Curate's egg....

Rating: 6/10 (17 September 2014)

The range of marks here in my view is partly explained by the fact that it is good (in fact, very good...) in parts and pretty dire in some in others. On the one hand some of the battlefield scenes are pretty gripping and hard to take your eyes off, on the other the movie is interspersed with long periods of inaction and melodramatic hogwash. As others have said, the 4 hours could easily have been shrunk to 3 without too much trouble especially if the film hadn't tried to pack so many characters in. That said I have watched some 90 minute movies that felt as if they had lasted twice as long.
As a non-American (though one who has read a bit of the battle's history) can't vouch too much for the historical accuracy though I note a range of views from other reviews here. The hairy beards and handlebar moustaches do look sometimes as if they are straight from an under-budget pantomime production (though to be fair some of the photos of the characters in real-life do too).
To continue the curate's egg theme that's also reflected in the acting. Thought Jeff Daniels was great but Martin Sheen struggles to pass OK. Some of the other performances would be better suited to Little House on the Prairie (no offence meant against that great harmless family entertainment).
Worth a watch and maybe like me you'll end up liking some and thinking 'what the heck was all that about' for other bits.