Patrick Watkins
10/10/2012
History 100
Film Review
There have been many films made that are based off of true stories. However, one of the most accurate movies I have seen was Gettysburg. Released in 1993 and directed Ronald Maxwell, this movie goes into detail and talks about the decisive 3 day Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. Actors Tom Berenger, Jeff Daniels, and Martin Sheen do an excellent job playing the roles of Robert E. Lee, James Longstreet, and Joshua Chamberlain. While the film did poorly in the box office, the film has been praised for its accuracy. The film is so committed to telling the story right that it takes 4 hours to tell it. While we are supposed to only use one paragraph for the summary, I am afraid I need more than one to talk about Gettysburg.
The movie starts off with the location of the battle and explains how the armies converged at Gettysburg. After following a constant winning streak, Confederate general Robert E. Lee decides to invade the north and crush the Army of the Potomac and force the north to surrender. Brig. General John Buford and his cavalry unit arrive at Gettysburg believing that if Lee secures the town it would give them an easy defensive position that could wipe out the Potomac. Buford then deploys his forces along Seminary ridge in order to defend the west from confederates and send word to Major General John Reynolds. The second day finds confederate general Henry Heth clashing with Buford's men after trying to enter Gettysburg looking to restock their dwindling Shoe supplies. Heth originally thinks that Buford's men are just militia and attacks without informing Lee. Pretty soon more Union and Confederate troops arrive to reinforce both side but eventually the Union gets outflanked and manned and is forced to retreat into the hills. Victory is nearly Lees until General Isaac Trimble decides not to chase the Union and they regroup and form defenses along Cemetery Ridge.
The second day shows the Confederates trying to take the hill. Lee orders an attack on the Unions left flank along Devils Den and Little Round Top. General John Hood is tasked with leading the assault. When Devils Den falls, it is soon up to Joshua Chamberlain to hold off Little Round Top and the left flank. Outnumbered, his men put a valiant defense and orders a bayonet charge that defeats the Confederates and mortally wounds Hood. The next day J.E.B. Stuart and his men return from raids in the area and Lee, who believes that the union line is weakest in the middle orders a final assault. He places Longstreet to lead the frontal assault on Cemetery Ridge with General Pickett's men forming the center in a move that would be known as Pickett's Charge. The Confederates start with a bombardment that overshoots the Union defenses and then the men charge. The charge soon ends disastrously with most of Lee's men being wiped out by union artillery and not even reaching the line. The movie then ends with Lee and men retreating back to Virginia and Colonel Chamberlain and his brother John hugging, thankful hey survived the battle.
The whole reason this movie was made was to just tell the story of the battle and show what the war was really like. The director's point of view seemed really neutral in my opinion. When you saw the battle from the perspectives of both sides it really seemed like both sides were just in their own way. When I watched it I didn't really pick up any Political or Social messages. There were no issues on slavery or cotton, or about how evil either side are. One message I believe that was in the movie was just to never forget. Appreciate the life ou have and never forget the people who fought to make sure you did live like that. That is just my opinion though.
The main thing that this movie is known for is its historical accuracy. Many historical experts and civil war buffs have praised it for its accuracy. All the soldiers in the movie are all wearing the same uniforms and using the same gear that they used back then. In the opening credits, they show all the main actors and the men they are portraying and the similarities are very close. A lot of the filming for this movie was also done at Gettysburg and on Devils Den and Little Round Top. During the filming, thousands of civil war reenactors came to Gettysburg to participate in the battle scenes. I really enjoyed this film. The first time I watched it was when I was in 8th grade, in my early American History class. I enjoyed it so much that we ended up getting it a few years later when Me and my family stopped at Gettysburg while traveling across the east coast. My favorite part about the movie was how accurate it was. They really took a commitment to tell it right when they made the movie. Another part I liked were the battle scenes and the amazing acting by Martin Sheen, Tom Berenger and Jeff Daniels. There were some parts I didn't like. The main one being that it is 4 hours long and needs 2 disks to fit on. While it may have been a box office failure, Gettysburg will always be remembered as an accurate interpretation of a true story.