Gods and Generals
An unforgettable story of the Civil War, from the Director of "Gettysburg."
Based on Jeffrey M. Shaara's bestseller, God's and Generals recounts the fierce allegiances and combat of the early Civil War. Ronald F. Maxwell directs this epic prequel to his Gettysburg, framing the story with three bold men and three fateful battles. The men: Joshua Chamberlain (Jeff Daniels), "Stonewall" Jackson (Stephen Lang), Robert E. Lee (Robert Duvall). The battles: Manassas, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville. Through these combatants and conflicts we witness the bravery and strife of a nation at war with itself.
Member Reviews
A different time, a different morality... - zzzzzz
20th century guy that I am, I kept thinking, "move it along, move it along!" But that's the point. What others see as bombast and posturing, probably is true-to-life--life as it was in 1861: slower, thoughtful, didactic.
Having said that, the direction was stodgy and overtly reverential (I like my "battlefield" music played with some quick-tempo'd muscle, not scored like a dirge--you can't tell me hearts didn't pound and breaths didn't come fast whe men faced a line of cocked muskets, even though lines moved in stately orchestrated fashion.
So, the movie misses on these accounts.
For those who care: part 2 is "Gettysburg," with some of the same actors. To my knowledge, part 3 has yet to be made.Why'd ya have to mention the beards!? - MovieLover5
Geez, I shouldn't have read the other Zip reviews before watching the movie. All I could see the entire time was those crappy brillo pads on most of the key actors. Well, if you can get past that, the film is pretty good for history buffs. Lots of talking though, with much sermonizing literally and figuratively, and loads of mid 19th century bombast. The battle scenes are excellent reenactments, and it leaves you wondering how those men could march straight into almost certain death (or sometimes worse, suffer terrible injuries). Long, but if you are interested in the history of the U.S. Civil War, it's worth it.fake beards killed me...lol - pigtails_in_montreal
Quite maudlin with lots of Shakesperean posturing. Maybe I expected a film with the grit of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. However my critcs eye just kept focusing on those "dang" brillo-pad-repainted fake beards!! Only Robert Duvall's beard was real. He grew it himself. Truly, I got the impression this movie would be more suited to a 7th grade History class: "Let's focus on the American Civil war history" movie day.
The battle scenes are exquisitely filmed with lots of effort directed by the prop and director of photography.
Member Reviews
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A different time, a different morality... - zzzzzz
20th century guy that I am, I kept thinking, "move it along, move it along!" But that's the point. What others see as bombast and posturing, probably is true-to-life--life as it was in 1861: slower, thoughtful, didactic.
Having said that, the direction ...Why'd ya have to mention the beards!? - MovieLover5
Geez, I shouldn't have read the other Zip reviews before watching the movie. All I could see the entire time was those crappy brillo pads on most of the key actors. Well, if you can get past that, the film is pretty good for history buffs. Lots of talking ...fake beards killed me...lol - pigtails_in_montreal
Quite maudlin with lots of Shakesperean posturing. Maybe I expected a film with the grit of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. However my critcs eye just kept focusing on those "dang" brillo-pad-repainted fake beards!! Only Robert Duvall's beard was real. He grew it himself. ...