Customer Reviews

Gods and Generals [HD DVD]

5 star:		(288)
4 star:		(135)
3 star:		(103)
2 star:		(112)
1 star:		(169)

 

 

...The fact is that "Gods and Generals", which covers the first two years of the war and is the prequel to "Gettysburg", is a great movie. It is painstakingly accurate, wonderfully filmed and scripted, and the acting was suburb. Stephen Lang deserves an Oscar for his brilliant portrayal of Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson. Robert Duvall is also excellent as Gen. Robert E. Lee. Jeff Daniels, who played Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain in "Gettysburg", reprises his role in G&G, as do other actors from "Gettysburg".

If you're expecting something like "Saving Private Ryan", you'll be disappointed. It's not that kind of a movie. "Gods and Generals" is part documentary, part drama, with the right mix of both to make it both highly entertaining and historically intriguing. As you listen to the characters, you almost believe that they're from the period and places in which the story is set.

What stuck in the craw of the critics is that this movie didn't present the Confederates as fire-breathing, racist, slavery-defending apes, and the Federals as saintly freedom-fighters. It would be simplistic and wrong to characterize the war as a struggle between good and evil. The vast majority of the Confederate soldiers didn't own slaves and didn't fight for the right to keep slaves. A lot of the Union soldiers, probably most, weren't fighting to free the slaves. There were flawed men on both sides of the war, as well as deeply moral men.

You can debate all you want about how much slavery was an issue in the Civil War, but as to this movie, all points of view were well represented through the characters: Lt. Col. Chamberlain of the 20th Maine, a professor-turned-soldier who was sympathetic to the plight of the black slaves; Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, a man of outstanding military service in the Federal army prior to the Civil War and a most beloved commander, who chose to defend his home state of Virginia against what he saw as an unlawful invasion by the North; Gen. Stonewall Jackson, a fearless and deeply religious man, devoted husband and a brilliant military tactician who loved the Union, but was fiercely loyal to Virginia; Martha, the house slave, who bravely turns away looting Union soldiers from her masters' home during the seige in Fredericksburg, but later takes in the Union's wounded, and who yearns to be free; Jim Lewis, Gen. Jackson's black cook, who prays that one day all of this family will be free. Unforgettable characters, all of them.

If you are uncomfortable with religious overtones and poetic dialogue (sorry, but that's how people were back the), don't buy this DVD. If you don't care at all about American history, skip this one. If you can't watch any historical movie without the filter of 21st century values or political correctness, this movie isn't for you. If you have a short attention span, forget it. This movie clocks in at about 3:37.

If you are interested in the Civil War, or just curious and want to learn about it, if you're tired of all the [stuff] coming out of Hollywood these days, and you're willing to let a movie make you think for a change, if you can put your 21st century frame of mind on hold, I think you'll enjoy this DVD. No matter what the critics are saying, "Gods and Generals" will stand the test of time.

The theatrical release of the film was just one giant mess of a film. Great acting, sets, cinematography, and of course historically accurate, but still a mess. A search on rottentomatoes.com shows the film to have about an 8% rating which makes someone wonder 'did Uwe Boll direct this?' Plenty of people will hate it because the only slaves depicted in it are the exceptionally well-treated ones. Even watching it again, some of those scenes do still bother me as well, but a new viewer needs to take in account this film about the civil war is NOT focused on the issue of slavery. Of course, the theatrical version isn't focused on anything at all and the was the biggest problem with it.

I initially saw it when it first came out on DVD and expected 'Gettysburg' and what I found instead was a horrendously uneven and unfocused plot. Every scene was either dragged out too long, or rushed, and the transitioning always felt random. With this new extended cut, the movie gains an extra hour. That's right, a near four hour movie is now a near five hour movie. Now I'm a sucker for extended cuts even when the original was mediocre at best. My personal favorites are Dances with Wolves (another hour of greatness), and Kingdom of Heaven (fixes EVERYTHING, except the mis-casted Orlando Bloom). An example of a terrible one is Alexander: Final Cut (Jesus would have trouble raising THAT from the dead).

Gods and Generals is now officially the one movie that benefits more than any other film by having an extended cut. With the added hour and re-edit of the entire movie beginning to end, the pacing of the whole film is restored. Viewers ignorant of the civil war will understand whats going on much better. The characters gain more depth with the added scenes on and off the battlefield. There's a subplot about John Wilkes Booth that adds thematically to the film in a way that's subtle and yet profound, especially towards the end (no, JWB is not portrayed as a 'hero').

In short, a well-intentioned yet disastrous film becomes (I am NOT joking) a cinematic masterpiece. If you at least appreciated what the Theatrical release was trying to accomplish you'll enjoy this new extended cut. You may not be ecstatic about it as I am, but you'll at least agree that it's a solid improvement.

