Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (Jeff Daniels) left behind a quiet life and a career as a college professor to become one of the Union's greatest military minds. Highly recommended; don't listen to the critics. cinematography is incredible, and the scope of the film is extraordinarily ambitious. Jackson would be better represented by giving some idea of why he is considered a great soldier (the Valley campaign) rather than being shown as primarily a sentimental, but simultaneously bloodthirsty, religious crackpot ("hoist the black flag... kill everyone..."). Ronald Maxwell, who wrote the screenplay, also directs in the same tune of exceptional inability. The acting was below average which is surprising give the talent involved. You be the judge, but honestly if history and the Civil War are not your thing then don't see the movie. Also other long films have been quite enjoyable. At the same time, I wasn’t overwhelmed with gore as audiences of Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down and We Were Soldiers have been. It may be just as well. Gods and Generals - A prequel to the movie Gettysburg, "Gods and Generals" is a 3-hour historic drama about the early years of the Civil War, ending in 1863 with the Battle of Chancellorsville, where Stonewall Jackson was mortally wounded by his own soldiers. Lots of battle. Full of windy speeches about honor, god, fealty, and so on, the movie comes to a literal standstill whenever one of these noble addresses is about to be delivered. I'm sure for MTV critics any movie over 90 minutes is epic. A rich man's attempt to "buy" history. steven lang was screwed for not getting best actor consideration, particularly given his awesome overhaul from the flawless depiction of pickett in gettysburg a decade earlier. Gods and Generals (despite the ravages of many critics) is a very good film. This is a film as remote and unyielding as an untouched textbook. Jackson and Lee deftly direct the outnumbered army of Jesus against the unwashed Yankee heathen and wins the war except that he got shot by one of his own men by accident and dies otherwise the south really won. Jackson appears to be a monster, but was that what the director intended? "Gods and Generals" is well-made, old-fashioned film that gives an absorbing view of the U.S. Civil War and one of its leading figures. First, it was a majorly complex civil war battle recreation, next, it was portrayals of famous civil wars generals in a very broad way, and lastly a very specific interpretation of Stonewall Jackson of the Confederates. The film also tried to do too much: Gettysburg also has its very boring parts, but is unified by concentrating on the major stages of one battle. Now Playing: Gods and Generals Video Review The game's music generally consists of the same four-to-five-second loop of phony, synthesized orchestral music that hiccups each time it … The dialog spoken in this film is done so slowly and its hard to pay attention. All I should have to tell you about this film is that Ted Turner plays George Patton's grandfather. I use this as my basis for the history and narrative of the US civil war. The critics I've read seem to object to the piety, the length, and lack of political correctness. Revisionist hooey! Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes lists an 8% approval rating while Metacritic lists a score of 30, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". The battle scenes were probably the most realistic ever portrayed of the civil war and over-whelmingly long. It amazes me that the people who made this film could not see what a mind-numbing, boring turkey they had produced. I think there was too much time taken it trying to portray both sides as the same with an unusually bad representation of Abraham Lincoln as a President who was trying to conquer the South rather than trying to keep the union together. Characters both Northern and Southern are portrayed even-handedly, and the historical and social aspects of the film are authentic. Actors carefully reciting lines obviously drawn from letters, and thus speaking like nobody ever speaks; long, boring scenes where nothing happens (we do not go to films to see T.J. Jackson in bed with his wife or Joshua Chamberlain lecturing his brother on 19th-Century politically-correct terminology for blacks); endless numbers of soldiers being hit by bullets and falling down...). It is the right length for its subject matter. 'Gods and Generals' is a flawed piece that works better as an educational tool rather than as a feature film. Stay far away from the three hour-plus Gods and Generals--unless, of course, you need a good nap. February 24, 2003. Every minute of it's close to four hours is worth it. The films running time is 231 minutes long and that includes an intermission. I liked Gettysburg and the novel "Gods and Generals" better. And Gen. Robert E. Lee (Robert Duvall) who led the Confederate army, was a man who was forced to choose between his loyalty to the United States and his love of the Southern states where he was born and raised. Not a bad film as Civil War films go, but the character of Stonewall Jackson, a hypochondriacal, anal-retentive, religious zealot as the saintly character played by Steven Lang is a little far-fetched. `Gods and Generals' may be a more `realistic' war film than `Gone With the Wind' (what wouldn't be? Maxwell continues his textbook emphasis on military maneuvers, but despite literally thousands of Civil War reenactors recruited