A masterpiece painted with a broad brush!

Rating: 9/10 (15 April 2003)

Gettysburg. Just the name sends chills down the spine of any 19th Century American History lover, which I happen to be. I was exceedingly pleased that this film delved into the relationships between the officers who attended West Point together, fought in the Mexican-American War together, courted the same women, then met each other on opposite sides of battlefields during the American Civil War. There are technical flaws in the movie, surely. The most notable is the sight of a white van tooling along a road in the background of Pickett's Charge. Look closely and look fast!! But don't look for the technical flaws; look at the overall picture. Don't look for the language flaws; look for the story behind the words. A wonderful film, exceptionally superior work by Tom Berenger, Martin Sheen, Jeff Daniels and Sam Elliott. The makeup is superb. Please. Don't sit down to watch it to rip it apart. Sit down to watch it to grasp this part of American History.