Depressing and Desparing

Rating: 7/10 (12 April 2013)

Overly long and depressing account of mostly the Southern Homefront during the Civil War. This is not at all a pleasant time Historically and it is just the same in this well mounted Production. With Mega-Stars and Mega Character Actors it is one unpleasantness after another with very little left to the imagination.
There was a lot of dreaming and romanticizing during and about this period mostly to conceal the unbelievable pain and suffering but none of that can hide here. This is an anti-war Movie no doubt and it pulls no punches in that regard. But it is so agonizing the Romantic elements can barely penetrate all the nastiness.
Overall, it is a truly disturbing display of Wars inevitable intrusion into the participants lives and dramatically deconstructed the Heart and Soul and renders the most basic Humanisms, but it is not a pretty picture and is quite a despairing piece of work