Isn't this the best damn ground you've ever seen sir?

Rating: 8/10 (15 July 2006)

What I really like about this movie is the way it demonstrates how warfare was in those days..the importance of the grounds, the formation of troops, and the general strategies. In particular how communications and intelligence played a role. No radar, no phones, no re-con planes. How would you handle a 80 000 man army grouped together for a single battle?
One of the longest movies ever made with 261 minutes, don't expect it to be all out action and entertaining. There are a few scenes that are way too long with dialog that stresses the point that many of the soldiers on both sides felt the war was wrong since they all were Americans, and many knew each others. I don't mind that the movie is true to the figure of speech of the time, but sometimes the dialog and acting is just too theatrical, though most of the actors are credible.
I got bored on a few occasions, but altogether I think this may be the movie that shows the strategical aspects of the civil war best, as well as how the conflicting parts felt about the war.