Gettysburg -Widescreen Edition-

Gods & Generals The more you know about the Civil War, the more you'll appreciate Gods and Generals and the painstaking attention to detail that Gettysburg writer-director Ronald F. Maxwell has invested in this academically respectable 220-minute historical pageant. In adapting Jeffrey Shaara's ...	The Killer Angels This novel reveals more about the Battle of Gettysburg than any piece of learned nonfiction on the same subject. Michael Shaara's account of the three most important days of the Civil War features deft characterizations of all of the main actors, including Lee, Longstreet, Pi...	Andersonville The civil war explodes: air thick with musket fire soil drenched with blood of kinsmen bodies piling up like cords of wood. In the madness union soldiers are about to discover the meaning of the horrors of war. Studio: Turner Hm Entertainm Release Date: 03/29/2005 Run time: 16...	The Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 09/30/2005 Director: Ken Burns	The Blue and the Gray (The Complete Miniseries) Before Ken Burns, Glory, and Gettysburg, the Civil War proved an effective backdrop for this 1982 miniseries--available complete and uncut on this three-disc set--about two families divided by the War Between the States. John Hammond stars as John Geyser, a Southerner caught "bet...
Patton (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) One of the greatest screen biographies ever produced, this monumental film runs nearly three hours, won seven Academy Awards, and gave George C. Scott the greatest role of his career. It was released in 1970 when protest against the Vietnam War still raged at home and abroad, and...	The Last Days of the Civil War (History Channel) Packed with nearly six hours of historical material, The Last Days of the Civil War provides a fascinating study of a nation in the painful throes of transition. The five History Channel programs compiled here effectively combine to form a multifaceted account of the pivotal even...	The Last Full Measure Author Jeff Shaara rounds out the Civil War trilogy started by his late father Michael Shaara, whose book The Killer Angels describes the Battle of Gettysburg. Just as Jeff Shaara's Gods and Generals covers action prior to Gettysburg, The Last Full Measure picks up with Confe...	Battle of the Bulge A recreation of the famous offensive manuver by nazi panzer troops on the belgian front suring 1944-1945. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 09/19/2006 Starring: Henry Fonda Run time: 170 minutes Rating: Nr	Gettysburg / Gods and Generals Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 09/30/2008 Rating: R

Video of Gettysburg
For those whe are interested in the American Civil War this is the wonderful movie to watch because it accurately follows Michael Shaara's book Killer Angels, a book that American historians have praised.

could have been better
Movie was slow. The amount of film used could have been about half and been more entertaining. Lee was shown in a negative light, and no mention of General Custer heading off J.E.B. Stuart as he headed for Gettysburg. Otherwise an adequate use of time.

Minor flaws, generally fine
I didn't know that the soldiers were able to get their uniforms to a 24 hour laundry service to be ready for the next battle. Not a wrinkle or scuff mark on any uniform. Alot of bonding, many philosopical interludes, even while battle lines are being formed. Though, if actual Civil war diaries are a guide, the "foot soldier" was a literate individual, a "student" of war. This motif is therefore, realistic; though the synthetic soundtrack doesn't help. At times, it sounds like outtakes from the "Rocky IV" sessions. The script mentions 15 thousand here and 20 thousand there, and all we see are the same 160 guys huffing and puffing. Reviewers have criticized the unrealistic look of the "Re-enactors", but I understand that the Southern army did include many participants who did not fit the image, so to speak, because of the necessities of maintaining reasonable numbers. Although, I assumed that to be later in the War. The script seems to be overly slanted towards the Military historian, as the constant references to flanks, infantry, cavalry, brigades, moving within specific battleplans, gets almost comical, which is not respectful to our Country's signature battle. In the ending credits, it is written that the Battle was a (relative) failure. Some of the most interesting sections involve dialogue with the Generals regarding the potential of such a battle to actually end the War. Very interesting montage at the end credits where actor and actual person come together. A bit crass but effective. I thought that perhaps a graphic of The Gettysburg Address could have closed the film, though the Brothers embarcing was well done. A very positive aspect of this film is the Gettysburg location itself. The movie begins and ends on the battlefield.

When will extended version be available
Gettsbug's Collectors Edition in 1993 had 17 additional minutes. This should be available on dvd.

A Little Long but an Impressive Achievement
"Gettysburg" is a film best watched in parts as it is very long (it needed to be lenghty though). This is one of the most accurate civil war films I have seen and an impressive number of reeactors were used in some of the battle scenes. Picket's Charge is particullarly well filmed as is the fighting on Little Round Top. Not all of the battle could be covered even in this epic and the cavalry battle on July third is excluded. The musical score is very appropriate and the film has a fine collection of actors. Jeff Daniels, Martin Sheen, Sam Elliot, and Tom Berenger portray their characters well and surprisingly, all of these four except Elliot look a lot like the historical figures they are portraying. The other actors generally do a good job as well. Overall, "Glory" is still my favorite Civil War film as a movie, but "Gettysburg" is superb in its own right and unlike many Hollywood films seems fairly accurate.