Review of Gettysburg (1993) by Johnathon W — 03 Sep 2018

Epic war movie that ranks as one of the very best every made, thanks to a superb cast and a brilliant attention to accuracy. The actors are all superb in their roles, with Jeff Daniels giving one of his best performances as the idealistic Col.

Chamberlain and Martin Sheen brings the right degree of sympathy and gravitas as Gen.Robert E. Lee. Most significantly is the late Richard Jordan as Gen. Armitage, a dedicated defender of his home state, Virginia, who finds himself in battle with his best friend, Gen.

Hancock (also nicely played by Brian Mallon). Behind the camera, writer/director Ronald F. Maxwell expertly adapts Michael Shara's classic, "The Killer Angels", balancing both sides of the Confederacy and Union, not making the mistake of showing the Confederates as outright villains.

Through the actors performances and relationships, Maxwell shows how this was a war between family and friends, especially highlighting the friendship of Armitage and Hancock. However, the film does clearly show the Union cause, from Chamberlain's brilliant speech on the cause of freedom to an interaction with an escaped slave.

The accuracy is superb, thanks in large part to thousands of Civil War re-enactors who worked on the film, along with actually shooting on the site of the battle. Simply put, this is one of the finest war movies ever made, in most it's drama and accuracy, and despite a 4 1/2 hour length, never feels long.