Brilliant depiction of events

Rating: 10/10 (8 February 2011)

I rarely watch a movie over and over again, but Gettysburg is definitely one of those few. The depiction of events during and before the pivotal battle of Gettysburg is wonderfully directed by Ron Maxwell, who uses sweeping panoramas to create an impressive and large scale picture that allows an audience to attempt to discover what the battle was actually like. It is the stars however, (Tom Berenger, Martin Sheen and Jeff Daniels) who make the movie what it is. In particular, Daniels, who delivers a convincing performance as Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, masterfully delivers one of the best monologues I have ever seen in cinema. Also worthy of note is a very underused performance from Brian Mallon as Winfield Scott Hancock, a sadly little used character, despite capturing perfectly the nature of this legendary general. A final note is the soundtrack, which sounds very stirring and grand, helping to create a very heroic atmosphere for the movie and the central characters.
In conclusion, a fabulous movie, with good actors and impressive directing. The best civil war movie ever made.