Civil War Films
By: Kyle Velinsky
Gods and Generals (2003)
Gods and generals is a movie about all of the events before, and leading up to the battles at Gettysburg (from a confederate point of view). It is shown through the experiences of three men. Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain 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 was, like Chamberlain, a man of great religious faith who served in the defense of the Confederacy. And Gen. Robert E. Lee, 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. Lee's iconic-ism and leadership really carries the film ,and peaked my interest.
Gettysburg (1993)
This is a sequel to the movie Gods and Generals. The defense of the Little Round Top and Pickett's Charge are highlighted in the actual three day battle which is surrounded by the speeches of the commanding officers and the personal reflections of the fighting men. Based upon the novel 'The Killer Angels'. None of these characters really stood out to me because I just personally think the actors weren't convincing. Robert E. Lee (Martin Sheen) stood out to me in the since the he sounded like a character from the cartoon South Park.
Glory (1989)
The movie is about the all-black, courageous army of the 54th regiment. They were lead by Col. Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick), the son of an influential abolitionist. The "unofficial" leaders of the group are, gravedigger John Rawlins, (Morgan Freeman) and fugitive slave, Trip (Denzel Washington). They sort of represent the brains ,and heart of the organization. The 54th acquit themselves valiantly at Fort Wagner, SC, charging a fortification manned by some 1,000 Confederates. Glory was based on Lincoln Kristen's Lay This Laurel and Peter Burchard's One Gallant Rush; the latter book. A character who stood out to me was trip. A man having a bad attitude realizes that everyone around him has it just as bad is somewhat relatable.
Lincoln (2012)
This movie is about the final 4 months of President Abraham Lincoln's life and his struggle trying to pass the 13th amendment. Lincoln must, by almost any means possible, obtain enough votes from a recalcitrant Congress before peace arrives and it is too late. Yet the president is torn, as an early peace would save thousands of lives. His ultimate goal is to end slavery. Obviously Lincoln stood out the most. A month from now i'm not going to remember any of the other characters. It was so interesting to see such an admired and iconic character in history be represented in a film.
Personal Take Away
These movies are defiantly interesting, seeing how people portray these massive historical events. The movie i enjoyed the most was probably Glory. These film taught me its important so stay unified with those around you.