Occasionally silly, but brilliant.

Rating: 8/10 (23 May 2014)

Firstly, I'm British. I knew of Gettysburg, and the rough history of the American Civil War, but it wasn't something I was particularly interested in. Regardless, I really enjoyed this film.
It's incredibly American. It's a massive, shameless romanticisation of American history. The men are manly. The soldiers are brave. The motivations are moral. The facial hair is impressive. It does feel silly at points - the earnest speeches and misty eyed murmurings about liberty and justice come close to self-parody.
Still, once into the spirit, I loved every minute of it. The battle scenes are incredible. The furiosity of the fighting is breathtaking - you get a real insight into the sheer quantity of firepower armies of the period subjected each other to. It does a good job of explaining the historical context too, and giving both sides a fair look in.
Overall, I can't say it's one of my favourite films of all time, but I did enjoy it immensely. Definitely worth a watch.