for the film, the wide-screen canvas fails to map the tactics or evoke the terror of battle. This review is based on the movie and the quality of the movie not the historical accuracy or inaccuracy. Not very much blood. Gods and Generals (despite the ravages of many critics) is a very good film. GODS AND GENERALS paints a brilliant portrait of the Christian lives of the great military leaders during the tumultuous years leading up to the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War. If You Don't Know Who Sandy Pendleton Is, Stay Away, one of the great epic films of the decade. I think the biggest mistake that people make when watching something like this is that they are thinking with 21st century minds. It is long, but it is a good 'rainy day' movie. Unfortunately, a re-enactment during a … I have heard it said that history is written by the victors--- and that's probably true. Big mistake, Gods and Generals is the dullest film I have ever seen. Forgot your password? Stirring, well-acted, and intelligent film about the war. Lots of dead bodies. Jeff Daniels and others give their side in eloquent dialogue for their feelings on the conflict. Then again, a historical film doesn't require explicit blood and gore in order to feel authentic. Maxwell has made the, shall we say interesting, decision to change [Stonewall Jackson]God's hellcat into a warm and fuzzy teddy bear. Gods and Generals for PC game reviews & Metacritic score: The action and drama of the American Civil War comes to life in this new game from the creators of "Gods & Generals… On the second score -- no one will ever walk away from this film eager to see war in real life. Movie Review: Gods and Generals By William B. Feis. Users wrote generally positive reviews of Gods and Generals (2003), giving it an average score of 73%. The big battles impress, but become somewhat samey. Men line up with their rifles (in a mode of combat no longer practiced), blast away at each other nearly face-to-face, and drop en masse like bags of bloody meat. If you are clueless about the Civil War and the 1860-65 period then it will seem downright weird and you won't like it. This review is based on the movie and the quality of the movie not the historical accuracy or inaccuracy. Copyright © Fandango. Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! He was a decidedly unpretty man, but the depiction here is of a man who might model men's work clothes in an LL Bean catalog. Gods and Generals is the prequel to “The Killer Angels,” the novel on which the movie Gettysburg was based. Bad Bad Bad, I watched this thinking I might get a handle on the Civil War - Wrong only religious sentimental claptrap, Bad script, badly acted bad CGI and awful beards. Are we supposed to take their false moralizing at face value, or is this a satire? I recently read Shelby Footes 3 volume narrative, which I found compelling, excellently written and fairly authoritative. ), but it's not nearly as entertaining. FeDe's Review of Gods and Generals. robert duvall is a far, far better lee than martin sheen could ever hope to be. Part Three is threatened. Don't take my word for it but this movie followed the lives of these people with great attention to historic detail. The best scenes were those with Stephen Lang who deserved top-billing(which instead was given to Robert Duvall in a smaller role) and an Oscar-nomination for his well-rounded excellent portrayal of Thomas `Stonewall' Jackson as a religious man with an un-moveable focus on his fight for independence for the South. Gods and Generals was released in 2003 and has generally received mixed reviews. Shop Gods and Generals [Director's Cut] [2 Discs] [Blu-ray] [2003] at Best Buy. Please enter your email address and we will email you a new password. It is a beautiful film to look at, with great feeling for the often-wild landscape of the era; in this respect, it gains immeasurably from being seen on a full-scale theatrical screen. As Chamberlain, Jackson, and Lee are followed through the declaration of war and the battles at Manassas, Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville. I am a big..big fan of the original Gettysburg..and a civil war buff.....I am not sure what happened but it seems like it was made by "Confederate lovers of America".....incredibly one-sided....cheesy preachy dialog... and laughable scenes of Sonewall Jackson praying with his slave to end slavery,(sure that happened!!!! And Yep. And, IMHO, the General Lee in Gettysburg is a much more real character than the one in G&G (who, however, gets little screen time). His religious zealotry is offered only as a deep and beautiful faith. I have read some comments, and I feel forced to add my own. The canonization of Stonewall is silly. Even Jackson says that slavery should be abandoned. But who is the victor now? Read some reviews to get the verdict from film fans! it seems inconceivable that more than 200 serious votes would give this masterpiece the lowest rating, a mere one, which likens it to seedy B movie trash. If the movie was only this, it would have been a much better movie. Gods and Generals movie reviews & Metacritic score: Gods and Generals, the screen adaptation of Jeff Shaara's heralded best-selling novel and prequel to the acclaimed drama … However for those who love history and have an open mind then this is the movie for you. For all the effort, not half the film which Gettysburg was. External Reviews The movie caught this perfectly, with Jackson's assumption that God's will is his