Class of '61

While there are issues with this project because it was intended to be just the beginning of a series, the quality of this work is higher than most say. I wish the battle scenes were more realistic and compelling, as I believe they are neither. But the connections between the main characters who were 1861 West Point cadets are quite interesting. Spielberg, Burns and Foote being connected to this project is evident. Historically, it is strong. Much of the script is adapted from historical documents and accounts. Anyone who's studied the Civil War will note the familiar lines of dialogue and pieces of letters. Unfortunately, ABC did not pick up this pilot for series, so it's now seen as what it is, a 90-minute TV movie.

Class of 61 tells the story of a group of friends who are cadets at West Point at the outbreak of the civil war. While the story starts slow and lets us get to know about these folks as people and as friends, it ends abruptly at the Battle of Manassas.

Not surprising really in that it was meant as the pilot for a TV series dealing with the civil war.

As a movie it really doesn't stand alone all that well. Just as you get to know and care about the characters the film is over.

The "Class of '61" looks at the splitting apart of the Union through the lives of three West Point graduates and their ramifications of families and friends imparting a sense of the times; sentiments, circumstances, and political climate. From Sumter to First Manassas, this didactic presentation is an even blend of drama and history with enough of each to entertain and inform though it does spread itself to a necessary thinness. Not sufficient as a stand alone drama, "Class of '61" is worth a look for anyone interested in Civil War history. C+

I likes the first and last 20 minutes, when there is dramatic action. But between the two, there was much too much banal personal stuff.

None of it done well enough to be interesting. I found myself uninterested in their personal concern

I also found it offensive in the way it showed a lot of misbehavior on the Union side but not similar stuff among the Confederates.

Both sides were intolerant and the Confederates were first with conscription. The Confederate government was so corrupt that the front line troops were hungry even thought the Confederacy had plenty of food. (Enough for General Sherman to live off later.)

The battle scenes were realistic, but at the end of the day it was unclear what had happened. An explanation afterward would have improved the film for me.

Great premise and cast. Really disappointed it didn't make it to series, think it had tons of potential.

Needed more time to breathe, I think we needed more bonding scenes of the cadets in West Point. Probably needed a mini series where chapter 1 ends with the class breaking up for war.

Given they only had 90 minutes, I think it needed to be focused on 1 character, But you could see they were setting up plotlines for the series with underground railroad etc.

As noted in other reviews, very soft on the Confederacy and Southern slave owners. If you don't have the time to be "warts and all" don't just show the good side.

As an Irishman, I appreciated the scene where 'Da' spoke to one of the sons in Irish and he hadn't a notion. Good way to show the disconnect between the generations. Although I am not sure about some of the Oirish accents from some of the British cast (Clive Owen, Sophie Ward) - though they were great in every other respect.