Gettysburg (1993)

I have clicked "yes" to this containing spoilers, but if you know the history I don't think that there can really be any "spoilers". I watched Ken Burn's The Civil War for the 3rd time before looking into this movie. While watching, I was even Googling people and quotes. While the movie seems to present a fairly accurate representation of what transpired, barring the discussion and confusion of the Little Round Top incident. I can recommend that this is worth viewing for someone who takes fancy in the history, but I have several qualms that will likely prevent me from viewing it again. First, the soundtrack is distractingly overdone. If you are ever unsure of what emotions to feel in life because you are a sociopath (or for another reason), then fret not. The huge orchestral soundtrack will blatantly tell you when to feel patriotic, sad, pensive, etc. Second, I very much did not like the portrayal of Lee. From what little I know, this does not seem to match the character of the man in the history books. It seems more like Mr. Sheen just did a caricature of a somewhat wise, proud old southerner. Third, the facial hair. So much of it was so obviously fake. It was distracting in so many scenes. Fourth, there was a lot of overacting, I felt, too. Sam Elliot is marvelous, as usual, but otherwise it seemed fairly heavy handed.Overall, it's worth one watch if you appreciate the history. It's nice to have a visual of the events. That said, it's probably not worth re-watching.

If you are looking for an authentic portrayal of the dramatic events of Gettysburg, this is a must-see for history buffs. Without expressing any bias toward the political dynamite that is the U.S. Civil War, this movie fairly shows two narratives to what I can assume is accurate in terms of what soldiers, politicians and generals experienced.Knowing that this movie is not for everyone (especially main stream movie watchers), do not be intimidated by the movies length. Acting is superb (Martin Sheen and Tom Berringer shockingly good) and the props used for this film further gives the immediate feeling of authenticity. The fact that this film had scenes shot at the actual battlegrounds of Gettysburg is amazing enough.What this movie lacks some time is better pacing, but other than that this movie accomplishes in all ways what story it wanted to tell and how to tell it.Watch it, judge by yourself. I totally recommend this movie.

The music and melodrama in this movie, make war seem like a glorious event. In fact, of course, war is foremost horrific. All the men in the movie, act like little boys and murder each other. But this no less true in real life, so one could say it is a realistic representation of war, or men fighting each other. Still, murdering and wasting lives is kind of depicted as meaningul and heroic in these movie. Typically American and totally moronic and detrimental to society's values.

If there's only one word to describe this movie, it's epic. In all of its meanings: length, dialogues, significance, music, scenery, massive battlefields and so on.The length (over 4 hours) probably scares potential viewers, as well as the locations: most of the footage was shot in the surroundings of Gettysburg.However, the film is nothing less than a tour de force. It brings a balanced mix of personal stories, military strategy and battle scenes. Both the Union and Confederal sides are portrayed in a neutral manner.The film captures the viewers' attention from beginning to end. The incredible eye for detail, the relentless tension, the battle's background story and many other aspects make it a film to watch again. Martin Sheen's interpretation of Confederate General Lee is also one of those reasons.Both the horror and the glory take their place in the movie. Even if the film was produced over 20 years ago, the political aspects are still relevant today in the United States of America. For history lovers, this is nothing less than a must-see.