Product Description

A sweeping epic charting the early years of the Civil War and how campaigns unfolded from Manassas to the Battle of Fredericksburg, this prequel to the film Gettysburg explores the motivations of the combatants and examines the lives of those who waited at home.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1471 in DVD
• Brand: WARNER HOME VIDEO
• Released on: 2003-07-15
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 231 minutes

Amazon.com

The more you know about the Civil War, the more you'll appreciate Gods and Generals and the painstaking attention to detail that Gettysburg writer-director Ronald F. Maxwell has invested in this academically respectable 220-minute historical pageant. In adapting Jeffrey Shaara's 1996 novel (encompassing events of 1861-63, specifically the Virginian battles of Bull Run, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville), Maxwell sacrifices depth for scope while focusing on the devoutly religious "Stonewall" Jackson (Stephen Lang), whose Confederate campaigns endear him to Gen. Robert E. Lee (Robert Duvall, giving the film's most subtle performance). Battles are impeccably recreated using 7,500 Civil War re-enactors and sanitized PG-13 violence, their authenticity compromised by tasteful discretion and endless scenes of grandiloquent dialogue. Still, as the first part of a trilogy that ends with The Last Full Measure, this is a superbly crafted, instantly essential film for Civil War study. For all its misguided priorities, Gods and Generals is a noble effort, honoring faith and patriotism with the kind of reverence that has all but vanished from American film – but provides abundant proof that historical accuracy is no guarantee of great storytelling. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

They don't make movies like this anymore!
...The fact is that "Gods and Generals", which covers the first two years of the war and is the prequel to "Gettysburg", is a great movie. It is painstakingly accurate, wonderfully filmed and scripted, and the acting was suburb. Stephen Lang deserves an Oscar for his brilliant portrayal of Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson. Robert Duvall is also excellent as Gen. Robert E. Lee. Jeff Daniels, who played Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain in "Gettysburg", reprises his role in G&G, as do other actors from "Gettysburg".

If you're expecting something like "Saving Private Ryan", you'll be disappointed. It's not that kind of a movie. "Gods and Generals" is part documentary, part drama, with the right mix of both to make it both highly entertaining and historically intriguing. As you listen to the characters, you almost believe that they're from the period and places in which the story is set.

What stuck in the craw of the critics is that this movie didn't present the Confederates as fire-breathing, racist, slavery-defending apes, and the Federals as saintly freedom-fighters. It would be simplistic and wrong to characterize the war as a struggle between good and evil. The vast majority of the Confederate soldiers didn't own slaves and didn't fight for the right to keep slaves. A lot of the Union soldiers, probably most, weren't fighting to free the slaves. There were flawed men on both sides of the war, as well as deeply moral men.

You can debate all you want about how much slavery was an issue in the Civil War, but as to this movie, all points of view were well represented through the characters: Lt. Col. Chamberlain of the 20th Maine, a professor-turned-soldier who was sympathetic to the plight of the black slaves; Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, a man of outstanding military service in the Federal army prior to the Civil War and a most beloved commander, who chose to defend his home state of Virginia against what he saw as an unlawful invasion by the North; Gen. Stonewall Jackson, a fearless and deeply religious man, devoted husband and a brilliant military tactician who loved the Union, but was fiercely loyal to Virginia; Martha, the house slave, who bravely turns away looting Union soldiers from her masters' home during the seige in Fredericksburg, but later takes in the Union's wounded, and who yearns to be free; Jim Lewis, Gen. Jackson's black cook, who prays that one day all of this family will be free. Unforgettable characters, all of them.

If you are uncomfortable with religious overtones and poetic dialogue (sorry, but that's how people were back the), don't buy this DVD. If you don't care at all about American history, skip this one. If you can't watch any historical movie without the filter of 21st century values or political correctness, this movie isn't for you. If you have a short attention span, forget it. This movie clocks in at about 3:37.

If you are interested in the Civil War, or just curious and want to learn about it, if you're tired of all the [stuff] coming out of Hollywood these days, and you're willing to let a movie make you think for a change, if you can put your 21st century frame of mind on hold, I think you'll enjoy this DVD. No matter what the critics are saying, "Gods and Generals" will stand the test of time.

