Has its faults, but overall, worthy & moving

Rating: Null/10 (10 March 2004)

I know the Civil War is a very 'american' thing, so i hope folks won't mind me poking my British nose onto the board. I got Gettysburg from Blockbuster on 2 video tapes & watched it in 1 go, though I gather it was made for tv in 2 instalments. Utterly watchable and, yes, very moving, especially when you consider it was actually filmed on the very ground where so many brave men fought more than 140 years ago. Just imagine what those soldiers would've made of it? I wonder if they realised their struggle would become part of history? From what I know of the Civil War the battle and command decisions were faithfully re-created with none of the banal sub-plots, ridiculous "love interests" and fictionalised scenes so beloved of Hollywood. It was also wonderful to see the massed infantry composed of real human beings without a hint of CGI. Pickett's Charge was incredibly poignant, especially as 'we' know what the outcome will be. I noted there isn't a single actress in the film. Apologies to all ladies out there, but that's the way it really was. ALL the actors gave fine performances; particularly the always great Tom Berenger as General Longstreet. I could feel the strain of 'command' every time he was on screen. I've always felt Robert E Lee was the finest general the USA ever produced. Such a tragic irony he ended up fighting against it. By the way, Lee was originally offered command of the Union army but declined out of loyalty to his beloved Virginia. That's the way many americans felt back then. They saw their nationality as their State. Martin Sheen gave a 1st class performance, though I personally wish the role had gone to a taller and (sorry Martin) more "distinguised" actor. Lee was an intellectual and a gentleman. His troops followed him from respect and love, whereas Grant's soldiers were motivated by respect and fear. A subtle difference, but important. There are faults with this film. Firstly I was slightly irritated it keeps alive the myth that the Civil War was fought to free the slaves. A nice idea, but un-true. Slavery was an obscenity, but that wasn't why the war was fought. It was fought to either preserve or end the Union, depending on which side a person was. By the way, Abraham Lincoln & US Grant both came from slave-owning families! Another fault with this film is the almost complete abscence of blood, 'gore' and real suffering. All the hundreds of extras look remarkably fit and healthy. In actual fact both sides (but particularly the Confederacy) suffered appaling squalor, hunger, disease and misery. There were no medics back then, no morphine, no helicopter casevacs, just the slim chance of an ill-trained & probably drunk "surgeon" turning up with a dirty saw and a bottle of whisky for anaesthetic. Vast numbers of injured men died from infected wounds, or were simply left where they fell. I wished the film had shown a bit more of the 'down side' to war. And then there were the beards. Oh God. Anyone who's seen the "women at the stoning" in Monty Python's Life of Brian will know what I mean. Most high scholl drama prop boxes contain more convincing false beards than the ridiculous items Berenger & Sheen were wearing. Martin Sheen looked like a mall Santa & Tom Berenger's was just surreal. Anyway. The strengths of this film far outweigh its faults. I remember seeing a US Army newsreel shot in the 1930s which filmed the Civil War 75th anniversary reunion. A small number of very elderly veterans, from both sides, gathered in friendship. It's such a shame so many fine men died in this dreadful conflict.