had the most impact on me. If you have an interest in the civil war these movies along with Glory opens your mind and gives you a strong image to what it was like actually being there. The things I wish they had in Gods and Generals is the battle of Antietam the bloodiest day in the civil war, and the rebel yell I've read that it was used by Stonewall Jackson just before he advanced his troops to attack. I look foward to seeing The Last Full Measure keeping Robert Duvall as Robert E. Lee and bringing Jeff Daniels, and Stephan Lang back. Overall an enjoyable historic experience.Movie Review: Let's get one thing straight right now
Summary: 5 Stars
The odds are if you didn't like this movie, then you shouldn't have seen it in the first place because this movie wasn't made for everyone. I can see why most people wouldn't find the movie appealing as it doesn't follow the format that the typical viewer has come to expect. It doesn't have comic relief between battle scenes, it doesn't have any amazing CG effects, the explosions seemed subpar, it was very lengthy, Tom Hanks wasn't in it, and there wasn't any witty dialogue. Instead, the movie chose to focus on the values of brotherhood, loyalty, honor, and the duty of a soldier. While this movie's special effects will never win any awards, they did not lack entirely (there is a major difference between the way black powder and an oil tanker driven by a killer cyborg explodes). Like many reviews have stated, the more you know about the civil way, the more you will enjoy the movie. As for the storyline, myself and many others thought it was very moving. I can see how many people however would think otherwise and I would like to point out to them that much of the dialogue was based on actual quotes. Reviewers have also felt the need to critique the film's plot. The movie, is based on historical events. I've never heard anybody criticizing the plot in a history book or documentary, which this film closely approximates. In short, if you know nothing about the war between the states or you are looking for a hollywood blockbuster viewing experience, then watch a different movie. Another sure sign you will dislike this movie is if you didn't like Gettysburg. If you are interested in learning about the civil war and the people behind it and don't mind spending 4 hours doing it then you should at least give the film a chance.