RE: [DL] Gods and Generals (long)

[Frempath2@netscape.net]

I went to Gods and Generals this weekend.  And while I was entertained for the four hours it consumes, I recommend you wait for  the DVD, the long (6-9 hours)one.

In its current form it is not a good movie. Fair, but not good.
Main Reasons,
The film attempts to tell 4 stories, Thomas Jackson, Winfield Scott Hanncock, the Chamberlain brothers, and some preacher's family.  In its current form the only one with any flow is the Jackson story.  The director would have been better off to focus on the Jackson story, and trim the extra 1 1/2 hours off of the picture.  Because as is 3 of the 4 stories are a waste of time with no connection to any other part of the film.  Heck, the parts of each of the supporting stories do not even connect up with themselves. 

The editing is poor.  Many scenes in the movie have no connection to the previous or following scenes.  Some effect shots are reused several times.

The acting is not bad for the primary characters.  However when you get down to the third tier of the cast it is bad.  And when I say bad, I mean really, really bad.  These fellows sounded like they were reading off telepromters just off screen. They had no inflection, no feeling, no sense that these were words being spoken, just read.

I appears that the director tried to do the large battle scenes without enough extras.  Scenes of troops moving were close in shots of small groups.  And when you start to see a little light at one end of the little line they would cut to another close in shot of a small group.  There was no feeling that we were seeing a large battle with thousands of men.  It felt like watching a scirmish of a few score men.  The exception was the town fighting in Fredricksburg.  While in the town, it was quite good.

Nit-Picky
Crimes against beards.
Not so many as in Gettysburg, but Bruce Boxlitner(sp) had one that rivals those of Gettysburg.
Flags.
There were a number of nylon flags. Not a huge number, but they look so different as to draw attention to themselves.  The other was the use of the Somalia national standard for the Hardee or "Bonnie Blue" flag.  Dark blue with a white disk is not the same as sky blue with a 5 point star.
Aging Actors.
For a number of roles the same actors were used from the movie Gettysburg.  The only problem with that is Gettysburg was 10 years ago and these folks are meant to be a year younger than then.  None of us look now like we did 10 years ago.  Younger actors in better shape would have been a better choice.
Reenactors
Yes we have a lot of the stuff needed for this sort of picture.  But often we are too overweight to look right for the role.  I had no problem with the portly soldiers early on, in the untrained civillian points of the movie, but by late 62 and early 63 you should not have chubby confederates.
Cannons
The fellow I attend the movie with and I both love artillery.  So we noticed that there were only 8 cannons in the movie.  Most of the time it was the same 3 cannon.  A early Parrot Rifle, and 1863 Pattern Parrot Rifle, and and Ordinance Rifle. Now how the Johnnies got 2 of those three union guns before they were issued to union units I don't know.

Jackson and God
Now I know the movie is called "Gods and Generals". But every conversation got around to God.  Granted Jackson was a nut, and a religious nut at that.  But give me a break. It was like a big tent revival.


Wow, I seem to have droned on a bit.
Short answer, don't pay full price for this movie.  Matinee price at most.  Second run cost is better.  And waiting for a longer version on dvd that files in some of the gaping plot holes is probably best.

Kevin Jameson

 


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