The Best American Civil War Movie

Rating: 7/10 (13 July 2019)

The American Civil War was a conflict that killed hundreds of thousands of Americans, and nearly broke a nation. And the famous battle of that historical conflict, was the Battle of Gettysburg. It was a real turning point in the war, the last attempt of a fragmenting South, to make an advance on their northern neighbors. The attempt failed, and the South was on a long loosing streak, until their eventual surrender.
And this 4 and a half hour epic, chronicles the events of that battle with perfect presision and historical accuracy. In fact, it needed to be accurate if the people who wanted it to be made.
As back in 1993, the director Ronald F. Maxwell wanted to film his movie at the location the battle was fought, Gettysburg, PA. However, if he wanted to film it at the location. He would have to be as accurate as possible. If he wasn't, he couldn't make the movie on that historical landmark. So, he decided to stay true to the events.
First off, the film doesn't antagonize the South or the North, treating both sides of the war with respect. We see the battle from the perspective of the generals who lead the battle, and stay accurate to the orders they gave, and the issues they went through.
The film's 4 hour run time, in my opinion, was also needed, if they wanted to adapt everything that happened. And in my opinion, the film is never boring, it never felt like it had filler. We see the mistakes that all the Confederates continually made. And what lead to them loosing.
"Gettysburg" was a film that required historical accuracy. The people behind it had a passion for this battle, and wanted to portray it on screen. And I think this is a good example of how historical accuracy is possible and required in a movie about history.
The costumes are accurate, the film really focuses on the tactics, staying true to exactly what happened. The acting and visuals are also astounding to watch. The film truly recreates the historical Battle of Gettysburg.
In conclusion, "Gettysburg" a film that respects history, and is almost a love letter to the battle. It doesn't feel long, it rarely makes things up, the acting is great, and the visuals all perfectly adapt the story of the battle. "Gettysburg" is simply one of the greatest historical movies ever made, and the best Civil War movie ever made.