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A |
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| Story: |
A |
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| Acting: |
A- |
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| Direction: |
A- |
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A |
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Best Civil War Film
by Kevin (movies profile)
Sep 4, 2006
3
of
3 people found this review helpful
Simply noted, "Gettysburg" is the best Civil War film ever made. While many nostalgically prefer "Gone with the Wind," or become enamored by the powerful story of "Glory," or marvel in the cinematography of "Birth of Nation," Gettysburg combines the many outstanding points of these classics, making for a coherent, exciting, and moving film. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Michael Shaara, "Gettysburg" is a split narrative, following four major characters: Confederate Generals James Longstreet and Robert E. Lee, as well as Union officers John Buford and Joshua Chamberlain. Throughout the four-hour epic, director Ron Maxwell effectively combines the stories of these four heroes to form one cohesive story about the most destructive event in American history. However, it is the actors themselves who truly bring alive the characters in this movie. Jeff Daniels as Union Colonel Joshua Chamberlain gives one of the best performances of career, as he is able to embody the idealist intellectual-turned soldier. Tom Berrenger too, as Confederate General James Longstreet, is able to bring a personality to a name residing in history text-books. The only acting qualms I have among the major characters is Martin Sheen as Robert E. Lee. Sticking too close to Michael Shaara's slightly innacurate characterization in the novel, Lee comes off as bumbling and cocky, not the immortal leader of the Confederate armies. However, the place where the movie shines most is in its spot-on recreations of the battle itself. Beautifully shot on-location in Pennsylvania, the cinematography transports the viewer back to the Civil War like no other movie before it. Combining the breathtaking cinematography with an engaging, yet lengthy, story, makes "Gettsyburg" the most accurate and entertaining portrayal of the Cilv War. |
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