The problem for gods and generals as history is that the first part of the lost cause argument is demonstrably false. Question about historical accuracy of a few things in gettysburg and gods and generals. Anyone out there who questioned the historical accuracy of. Gods and generals, the latest cinematic offering from the coffers of ted turner. The film stars stephen lang as stonewall jackson, jeff daniels as lieutenant colonel. Gods and generals, the screen adaptation of jeff shaaras heralded bestselling novel and prequel to the acclaimed drama. Gods and generals, ted turner and ron maxwells followup to 1993s gettysburg, wants to be a quintessential civil war epic. Gods and generals is the kind of movie beloved by people who never go to the movies, because they are primarily interested in something elsethe civil war, for exampleand think historical accuracy is a virtue instead of an attribute. There are a number of issues that you could point out that are not quite right with the movie s version of history. Such is a great movie trashed by the critics and they miss the whole reason for this. Lee was shown throughout the movie as wearing the three star insignia of a colonel, rather than the three stars surrounded by a wreath as was the proper insignia for all confederate generals. I am guessing the public had too high of expectations for gods and generals and when they found that it as just an average movie they were disappointed. Gods and generals is an over the top movie about historical characters who, for the past near 150 years have been portrayed in every media form as larger than life and nearly godlike. Historical accuracy may be questioned by real civil war enthusiast, but worth seeing and critiquing especially for people with interest in the civil war.
Ive seen gods and generals twice, and ive enjoyed it both times. Gods and generals is an over the top movie about historical characters who, for the past near 150 years have. Actors, uniforms, battle scenes, and dialogue aside, the movie is simply too long. Critics may argue over small incorrect details, but lets remind ourselves that the film is based off of a novel based off of historical events. Some people who like history expect movies based on history to be all about history, and accurate history at that. Unfortunately, the filmmakers preferred to spend much of the nearly fourhour running time of the movie doing a great deal of axgrinding. Writing in the journal of american history, historian steven e. As someone who lived most of his life in the north, the historically accurate. General lee actually wore this throughout most if not all of the war, and this is accurate.
Gods and generals focuses on the early military encounters between the north and south during the civil war recreating numerous battle scenes. By ron weiskind, postgazette movie editor gods and generals, a movie about the civil war, seems an apt centerpiece for a dispute almost as old as cinema itself. Long awaited by both historians and buffs, the film gods and generals is a prequel to the 1993 film gettysburg. Maxwell has been praised for his commitment to historical accuracy in gods and generals. The last full measure, also written by shaara, completes the civil war trilogy. In gods and generals many of the characters talk like, well, someone from the. It seems to have escaped them that the civil war was fought in victorian times, and that the victorians were extremely pious and sentimental, not to mention hypocritical. Gods and generals directors cut 2 discs bluray 2003. Gods and generals is good hollywood dont go see it. Gods and generals is a dry hollow epic thats boring and has woodern acting and camerea work thats nothing short of standered. The dialoge between the generals, top civilians, and the foot soldier gives the viewer a good taste of the variety of sentiments of the day.
Gods and generals 2003 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. Directors cut of both gettysburg and gods and generals coming may 24th. This is a movie where the confederate general stonewall jackson still so revered in virginia that the place he died is not called a memorial, but a shrine calls the black man he is about to hire as a cook mr. Gods and generals is a flawed piece that works better as an educational tool rather than as a feature film. Gods and kings was banned in egypt it gives a zionist view of history and contains historical inaccuracies and thats why we have decided to.
This film is historically accurate, deeply moving, and with outstanding acting by all. Aug 12, 2018 there are a number of issues that you could point out that are not quite right with the movie s version of history. The film focuses on confederate general thomas stonewall jackson, from the outbreak of the american civil war until his death from friendly fire at chancellorsville. To get to the answer, it is useful to compare gods and generals to another civil war movie from a few years ago, glory. The film was well received among scholars, historians and film critics. Realistic, but not conducive to following the action, if any.
Gods and generals is based on a best selling book by. The book adopts the same approach as the killer angels, recounting events from the perspective of several key figures, in this. The novel won the pulitzer prize in 1974 and covers the battle of gettysburg from both sides of the war as well as various officers. The magnificent new movie gods and generals raises a related issue. Woodworth derided the movie as a modernday telling of lost cause mythology. Gods and generals is an over the top movie about historical characters who, for the. The conspirator the facts secretary of war edwin stanton was out attending a union victory celebration the night of the assassination. Gettysburg, the 1993 film starring martin sheen, tom berenger and jeff daniels was awesome. This is the first clue that the movie will take a southern point of view. One attempts to capture the major events of the first tumultuous years of the war while the other is a minibiography of stonewall jackson. Gods and generals 2003 movie mistakes, goofs and bloopers. Gods and generals, the screen adaptation of jeff shaaras heralded bestselling novel and prequel to the acclaimed drama gettysburg, is and epic and sweeping. In gods and generals many of the characters talk like, well, someone from the midnineteenth century south would talk.
I just watched the movie for the 3rd time during a trip this week. The title card is a quote from george eliot about love of ones homeland. Unfortunately, the filmmakers preferred to spend much of the nearly fourhour running time of the movie doing a. Facts this page was created to point out some the historical inaccuracies of robert redfords film the conspirator, released april 2011. It will soon come to life as a maxwell film by the same name. Gods and generals is a 2003 american period war drama film written and directed by ronald f. The book adopts the same approach as the killer angels, recounting events from the perspective of several key figures, in this case primarily lee, hancock, jackson, and chamberlain. Historical accuracy nothing can ever be 100% accurate once creative license is taken into account, but the film gettysburg gets as close to accurate as they come. Written by jeffrey shaara after his father michaels death in 1988, the novel relates events from 1858 through 1863 during the american civil war, ending just as the two armies march toward gettysburg. It is plain and simple and straight forward about the battle.
