Amazon.com Essentials:
Three days in the summer of 1863, at a place called
Gettysburg. Although it received a theatrical release, this four-hour
depiction of the bloody Civil War battle was shot as a
made-for-television film. But no taint of cheapness or shortcuts
should stick to this magnificent picture (well, except maybe for those
phony-looking mustaches). Based on Michael Shaara's book The Killer Angels,
this film takes a refreshingly slow, thorough approach to the
intricacies of battle. In ordinary circumstances, those intricacies
might seem of importance only to fans of military strategy or Civil
War enthusiasts, yet in Gettysburg they come across as the very
stuff of life, death, and unexpected heroism. If the film has a
problem, it's that it climaxes too early: the first long segment,
detailing the struggle of a "civilian soldier," Union Colonel Joshua
Lawrence Chamberlain (Jeff Daniels), to hold his ground against long
odds, is an enthralling piece of moviemaking. Daniels, in a
heartbreaking performance, does his best film work. Other cast members
include Tom Berenger, Sam Elliott, and Martin Sheen as Robert
E. Lee. Richard Jordan, in his final role, gives a powerhouse
performance as Confederate general Lewis A. Armistead. Oh, and you can
also try to spot Ted Turner, whose company produced the film, as a
Confederate soldier. Writer-director Ronald F. Maxwell seems inspired
by the gravity of the battle; long as it is, every moment of
Gettysburg is informed by a nobility of purpose. --Robert
Horton