Outstanding depiction of the War Between the States!
I recently had the opportunity to see this film at a special screening, and here's what I thought:
"Glory" still remains, in my opinion, the best Civil War movie. But "Gods and Generals" is the best movie about the Civil War. (If that makes sense, and it does to me.) It is far better, and very different, then it's 10 year-old sequel, "Gettysburg". It has great performances from Stephen Lang (especially) as "Stonewall" Jackson, Jeff Daniels as Lt. Colonel J.L. Chamberlain, and Robert Duvall as R.E. Lee, and spectacular visual effects that REALLY bring the War Between the States to life. The battles of Bull Run, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville explode onto the screen, as the beautiful and tragic score of John Frizzell and Randy Edelman brings out the feelings and emotions of the men who fought in them. The film adds a few things that werent' in the book: 1. The lives of the civilians, like Fanny Chamberlain back in Maine, waiting for her husband to return, and the civilians of Fredericksburg who must flee when urban warfare erupts as the Union soldiers try to flush out the Confederate sharpshooters who are killing the engineers at the bridges. 2. Common occurances, such as the shooting of deserters, and even the trading that went on between Yanks and Rebs. Even at it's 3 hour 40 minute length, it still captures your attention and makes you excited for more. I love the depiction of Jackson, who has got to be one of the most interesting historical figures ever! I also was amazed at watching the Irish fighting against the Irish at the battle of Fredericksburg, and the brilliant surprise attack at Chancellorsville. There are a few minor quibbles I have with the film, though: 1. I was a little disappointed that they cut out Antietam, the bloodiest day in American history. They would have skipped directly from Bull Run to Fredericksburg if it wasn't for the scenes depicting the training of the 20th Maine! But I hear that the battle will be in the preposed 5-hour Director's Cut DVD that I keep hearing about, so it shall be interesting to see that. 2. I think that the war could have used a little more setup. The film starts in April 1861, after the firing on Fort Sumter. Unless you're already a Civil War buff like myself, you might have a hard time understanding what the war was about. 3. Being a Hancock fan, I wish there was a little more Hancock content like there is in the book, but that's not important at all, really. 4. In the movie, Burnside has quite a bit of hair on his head that's just combed all the way back. What's the deal with that? He's supposed to be bald!

But all in all, I say that "Gods and Generals" is the best historical epic made in years, and I'm begging you to go see it so that it will be successful enough for them to make "The Last Full Measure", the third movie in the trilogy.

A great civil war classic!!
God and generals is a very good and interesting movie which is part one of a trilogy based on the civil war. Stephan Lang did an excellent job as general Sonewall Jackson his performance gives me a better look as what the real Thomas Stonewall Jackson must have been as a leader of the confederate army. Robert Duvall made a great Robert E. Lee a better performance than Martin Sheen in Gettysburg. Jeff Daniels returns as Lt. Chamberlain a roll which stands out in Gettysburg and continues to shine in Gods and Generals. The battle scenes in this were a lot clearer and had more of a punch than the battles in the film Gettysburg. The battles that really stood out in this movie were Fredericksburg when the two Irish Birgades on opposing sides were shooting and killing each other. Between the music score and the way the battle was filmed it really has a powerful impact. The battle of Chancellorsville the films final battle really stood out when you see all these confederates coming out of the woods without making a sound made my heart race. I enjoyed Gettysburg and it makes a very good sequal to gods and generals but between the two Gods and Generals had the most impact on me. If you have an interest in the civil war these movies along with Glory opens your mind and gives you a strong image to what it was like actually being there. The things I wish they had in Gods and Generals is the battle of Antietam the bloodiest day in the civil war, and the rebel yell I've read that it was used by Stonewall Jackson just before he advanced his troops to attack. I look foward to seeing The Last Full Measure keeping Robert Duvall as Robert E. Lee and bringing Jeff Daniels, and Stephan Lang back. Overall an enjoyable historic experience.