I do think gods and generals was a bit slow in some places. There are no love scenes, no romance, there isnt even a woman casted in the film. Gods and generals 2003 gods and generals is the prequel to gettysburg. Gods and kings is a 2014 epic biblical film directed and produced by ridley scott. The latter, which recounts the exploits of one of the first black regiments 54th massachusetts in the civil war, contains numerous historical inaccuracies. I was curious of what other people thought about the historical accuracy so i found this site. Gods and generals is widely viewed as championing the lost cause ideology by creating a presentation more favorable to the confederacy. First of all, it is long, timing out at almost four hours. Although jeff had never penned a book, he took on the challenge of writing gods and generals. And, in the interest of historical accuracy, with all that firing the field gets covered with smoke.
Gods and generals, based on the best selling book by jeff shaara, is such a movie. An international coproduction between the united states, the united kingdom, and spain, it was produced by peter chernin, jenno topping, michael schaefer, and mark huffam with music by alberto iglesias and written by adam cooper, bill collage, jeffrey caine, and steven zaillian. The film does a credible job of discussing the causes of the war, from both sides. Echoing proconfederate claims since the war itself, the movie represents the. Gods and generals is a prequel to that book, covering the leadup to the civil war, plus the first two years of the war. Woodworth when they wanted to do so, the makers of gods and generals were accurate in both detail and nuance. Allow plenty of time to watch, or plan for 2 sessions. Aug 12, 2018 gettysburg, the 1993 film starring martin sheen, tom berenger and jeff daniels was awesome. Gods and generals gods and generals is a long history lesson. Gods and generals is a careful, meticulous, lovingly crafted three and a half hour chronicle of the civil war. Gods and generals covers the first half of the civil war or as jackson calls it the second war of independence in the eastern theater. This new bluray edition is equally problematic, with a soft transfer and a bland set of supplemental features that drag the entire release down. In gods and generals there are lengthy scenes of two armies shooting at each other, but its never really clear what the dickens is going on.
Long awaited by both historians and buffs, the film gods and generals is a prequel. Slavery, not states right, was both the proximate and deep cause of the war. Much is made of the films total and obsessive historical accuracy. The only aspect of this disc thats anything better than mediocre is the audio package. The critics ive read seem to object to the piety, the length, and lack of political correctness. One of the main problems was that the movie was made from a novel not a history book. Rarely does a big budget hollywood movie come along that reflects history and the christian faith of the protagonists in an historical event accurately and faithfully.
The south rises again in gods and generals, an often striking 312hour civil war epic that has the unfortunate effect of tipping the dramatic scales in favor of the southern generals and. Gods and generals the society for military history. It is an adaptation of the 1996 novel of the same name by jeffrey shaara and prequel to maxwells 1993 film gettysburg. Jul 22, 2018 i do think gods and generals was a bit slow in some places. Jan 04, 2015 t his week, bigbudget hollywood epic exodus. Gettysburg was financial and critical success, but it took ten years to follow it up. As gettysburg was based on the historical novel the killer angels 1974 by michael shaara, so gods and generals is based on the 1998 historical novel of that title written by shaaras son jeff. Battle scenes, discussion of strategy to be used, and interaction between generals is very interesting. The conspirator the facts secretary of war edwin stanton was out attending a union. Cnn when the movie gods and generals opened friday. D in military history from the ohio state university in 1997 and is currently an associate professor of history at buena vista university in storm lake, iowa.
Apr 17, 2017 gods and generals first battle of bull run. Gods and generals is a novel which serves as a prequel to michael shaaras 1974 pulitzer prizewinning work about the battle of gettysburg, the killer angels. The film plays like a special issue of american heritage. Epic gods and generals tilts genteelly to the south. Daniels and boxleitner deliver good performances but both are underutilized and their characters never allowed to fully develop, perhaps because gods and generals is really two movies. Ron maxwell, author and director, gods and generals. The movie is based on a book by michael shaara, the killer angels, technically a work of fiction, but a lot of research went into it. Gods and generals is the prequel to the 1994 film gettysburg. The battle of lanzerath ridge how 18 american soldiers stopped the entire 1st ss panzer division duration. Jan 01, 1996 gods and generals is a prequel to that book, covering the leadup to the civil war, plus the first two years of the war. Gods and generals first battle of bull run part one first. Though the use of these fictional characters is not historically accurate in a.
Historical accuracy seems to be lacking in most hollywood films about any time period. The kind of movie beloved by people who never go to the movies, because they are primarily interested in something else the civil war, for example and think historical accuracy is a virtue. The movie at a lumbering 219 minutes, theres a really good civil war movie hiding within gods and generals, although youll have to sit through some extended speeches and battle scenes to get to it. All this as well as spectacular, gutwrenching combat is captured in the movie gods and generals released in the us this month by warner brothers, which follows the war in virginia during the first two years leading up to the pivotal battle at gettysburg in july 1863. Scorsese may go back to streaming after paramount reportedly passes on pricey new dicaprio movie. For all its misguided priorities, gods and generals is a noble effort, honoring faith and patriotism with the kind of reverence that has all but vanished from american film but provides abundant proof that historical accuracy is no guarantee of great storytelling. Gods and generals 2003 gods and generals 2003 user.
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