An Outstanding Civil War Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (12 April 2011)

It is my favorite topic in the US history - the great and tragic Civil War. When brothers were killing brothers. When fathers were against their kids. When the whole country was torn apart. For me as a Russian, it is a very challenging and difficult to grasp the war that raged on a far away soil far many years away. But we had our Civil war, too, so the topic of fierce fight for the home turf appeals to me greatly. The movie, albeit its 4 hours running time, is a real winner. It is a huge success and a real masterpiece of cinema. Not ever before had the movie captured my attention and for so long. Plus, this is one of the rare instances when the movie gets only better with each repeat. It doesn't age with the course of time, it never gets boring or trite. The main characters are so real, down-to-earth people with their fears and feats, that you can never doubt they are so real. The parts played by great Thomas Berrenger, Martin Sheen, C. Thomas Howell, George Lazenby, among many others, are excellent and superb. The Little Round Top fight and the famous "Bayonets!!" charge from Joshua Chamberlain is blood-thrilling. Or, the final hopeless attack of the Confederate Army in an open field, towards the volleys and canisters - this is heartbreaking. What is really great, the movie does not say North is good, South is bad. Nay, it is far from that. The film shows the real tragedy of a war, the real suffering of real people.