Theatrical Release: 4/10
Extended-Cut: 10/10

This is not your typical movie - One has to expect that. I actually like it, because it is not Hollywood and not slick and polished, but more like about how things really were in the war. Acting of Stonewall Jackson was excellently done and well portrayed in the movie. The level of detail was tremendous, but if you just want a regular fast paced, low detail, low frills movie, then you will hate it...I have watched movies less than half this length and been bored stiff. This is a very complete movie with truth that makes its mark and wish more historical dramas/war movies had this detail, because sometimes it is so hard to beleive what really happened in the past unless you see and understand the smallest details.

Gods and Generals is an excellent movie. Unfortunately, it doesn't fit the current demographic of target moviegoers (teenagers), and convinced Ted Turner to basically forget ever releasing the third part of the trilogy (The Last Full Measure). Also too bad is the fact that the supposed six hour cut might never be released, as I suspect some criticisms of the movie may be answered by this version.

Contrary to many people's opinion, this movie is not Southern propoganda. No Dixie propaganda piece would have Chamberlain's discussion about the war with his brother in it. It is just telling the story from the point of view of southerners. As this movie is the story of Stonewall Jackson, the Last Full Measure would likely be the story of Ulysses S. Grant, and would amazingly seem too biased to the North.

Despite this, I could have used a little more mention of why northerners joined the war. Showing men from Illinois and Massachusetts as well as Virginia going off to war would have been a nice addition to the movie. I suspect the six hour version has more Chamberlain and Hancock, which is why this version must be released.

Please buy this movie, and buy it as a gift for someone else. Despite being almost four hours long, it is a very smooth flowing time. Hopefully, Shaara and Maxwell will convince Turner to move forward with "The Last Full Measure". Good sales returns on the DVD of "Gods and Generals" will definitely help.

God and generals is a very good and interesting movie which is part one of a trilogy based on the civil war. Stephan Lang did an excellent job as general Sonewall Jackson his performance gives me a better look as what the real Thomas Stonewall Jackson must have been as a leader of the confederate army. Robert Duvall made a great Robert E. Lee a better performance than Martin Sheen in Gettysburg. Jeff Daniels returns as Lt. Chamberlain a roll which stands out in Gettysburg and continues to shine in Gods and Generals. The battle scenes in this were a lot clearer and had more of a punch than the battles in the film Gettysburg. The battles that really stood out in this movie were Fredericksburg when the two Irish Birgades on opposing sides were shooting and killing each other. Between the music score and the way the battle was filmed it really has a powerful impact. The battle of Chancellorsville the films final battle really stood out when you see all these confederates coming out of the woods without making a sound made my heart race. I enjoyed Gettysburg and it makes a very good sequal to gods and generals but between the two Gods and Generals had the most impact on me. If you have an interest in the civil war these movies along with Glory opens your mind and gives you a strong image to what it was like actually being there. The things I wish they had in Gods and Generals is the battle of Antietam the bloodiest day in the civil war, and the rebel yell I've read that it was used by Stonewall Jackson just before he advanced his troops to attack. I look foward to seeing The Last Full Measure keeping Robert Duvall as Robert E. Lee and bringing Jeff Daniels, and Stephan Lang back. Overall an enjoyable historic experience.

It is a rare movie made today this is not "based" on a true story - instead, that "IS a true story". I find it refreshing to see characters and history portrayed as they actually were - not a blur of reality and fiction. Though there are some imperfections, the historical accuracy is beyond what I have seen in years. The historical accuracy allows presenting issues normally risky, including issues of their time and ours - such as politics, race, and god. This is done even handedly...opening eyes and letting one individually consider them. This movie is a gem and I am thankful for its production.

"Gods and Generals" easily surpasses it's predecessor "Gettysburg" and lays claim to the distinction of being the finest film ever made dealing with the Civil War. Although Ken Burns PBS documentary "The Civil War" is the gold standard for documentaries, "G&G" will capture the audience's attention and imagination from the very beginning to the final curtain like no other film has done before.

Here are, IMHO, the "pros":
Outstanding cinematography
Authentic period sets

Impressive performances delivered by Stephen Lang (Jackson), Jeff Daniels (Chamberlain), Robert Duvall (R.E. Lee), Kevin Conway (Sgt. 'Buster' Kilrain), Sean Pratt (Dr. Hunter McGuire)
Outstanding special visual effects, including
Computer Generated Imagery
Sound editing
Superb soundtrack score by John Frizzell, including the hauntingly beautiful "Going Home" by Mary Fahl, and Appalachia echoing "Cross The Green Mountain" by Bob Dylan
Re-enactors demonstrated higher authenticity standards than in film "Gettysburg".

