Review of Gods and Generals (2003) by Matthew J — 05 Jul 2007

This movie is about as divisive as the war itself was. You will love it, or you will hate it. But really, there isn't much room for middle-ground with a movie nearly 4 hours long. The historical detail is highly admirable, and shows a level of research and painstaking care that the entertainment world has almost completely lost in the last few decades.

This is the film's saving grace -- when a creator cares about their creation, it shows, and almost always draws us, at least a little, into that same stream of passion. The movie is beautifully shot and has some excellent dialogue, although it sacrifices realism for these aspects at times.

All in all, I found the film a worthy offering; what it could not offer balanced out by what it achieved.