Barnes & Noble

Ron Maxwell, who directed the brilliant Gettysburg some years ago, brings us another sprawling Civil War saga, which is opulently mounted and painstakingly re-created to an almost fetishistic degree. Robert Duvall’s portrayal of Confederate general Robert E. Lee is dignified and, perhaps more important, refreshingly free of the Actors Studio-type quirkiness that occasionally mars his performances. But top-billed Stephen Lang, best known for his character work in supporting roles, dominates the film with his turn as General "Stonewall" Jackson, who sacrifices everything -- including, ultimately, his life -- for the cause of Southern secession. Gods and Generals focuses on the bloody campaigns that unfolded in the conflict’s early years, when it seemed that the rebels had a real chance of breaking free from the Union. Maxwell occasionally sacrifices dramatic effect to present the battle sequences with documentary-style accuracy: Individual fighting units are named in subtitles, military tactics are precisely rendered, and the period settings, costumes, and weaponry are duplicated with relentless accuracy. The film is truly larger than life, which makes it hard for supporting players to make much of an impression, but special mention should be made of Jeff Daniels portraying Lt. Col. Joshua Chamberlain, the erstwhile Yankee professor who entered the war reluctantly, and became one of its heroes. Also noteworthy are C. Thomas Howell (seen of late only in direct-to-video potboilers) as Sgt. Thomas Chamberlain and Donzaleigh Abernathy, who registers strongly as a slave who remains in a Southern home when its owners evacuate. At 220 minutes, Gods and Generals is seriously overlong, and the film's pro-Southern bias may offend some viewers (and delight others), but Civil War buffs in particular will find it an absorbing and engaging tour of duty. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Director Ron Maxwell and producer Ted Turner return to the glory and tragedy of the Civil War in this historical drama, a prequel to Gettysburg, which examines the early days of the conflict through the experiences of three men. Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (Jeff Daniels) left behind a quiet life and a career as a college professor to become one of the Union's greatest military minds. Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson (Stephen Lang) was, like Chamberlain, a man of great religious faith who served in the defense of the Confederacy. And Gen. Robert E. Lee (Robert Duvall), who led the Confederate army, was a man who was forced to choose between his loyalty to the United States and his love of the Southern states where he was born and raised. As Chamberlain, Jackson, and Lee are followed through the declaration of war and the battles at Manassas, Antietam, Frederickburg, and Chancellorsville, the film also introduces us to the many supporting players in the epic tale of the war between the States, among them the women these men left behind, among them Fanny Chamberlain (Mira Sorvino) and Anna Jackson (Kali Rocha). Based on a novel by Jeff Shaara, Gods and Generals also features a new song written and performed by Bob Dylan. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 085392341320
• Source: WARNER HOME VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo
• Language: English
• Time: 3:39:00
• Sales Rank: 1,964

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Gettysburg / Gods and Generals

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