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This is not for historians, this is for the people who have a little knowledge and interest in the Civil War - and likely that is all they want.
For someone looking for a more emotional view of the Civil War, with more 'people and feelings' than true history, then this is a very nice read. It is the fictionalised account of the Geyers and the Hales, cousins - one family of the South, the other from the North, that find themselves divided and fighting each other during the War Between the States in the US. The Geyers were farmers, of the land, though were not slave owners, and the story focuses around their eldest son, John, an artist who went into the war as an artist correspondent, torn by his love for both families and seeing both sides of the argument. He hates the institution of Slavery, a hatred amplified by the hanging of his black friend, a freed man for hiding fugitive slaves. The Hales were city-folk. Not only were they divided on their views, but by their styles of life. You see all the various scenes of how families were divided, how the glory of war could turn sour for the many boys simply looking for adventure.
There was a real John Geyser, and he did draw a lot of pictures as his time as a soldier. But he was not a war correspondent, and not that professional of an artists. Still is immature drawing carry a power to convey the horrors of war.
... Read more ›The passing of years can definitely modify prior assumptions. While I found parts of "The Blue and the Gray" intriguing, far too often the film descended into the deepest depths of sentimentality of the sappiest sort. The star of the picture is John Geyser (John Hammond), a young man with a knack for drawing who lives on his parents' farm in Virginia. He's got a bunch of brothers, a sister preparing to marry a successful businessman from Vicksburg, and several slaves.
... Read more ›The film itself chronicles historical events from a year or two prior to actual hostilities, up to the end of the war and Lincoln's assassination. The story is related from the viewpoints of two families (related by marriage): The Geysers from Virginia, and the Hales from Pennsylvania.
Events and happenings in the movie are generally (but not always) seen via John Geyser's (John Hammond, IV) perspective. John is the youngest son of a well-to-do, but not wealthy Virginia farmer who is turned against Southern ideals by the death of a black friend. He seeks solice and employment with his Uncle Hale's newspaper and moves to Pennsylvania. However, John is not comfortable in the North either. He cannot bring himself to join the military because of the possibility of having to face his elder brothers in combat.
The story is a moving one with several themes running through it. Brother against brother is one of the stronger themes, but also present are the price of friendship, loyalty to one's home, family and State, and responsibility. The issue of slavery is minimized - and probably well so, as that was not a major issue in the outset of the actual war in any event.
The cast is superbly chosen for their parts, and play them with enthusiasm and credibility. All manner of charactorizations are present from the young boy who thinks of the war as a lark and adventure, to those who are committed due to home and family, and those who believe the war will be short and can't wait to be a part of history.
... Read more ›
