Ronald F. Maxwell's GODS & GENERALS, the official prequel to 1993's GETTYSBURG (also directed by Maxwell and starring many of the same actors seen here), is a film that I cannot for the life of me work out why it did so badly at the box office (losing $43.2 million) and why it received such negative reviews from critics.
Yes, it could've been shorter. And yes, the dialogue was (at times) a little bit sickly. But overall, this is an epic war movie that manages to breath new life into an old subject whilst developing a central character that we can come to genuinely care for. Since GETTYSBURG, the battle scenes, the music, the cinematography and the score have all come on a great deal, and Steven Lang and Robert Duvall are both superb as the "roaring lions" of the Confederacy.
However, one regularly-debated point that completely baffles me about this movie is the issue of its portrayal of the Confederate Cause. When this film was first released back in 2003, many critics came out to rubbish it for its alleged neo-Confederate sympathies. Quite frankly, I find this view to be absolutely ridiculous. Throughout the film, both sides of the conflict are shown in equal measure. The topic of slavery is regularly discussed and labelled as what it is: evil. Yes, the film follows the great leading generals of the Confederate Army, but only to demonstrate how neither side can claim the monopoly on bravery or honour. Ignoring the trappings of modern-day politics, this film takes a deep and profound look at the life of one man who loved his God and loved his country, and when he thought that that country was under attack, he took up arms to defend it, not because he wanted to keep people in chains, but because he felt that his rights were under attack. Like Erwin Rommel or Napoleon Bonaparte, these men fought for causes which may be corrupt or tyrannical or downright evil, but we must first understand them before we judge them as individuals.
This film humanises deeply-complicated individuals who have often been branded as one thing or another by critics who don't appear to have looked at many history books. It doesn't try to justify or sympathise with their cause. It simply shows both the characters and the cause in all their true colours, creating an epic, touching work of art at the same time. I only wish Maxwell had been allowed to finish the trilogy; this film deserves much more acclaim than it originally received...
Yes, it could've been shorter. And yes, the dialogue was (at times) a little bit sickly. But overall, this is an epic war movie that manages to breath new life into an old subject whilst developing a central character that we can come to genuinely care for. Since GETTYSBURG, the battle scenes, the music, the cinematography and the score have all come on a great deal, and Steven Lang and Robert Duvall are both superb as the "roaring lions" of the Confederacy.
However, one regularly-debated point that completely baffles me about this movie is the issue of its portrayal of the Confederate Cause. When this film was first released back in 2003, many critics came out to rubbish it for its alleged neo-Confederate sympathies. Quite frankly, I find this view to be absolutely ridiculous. Throughout the film, both sides of the conflict are shown in equal measure. The topic of slavery is regularly discussed and labelled as what it is: evil. Yes, the film follows the great leading generals of the Confederate Army, but only to demonstrate how neither side can claim the monopoly on bravery or honour. Ignoring the trappings of modern-day politics, this film takes a deep and profound look at the life of one man who loved his God and loved his country, and when he thought that that country was under attack, he took up arms to defend it, not because he wanted to keep people in chains, but because he felt that his rights were under attack. Like Erwin Rommel or Napoleon Bonaparte, these men fought for causes which may be corrupt or tyrannical or downright evil, but we must first understand them before we judge them as individuals.
This film humanises deeply-complicated individuals who have often been branded as one thing or another by critics who don't appear to have looked at many history books. It doesn't try to justify or sympathise with their cause. It simply shows both the characters and the cause in all their true colours, creating an epic, touching work of art at the same time. I only wish Maxwell had been allowed to finish the trilogy; this film deserves much more acclaim than it originally received...