Or so Ted Turner would have us believe. I just sat through all 4 hours of 'Gods and Generals', a prequel to Gettysburg. I liked Gettysburg, or at least I remember liking it. It was long, gritty, and had some of the most manly facial hair ever showcased in a movie.
In contrast, Gods and Generals felt highly overacted. The dialouge was stilted and poorly written. A principal device in the movie was the use of painted backdrops for distance shots of historical Frediscksburg, Washington and Chancellorsville. At first this had a unique kitsch appeal to it, but after a while (especially when used in the battlle scenes) it just felt cheap.
How the hell can Ted Turner afford to pay off the UN, but not be able to cough-up for decent special effects? Also, while I've read that Stonewall Jackson was devoutly christian, the movie was like a revivalist meeting. All in all, I'll give the movie 6/10 for a decent treatment of an epic subject. Watch it on DVD so you can take liberal breaks.
Posted by George at February 28, 2003 11:36 PM | TrackBack