Now for the "cons":
Minor special effects shortcomings. (Ironically, as CGI becomes more frequently used in Cinema, and as viewing audiences become more and more sophisticated, CGI use becomes all the more obvious. However, this more of an industry wide criticism rather than a direct negative criticism of the movie itself.)
Deleted battles - Antietam/Sharpsburg (will be included in the Director's cut version when released)
Some deviation's from Jeff Shaara's book, albeit in retrospect, they do not detract from the overall storyline.

Overall:
Definitely destined to become a classic in it's own right. Powerful imagery grabbed me from the very beginning (which included the fluttering of many well known regimental flags) and continues throughout. The sequence at 1st Manassas where Jackson successfully shores up the faltering Confederate battle line imbues the film with the cacophony of sounds and confusion of battle (similar to Saving Private Ryan) and immerses the audience into the middle of the fray as a participant, rather than from the perspective of a "mere" spectator, and continues throughout the film.

The Battle of Fredricksburg, Marye's Height segment is faithfully recreated as the audience witnesses regiment after regiment being committed piecemeal fashion in the hopeless Federal endeavor. Stirringly poignant in this sequence is the Irish Brigade advancing up the heights only to be met by Cobb's 24th Georgia, also made up of mostly Irish immigrants. Also, the horrifying aftermath of Marye's Heights, in human terms, is conveyed with chilling effect.

Maxwell also does a superb job in combining the audio/visual elements for Jackson's flank march at Chancellorsville. By taking John Frizzell's "VMI Will Be Heard From Today" score and blending it with the visual swiftness of of the surging Rebel tide, Maxwell places the audience on the precipice of an irresistible wave about to crash into Oliver Howard's XI Corps.

Stephen Lang is outstanding as the fervently spiritual General Jackson, which in my opinion should earn him at least a "nod" from the Motion Picture Academy.

I could go on an on, but suffice it to say, you won't be disappointed. It appears the Civil War living history and reenacting community has their very own "Patriot" and "Saving Private Ryan" in "Gods and Generals".

"Gods and Generals" could have used some tighter editing, just as many of the professional and online reviewers say. But some of their more hostile comments tell more about the reviewers than about the picture. World magazine writer Gene Edward Veith gigged them nicely with this mock content advisory:

"Warning! This movie contains explicit Bible reading. Scenes contain graphic depictions of prayer. The language may not be suitable for viewers offended by nonprofane references to Jesus. Viewers are strongly cautioned due to intense moralizing, violently affectionate marriages, and gratuitous displays of selfless behavior."

It's hard to portray piety well on-screen, and Hollywood these days scarcely ever tries to do so. But Stephen Lang pulls it off. His Jackson is stern, warm, charismatic and convincing. I had long imagined a film about Stonewall, and this is almost all I could have desired.

I had envisioned Ed Harris in the role, as he bears a strong resemblance to Jackson, but I don't think Harris could have outdone Lang or even equalled him. If you doubt Lang's acting chops, just watch him play Pickett in "Gettysburg." What a contrast to Lang's Jackson! Each portrayal has a life of its own. Lang's performance outdoes even the great Robert Duvall, who here and there lets the hint of a "Lonesome Dove" mannerism slip into his portrayal of Lee.

"Gods and Generals" is especially welcome in that it contains none of the puerile nonsense that spoiled the recent would-be epics "Pearl Harbor" and "The Patriot." Plodding it may be, but it should at least get credit for its maturity.

Here's what I missed in "Gods and Generals" and hope to see in the 6-hour DVD:

* Some sense of how Jackson and Lee earned their immense reputations, in the Valley and Peninsula campaigns and at Second Manassas.

* Some more attention to the Federal commanders, who were the tragicomic foils for Lee's and Jackson's brilliance. In the movie, that parade of bunglers and blowhards is represented only by Burnside. I understand the DVD will include Antietam, so we may meet McClellan there, but I want to see Pope and Hooker huff, puff and fall on their faces, too.

* Speaking of bunglers and blowhards, a hard look at the secessionist firebrands who brought the war on might have mollified those critics who found the Southern cause way too idealized in this picture. Especially on the issue of slavery and race, a contrast could have been drawn between Jackson and someone like Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens, who prattled about the "great truth" of white superiority. The South's bigotry resided in its politicians, not in men like Jackson. (One critic doubted that Jackson would ever have called the free black cook he hired "Mr. Lewis," as he does in the movie. But "Tom Fool" Jackson was known in pre-war Lexington for tipping his hat to black men on the street. Said he: "I could not be less polite to a Negro than he is to me.")

I look forward eagerly to seeing the conclusion of Mr. Maxwell's Civil War trilogy. In the role of U.S. Grant, the Union general who finally took Lee's measure, I'd suggest Russell Crowe. Like Grant, Crowe looks a bit surly, "as if he were about to drive his forehead through a brick wall."

And if Crowe isn't available, just call on Lang again. Embodying Jackson, Pickett AND Grant --- now, THAT would be an acting trifecta!