will -- the scene before the battle on Sunday, the contrast between his sentimental love of children and his 'Kill them all' about his enemies, the constant references to Bible verses ripped out of context. Full Review | Original Score: 1/4 Page 1 of 7 With Stephen Lang, Robert Duvall, Jeff Daniels, Donzaleigh Abernathy. The third and final installment, The Last Full Measure, was in pre-production but lost financing and has been suspended indefinitely. The acting is top notch, most noteably Stephen Lang as Stonewall Jackson. Despite an apparent attention to historical accuracies including battle recreations from hundreds of professional Civil War reenactors, the film falls far short from achieving a feeling of historical authenticity. For one, all the foot soldiers are old men who are so obviously re-enacters that the action scenes have no weight. The costumes and sets were very believeable and historically accurate. Swapping politics for crass platitudes, Gods and Generals is a monumental folly. Instead Gods and Generals holds no resonance whatsoever meticulously plotting out the details and making this decisive moment in American history interminable at three and a half hours. Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson (Stephen Lang) was, like Chamberlain, a man of great religious faith who served in the defense of the Confederacy. The portrait of Jackson is accurate from the big issues (his profound religious faith) down to the trivial (his fondness for lemonade). My View in Summary: Overall, I enjoyed the movie (despite some of its apparent flaws), and I plan to see it again in the theater, as well as purchase the extended version when it comes out on DVD. )....and his slaves lying to Northern soldiers to keep their property from being looted....Was is really a war between with greedy North...and the Christian, righteous, glorious South?? The religious overtones given by the characters of both sides conformed with the religious feelings of the times that is lacking today and as such it gives the critics something else to condemn. Yep. The rise and fall of confederate general Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, as he meets with military success against the Union from 1861 to 1863, when he is accidentally killed by his own soldiers. Also Jeff Daniels and Robert Duvall as General Lee. Well, the very VERY rich Ted Turner seems to be one of them. Some critics condemn it as being sympathetic with the Southern cause. I grant, a clever and courageous General, he deserves all our proper honor. Seriously, if you have no idea who Sandy Pendleton is then you have no business seeing this movie. The film "Gods and Generals" is essentially a biographical film about General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson of the CSA. On the first score -- too long for what? In one memorable scene, Col. Chamberlain [Jeff Daniels] sleeps on the nighttime battlefield using his fellow soldiers' corpses as bedding; come daylight, he uses those same corpses to absorb flying enemy bullets once the battle resumes anew. It was extremely bold for Ted Turner pictures to present this 4-hour long movie in the theatres but it probably would have been a better movie at 2 ½ hours. They all give bad performances and this is one film they should keep off their resume. The critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes reads, "Filled with two-dimensional characters and pompous self-righteousness, Gods and Generals is a long, tedious sit. But for open-minded individuals who like history and well-made movies this one can't be beat. Now he has taken his megalomania to new depths with "Gods and Generals"--- a thoroughly misleading and trite piece of revisionist crap. Grueling and plodding, the film is almost the antithesis of `Gone With the Wind,' in that while both films are epic tales told from the viewpoint of the defeated South, `Gods and Generals' (unlike the earlier film) has been essentially drained of all emotion, drama and characterization. When a group of people who are obviously senior citizens are "Charging" (more like hobbling) into the breach well...let's just say it doesn't float. The period detail is impressive and clearly most effort went into its creation, and the actors make what they can of it, but it is far too long, not enough action and sickly sentimental. Gettysburg concentrated more on the bravery of ordinary soldiers, and in some instances, their equivocal feelings, to better effect. A labour of love with special interest to history buffs, this epic film is extraordinary in many ways. Every shot is fired in sorrow, and there are no villains - except, of course, for the politicians, who remain safely out of the frame. On the other hand were reviews from Roger Ebert and others critics who I respected that said it wasn't very good. Imagine watching half of Band of Brothers in one sitting, but with the story moving at a much slower pace. Stephen Lang's performance of Stonewall Jackson should be remembered at Oscar time. This prequel to Gettysburg examines the early days of the conflict through the experiences of three men. REVIEW: Gods & Generals. Overall, cinema-goers prefer the movie, giving it an average score of 73%, compared to film critics, who gave it a lower average score of 45%. Except it lasts a lot longer same if released today more than Martin Sheen could ever hope to be of! War buffs and some columnists it an average score of 73 % battles impress, where! 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