Gettysburg: Three Days of Destiny

I told all of my friends to watch for the release. Luckily, it took a long time and some of them forgot. After I saw the film I didn't remind anyone.

First of all, it's not my fault. I had no speaking parts and just one close-up when we carried General Reynolds from the field. In one day, we filmed that and some scenes from the first day of battle. None of them were combat scenes. Mostly it was just bits of Reynolds, in a column of Cavalry, riding up to Gen. Buford at the Seminary. I can see why films cost millions. We worked more than six hours that day for maybe 30 seconds in the finished movie.

I rated this film to reflect how I felt as I watched such a pitiful portrayal of those that history has made larger than life. Like an unwanted song that I can't get out of my mind, I recall one endless scene where Jefferson Davis and a room full of southern notables, including Lee, are standing around like statues. The voice-over, I swear, was an adult trying to imitate a 3rd grader reading history to the class. Prominent southern men and women, coldly delivered muted lines (so we wouldn't miss any of that voice-over). 147 years ago these angry words invoked fury, violence, and war against the North. Except for some slight and ambiguous body language, the only thing moving about this scene was their lips. I don't have sufficient courage to watch this thing through a second time. If it wasn't for the miracle of fast forward, it would never be played again. My wife took video of the the filming so we have something to look at. The movie Gettysburg from the book The Killer Angels is the one to watch.

Okay, I said horrible things so I must confess this. When you walk around a video store and find a movie on the shelf that you are in, it's a pretty cool feeling. I have to smile, but I walk on by.

An epic event told by rank armatures

As a Civil War buff I received this DVD as a gift. It is almost better to use it as a coaster. Though the film accurately tells the story of the battle, and includes some of the more interesting anecdotes, most of the acting is so very poor that it is barely watchable. The few who do a worthy job are not even credited for their performance, and most who are should wish to have their names removed from the listing. Many have criticized the Ron Maxwell film "Gettysburg" (1993) for bad acting on the part of many supporting players, but they should win rave reviews when compared to nearly everyone in this work. The only redeeming feature are some of the visuals. However, so much of the casting is also horribly annoying -- a portly R.E.Lee indeed -- that one can't even watch with the sound off just to see the worthy reenactment scenes. As much as I would like to say the film has usefulness as a historical documentary, it is just to painful to watch to serve in even that capacity.

The biggest battle of the war and the bloodiest in US history is realistically staged by more than 3.000 Civil War re-enactors with exquisite attention to period detail.Marking the second time the Gettysburg battle has been committed to movie for the lure of the big screen and one of the first times a picture crew has been allowed to shoot battle scenes on the Gettysburg National Military Park battlefield and well proceeded by the re-enactors. Filmed during the commemoration of the 140 anniversary by Robert Child who also written and produced, he made a similar movie , titled 'Lincoln and Lee : Antetam'. Greatest film are the images about a soldier singing a wonderful song against the sunset while another soldiers encounter around campaign tents.The story is grand in its depiction of the battles it covers but suffers for overlong narration from off-voice , the fundamental problem is that the dialogue is lifeless and stilted which handcuffs a very big documentary production. Historic characters are raised to icon status, showing none of the feeling performances would've made them interesting and for that reason is quite boring and dull. This documentary picture obtained various prizes such as winner Golden Telly Awards and Crystal Award for historic documentary communicator. The best versions about these known events are'Gods and Generals(2003) and Gettysburg(1993) produced by Ted Turner and well directed by Ronald F Maxwell.

Adding more details over the widely depicted on the movie, the events were the following : Gettysburg was the high point of the Confederacy, it was the farthest intrusion into Union territory ever made, but General Robert E Lee's failure to secure a decisive victory condemned the Confederacy to a prolonged struggle in which its forces were unable to regain the strategic initiative. Lee with a force of 72.00 troops, decided to advance north into Union, his army was starving and needed to operate in an unravaged area which could provide food, and such an advance would draw the Union forces away from the South to protect Washindton. Lee sent General Jeb Stuart's cavalry to the east to act as scouts. Unfortunately Stuart set off to find a Union force so he could perform some feat of arms to compensate for a near-defeat the suffered some days previously. Later a Union cavalry patrol discovered the Confederacy army and the Union Army under General George Meade began moving his 82.000 strong army toward Gettysburg. The two forces met close to the town and fighting broke out more and less immediately: as units of both sides appeared on the scene they were fed into positions and joined the battle. The union forces eventually passed through the town and took up a strong position.Lee ordered General Richard Ewell's corps to attack it if practicable but Ewell lost his nerve and never attacked. Lee moved his troops on to Seminary ridge, across the valley, and ordered and attacked the following morning. Confederate General James Longstreet suggested simply outflanking Meade but Lee dismissed the idea. By the time Lee got him moving once more the Union lines had moved so that Longstreet's corps was outflanked, but even knowing this , Longstreet continued his advance according to Lee's original plan, turning the attack into a turmoil.Ammunition began to run low, and Pickett waiting with his division to make a frontal attack when Ewell and Longstreet had done their part, was warned that unless he made his assault now, there would be no covering fire available. Between 2 and 4 July 1863, 50.000 Americans were killed at the battle of Gettysburg, more than have died any other battle in the story of US.It became the most famous battle of the Civil War, though neither side had planned to fight at Gettysburg. A Confederate foraging party entered the town on 1 July 1963 and was surprised to meet units of Union Cavalry and so began the three days battle. Confederate troops move up up toward the place , the were outnumbered by two to one. The worst day was 3 Juli, that afternoon at about 2 p.m. 15.000 confederate troops under General George Pickett emerged from the woods west of Cemetery Ridge, the flash-point of the battle, and began their suicidal advance through the wheat-fields.The attack failed and only half of Picket's troops returned. This was slaughter on an unprecedented scale, a bitter foretaste of what was to come in the WWI. Seeing the carnage, Lee muttered 'All this has been my fault'.

A bunch of amateurs ran around with camcorders as hundreds of weekend warriors (possibly after a beer-fest) put on uniforms and tried to play act. The audio is so poor it should have subtitles. Many scenes include soldiers standing around waiting for direction while white plumes of smoke appear here and there. The cameramen can't seem to hold a shot or let go of the cheap power zoom.

Quick summary of Scene 7: A group of Union soldiers are running. The General waving his sword in the air gets shot and falls. Two men drop their guns, come to his aid and try to help him run again. One gets shot. The General taps the shoulder of the other heavy guy (wearing light blue SWEAT pants) like he wants to be released. The heavy guy lets him go, forgets his gun, runs a few more steps then walks like the scene is over. In the mean time the General gets shot again and throws his arms back exactly like the first time. No shot effects... just acting. The General sweating on the ground looks like a binge drinker with heat stroke. The Union soldiers have all gone back the way they came. From this same direction a group of Confederate soldiers arrive.

They shouldn't tout this like it's a big budget epic drama. This looks like a no budget unplanned weekend shoot. Documentaries do a much better job with still photos.

I had good expectations of this movie. Bought it for a $1 & got what I paid for. First off all the actors didn't even act. They went through the motions of acting. There was no emotion. Then the commanders were all fat like they never exercised. They just came from eating a meal. Then when rifles were fired all you heard were the clicks of the guns supposedly being fired and no sound of a bullet being shot. But what really ruined it for me was when a union soldier stood up when it was getting dark & started singing about tents. I thought you have got to be kidding. Maybe this movie is good for a night with nothing else to do.