Gods & Generals is a film of epic proportions, but this film proves that epic proportions does not equate to an epic film. I enjoyed the film and much of the acting was superb, but as a whole, it did not meet the mark set by its sequel of 1993, "Gettysburg."

The center-piece of this film is General Stonewall Jackson and the faith-filled romance with his wife, who he affectionately refers to as his "esposita."

Stephen Lang's performance as the devout Christian and fearless general is stupendous. You soon forget you're watching a performance and begin to think of yourself as a voyeur in his life. The film's greatest strength is the emotional bond the viewer develops with his character.

Sadly, this connection falters with the rest of the historic characters. They are interesting to be sure, but the film fails to create the bond with the viewer and these other historic figures.

Some scenes will be a total loss to those who are not students of history or the Civil War. Relationships are not explained between some soldiers and generals... you are told they "have their differences," but are never told why, making the mention of them inconsequential to the average movie goer.

The battle scenes are as close to non-violent as battlescenes can get. You hear the ripping of the wind as the musket balls fly through the air and you see body after body fall, but you don't see body parts explode... just explosions of dirt as cannon-balls fly and a body gets thrown in the air. The sound and music allow the viewer to be intensely involved in the battle, without the added gore. This is both a plus and a minus. It makes it a family-friendly film - no foul language and a modicum of violence. In reality, of course, the Civil War was a bloody, violent war and those seeking a "Saving Private Ryan" level of realism will not be satisfied in that department.

With such a stellar cast and a beautiful backdrop, the producers really dropped the ball in the CGI department. The computer graphics used to simulate the towns and battlescenes were simply awful, especially by today's standards.

The bird's eye views of villages/towns looked like blurry (very blurry) Thomas Kinkaid paintings... to add "realism" they added painted animated flocking birds that looked as though they were cut from a 1930's Bela Lagosi "Dracula" movie. Very, very, very crude animation that was unnecessary and distracting. The explosions from afar on the battlefields were also very sub-par. They looked like the default explosion effect available in Adobe After Effects version 1.0. Just crude and unbelievable - they were not the same shade, color or tone of the surrounding scenes and no attempt was made to blend the effects w/ the previously filmed action.

In addition to the very poor CGI effects, the use and re-use of the same scenes was obvious to the viewer. In one part of the movie, you would see villagers fleeing down a d particular path. Thirty minutes later, you'd meet a new character and then see them for the second time running down the same path in the same scene. Because the camera angle had not changed, it was very obvious they were identical scenes. This happened a number of times during battle scenes as well where the same exact canon would cause the same exact explosion where the same unknown actor would fly through the air to his death.

These goof-ups not-withstanding, this is a truly enjoyable film and safe for families to view. Civil War buffs will be swept away by the historic accuracy, on-location filming and historic buildings and uniforms.

Non-historians who view the film will probably be distracted by the wooden acting of "Seventh Heaven" star Jeremy London or the cheesy animation previously cited, but should still find the overall movie-going experience to be a positive one.

This DVD is a faithful screen adaptation of the book "Gods and Generals", by Jeffrey Shaara. It deals with the very beginnings of the American Civil War and progresses through the battle of Chancellorsville. The book (and movie) are part of a three-part trilogy on the Civil War. The movie is produced by Ted Turner, who makes a small cameo appearance as a southern soldier. This movie is a prequel to the 1993 hit "Gettysburg".

The movie (like the book) centers on the major generals of the war, Robert E. Lee (played to a "tee" by Robert Duvall), General "Stonewall" Jackson (excellently played by Stephan Lang), and the union's Lt. Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (played by the very capable Jeff Daniels). Of course, the leadership on each side believes in and prays to a God that they hope will deliver them victorious, thus the title "Gods and Generals".

While the movie has sweeping visuals and equisitely accurate battle sceens, the movie is simply too long at nearly 4 hours in length. Proper editing would have resulted in a more enjoyable film. Too much time is allowed for elegant proseic speeches by the generals, generally to their wives. The movie really bogs down in these sections and one is tempted to fast forward past them to the action that lies ahead.

The actors do a remarkable job; all are believable and truly become the character(s) they portray. The battle scenes are the film's strength and are an eye-opener for anyone not familiar with the bloody brutality of the Civil War, our nation's bloodiest conflict. The courage of the soldiers facing an 800-yard march across an open field being pounded by cannon fire is something to behold. The historical accuracy of the film is also a draw, as it teaches Civil War history.

I believe the average viewer will tire of this movie due to its excessive length. However, the Civil War buff will revel in the great detail and the effort to make the film historically accurate. The film is appropriate for all but the youngest members of the family, as some of the killing is graphic. I doubt that children will be able to watch the film to its conclusion, as they will lose interest in the non-battle scenes.

With proper editing, this could have been a 4 or 5-star movie. The best I can give it is a 3-star rating due to its length.

Jim Konedog Koenig