A fantastic tribute to honor and courage in the hearts of men

Rating: 9/10 (3 January 2019)

As still the longest American film production ever made to this day, Gettysburg had a lot to live up to, one of them being to create a fascinating experience for this entire duration, but it has succeeded valiantly in this.
Gettysburg is not your typical war picture full of vivid characterization, twists, or melodrama ( With the exception of a few scenes ). Instead, it chooses to film the strategies of the three day battle, and the battle sequences themselves, in a way that is most historically accurate. While a high amount of detail and fondness to historical accuracy can damage a film's core, ( Seeing as historical accuracy is always an attribute, and not a virtue, in film ) Gettysburg still manages to capture somewhat of a narrative and a general humanitary theme that makes one care about it. Thus, it succeeds not just as a historical piece, but as a seperate piece of art about bravery, honor & courage in the face of adversity, with a valiant sense of patriotism that is so rare to find.
With on-location shooting in Gettysburg, a certain air of authenticity is also given to this picture, and the stunning use of seemingly endless waves of extra's during battle sequences is nothing short of astonishing. These battle sequences themselves are incredibly edited, with a superb overview of the situation the battle is in at a particular point. While there are some close ups of established characters, it generally uses the great action/consequence technique, with people firing their guns, after which in the next cut an opponent hits the ground. This way there is truly an emotional connection to what is happening on screen, instead of if we only got to watch a fixed camera on an invincible protagonist.
Gettysburg also features phenomenal acting, particularly Martin Sheen's depiction of Robert E. Lee, Sam Elliot & Richard Jordan. However, Performances such as Jeff Daniels as Colonel Chamberlain, and Tom Berenger as General Longstreet are also worthy of notice. In the end, there isn't a weak link in the acting performances in the entire picture. The accents are authentic and spot on, the emotional range ( Especially of Richard Jordan ) is superb, and the mannerisms are also fitting. It is not as if we were watching actors, but the real thing.
Randy Edelman's original score is also nothing short of spectacular, perfectly capturing that feeling of courage that the film means to convey. During Pickett's Charge, this gigantic heroic orchestral piece is constantly covering their walk, and while it has been criticized as 'Glorifying violence' for this, one has to remember that this is a story about the courage of the human heart, and the epic musical score enhances this courage during Pickett's Charge, and not because of the fact that it is glorifying this war.
Furthermore, the film does a tremendous job of not depicting either side as villains. There are no villains in this story. There is a large amount of respect from either side to one another, despite their differences in vision. The visual scale of the film is also beyond compare, with four hours and thirty minutes of superb visual filmmaking, and as stated before the fantastic use of loads of extra's without the use of CGI. The days when battle sequences were filmed with this sense of authentic scale now seems long behind us.
Now, what truly gives Gettysburg that humanist edge that makes one care about it, despite its technical brilliance in the battle sequences? There are numerous moments of characters expressing their regrets, or their views on the war, and particularly those of General Amistad ( Richard Jordan ) can be seen as heartbreaking. These characters are given human form due to these small little talks around the campfire. Chamberlain's opening speech is also an example of this. Admittedly, it has some restrictions because of the historical accuracy, but there is still a sense of true humanity in these characters, making one care about them.
Gettsyburg features great acting, a fantastic original score, technically and emotionally brilliant battle sequences, and while lying an emphasis on the tactical nature of the battle instead of extended characterization, there is still a large degree of true emotional power in this picture, as one of the greatest examples of a film that combines historical accuracy and raw cinematic power in a splendid fashion.