Very good movie, interesting not only for military historians

Rating: 7/10 (19 February 2000)

Watching "Gettysburg", you will know everything about the battle. Where the armies marched, who attacked, where the fighting took place, etc. Facts are very precise. You will also find out how the chain of command works, from the highest general to the men fighting of the front row. Anybody interested in military history has plenty to learn and won't feel the 4 hours of the movie. One of the good points of the screenplay is that it keeps coming on the discussions between general Lee and lieutenant general Longstreet : what those two officers decided is indeed a main point. Those who are not fond of strategy will perhaps appreciate very spectacular combat scenes, like the assault on Little Round Top or the charge of the Pickett division. They may also like the performances of the actors. Martin Sheen, Tom Berenger, Sam Elliott, Jeff Daniels... All are very believable Civil War officers. They don't just act, they also managed to have a physical aspect close to the historical characters. In the end, there are only two reproaches to be made to "Gettysburg". The first is about the music : sometimes there is too much of it. The second is about the speech of colonel Chamberlain to the mutinous soldiers from Maine. I don't really know how officers cheered troops reluctant to fight. But this speech looks like a clichÃ© when you hear it. Those two drawbacks are very minor, fortunately. The movie is anyway very good : it is not up to anybody to keep interest going for 4 hours.