Mediocre movie based on a mediocre book

Rating: 5/10 (15 January 2003)

Not all that compelling as a film, though it does give a sense of the South's desperation. Shaara's book "Killer Angels" was somewhat compelling at the time for the narrative voice that he gave to characters that before had been wooden. Eliott's and Daniel's performances are the only real shining points.
The worst thing about this film is that its fascination is based on a historical myth: that Gettysburg was the most important battle of the war. With Vicksburg falling the day after, whatever happened at Gettysburg short of the destruction of the Army of the Potomac was quite irrelevant. The Civil War was won and lost in the Western Theatre.
Confederacentrist myth-makers are happy to state that if Meade had lost, the Union would have sued for peace, and other such nonsense.
I won't even bother with "Gods and Generals," written by this author's son, since the book was abomidable.