Gods and Generals (2003)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Ronald F. Maxwell

Writers (WGA):

Jeff Shaara (book)
Ronald F. Maxwell (screenplay)

Release Date:

21 February 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | History | War

Tagline:

The nations heart was touched by....

Plot:

Gods and Generals follows the rise and fall of legendary war hero "Stonewall Jackson". The prequel to the 1993 hit Gettysburg. |

Plot Keywords:

Stonewall Jackson | General | Confederacy | Amputation | Slavery

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Jeff Daniels	...	Lt. Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
Mark Aldrich	...	Adjutant
Stephen Lang	...	Lt. Gen. Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson
George Allen	...	Confederate Officer
Robert Duvall	...	Gen. Robert E. Lee
Keith Allison	...	Capt. James J. White
Mira Sorvino	...	Fanny Chamberlain
Royce D. Applegate	...	Brig. Gen. James Kemper (as Royce Applegate)
Kevin Conway	...	Sgt. Buster Kilrain
C. Thomas Howell	...	Sgt. Thomas Chamberlain
Matt Letscher	...	Col. Adelbert Ames
Mac Butler	...	Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker
Frankie Faison	...	Jim Lewis
Robert Byrd	...	Confederate General (as Robert C. Byrd)
Jeremy London	...	Capt. Alexander 'Sandie' Pendleton

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sustained battle sequences.

Runtime:

219 min | Sweden:209 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #39490) | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Denmark:11 | Germany:12 | UK:12A | Canada:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Antietam Battlefield, Sharpsburg, Maryland, USA

Company:

Turner Pictures (I)

Trivia:

The majority of the Civil War re-enactors in the movie volunteered to be in the movie without pay. In return, the production company agreed to donate at least $500,000 to preservation of a Civil War battlefield.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Ted Turner (Colonel Patton) speaks his only line in the movie, no one is sitting in front of him or the two actors to his right. However, in the previous and subsequent scenes, Generals Longstreet, Lee and Jackson are shown seated in front of Mr. Turner and his fellow actors.

Quotes:

Sgt. Buster Kilrain: [the 20th Maine is about to attack the stone wall at Fredericksburg] It's a long way to the top.
Sgt. Thomas Chamberlain: Perhaps the way will be shortened by the men ahead of us.
Sgt. Buster Kilrain: Beggin' your pardon, sir; the only thing that will be shortened by the men ahead of us is their lives.

Movie Connections:

Spin off Gods and Generals (2003) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Upon the Heights of Alma

An incredible, moving epic

For the first time, I am very disapointed with the vast majority of reviews on a movie on IMDB. Actually, I was shocked that the movie I just saw was in no way, the movie that so many people called out right disapointing. Though this movie does have it's flaws, it is one of the most moving war pictures I have ever seen. Actually, it is more of a character study than a war film, and appeals to many different audiences.

Many have commented on the long running time, and the lengthy, and I'll admit, at times superfluously long speeches, but to tell you the truth, I was so engaged with the performances of Steven Lang, Jeff Daniels and Robert Duvall, that the close to 4 hour running time felt like a regular 2 hour movie. It was definitely nice to see more of the aspects of the war for the Confederate and Union people that you don't read in your regular high school history book. I won't make this a political commentary because frankly, one thing everyone can agree on is that this was without a doubt, our nation's darkest time, and both sides lost far too many brave young souls, that were robbed of their chance at life. Both sides were full of young people, many of which did not fully understand their cause, nor why they were thrust into this horrible war, but both sides knew one thing...that they were fighting to preserve their very livelihood. But, I will say that the film did depict a more truthful nature of both sides, especially with the issue of how slaves were treated, and the ideologies (that are sometimes conflicting on the same side, as we see in a scene between Daniels and C. Thomas Howell) between both sides. To be honest, what you read in the history books in school is only partly true, and is in fact biased. And the film does portray the fact of the matter that it was a hard time for everyone, and the U.S., even the world, had a much different view on life, liberty and even the horrible slavery of others. It was a time of the birth of a new nation and the death of its people, a coming of age for this great country, and is a theme that is portrayed wonderfully throughout.

This film also depicts the role of prayer, and shows how God's Will, to those who search for it, can work wonders. Now, whether you are a Christian or not, the very morals derived from the prayers ought to be an inspiration to everyone, and if anything, was an accurate representation of the men portrayed. Chamberlain, Jackson and Lee were all, indeed, devoted followers of God, and it is almost poetic how Gods and Generals shows how their devotion enabled them to have the insane bravery that they did. I found it very moving, and I know many others will too.

All in all, there have been few films that have touched me as much as this movie did. The dialogue is incredible and the battle scenes are very well choreographed. I do have to agree though with another viewer that at times, the music seems a bit out of place...for instance we hear a thundering choir similar to the famous charge of Fort Wagner in the movie Glory, but, though a great piece, it seems almost tacked on in a way. There are other instances of a sad love theme throughout that are not needed, but all in all, that is my only major complaint. The film is long, and I really thought I'd be bored as hell throughout. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how the movie flows. Yes, there are jingoistic, drawn out speeches, but they all are moving, are performed masterfully, and flow nicely. There were very few moments of 'dead time' where the movie just stopped at a stand still. I would recommend this movie to anyone, considering it isn't just a war movie junkie or Civil War buff movie. It has appealing elements for everyone, and is one of the most realistic portrayals of such a sad time in our history that I have ever seen. Like Schindler's List, this movie should definitely be seen by everyone so we do not forget the horror of a country at war with itself, and take the extra steps in order to ensure that it never happens again. I had low expectations going into this movie, and honestly thought I would get bored during the non-war scenes, but I was wrong, this movie was a very pleasant surprise, and probably got a bad rap from the same people that teach the history that all Southerners mistreated their slaves and that the only Union cause was to free said slaves. Both sides had a cause willing to die for, and both sides are sympathized for equally. Gods and Generals shows that there are no heroes in war, and that through all of the madness, humanity will always survive. Highly recommended. I rarely give this, but this movie deserves it, and it was truly touching...10/10 stars.