tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post8992453418984945850..comments2024-03-25T06:50:31.379-05:00Comments on The War Movie Buff: #46 - GettysburgWar Movie Buffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999735218343872013noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-40265390832583930512022-04-01T09:27:28.671-05:002022-04-01T09:27:28.671-05:00Only complaint was the acting when soldiers are sh...Only complaint was the acting when soldiers are shot and dying. Most was way over dramatic and phony looking. Over acting when getting shot, stabbed with a bayonet, sword etc ruins the effect. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-10915248182784033472022-04-01T09:23:53.750-05:002022-04-01T09:23:53.750-05:00All the experts here lol. All the experts here lol. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-56758756936005685092021-08-30T18:38:55.554-05:002021-08-30T18:38:55.554-05:00I liked the movie. And your right, would have been...I liked the movie. And your right, would have been much better if it were an R rated film, but I understand the times when it was made, budgeting, made for TV etc.<br />What would be totally magnificent is if some film maker with the budget, & balls, would make a CW film, say about Antietam ( bloodiest day in American history) or Shiloh, or 30 yrs. later a new Gettysburg with "Saving Private Ryan" type scenes, not over the top of course, just realistic, show people just how horrible war at this time was. Give them a since of what a slow velocity .69 calibre mine bullet, or an iron cannon ball did to human flesh & bone. Maybe give/reignite a newer American generation as to what this war was about.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-26816336379199643182020-03-29T22:11:05.820-05:002020-03-29T22:11:05.820-05:00I agree with your theory. Meade deserves better f...I agree with your theory. Meade deserves better from history.War Movie Buffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999735218343872013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-82866027044323181862020-03-20T17:05:46.843-05:002020-03-20T17:05:46.843-05:00For some reason Meade is involved in a lot of stor...For some reason Meade is involved in a lot of stories that make him look slightly silly, from complaining about being called a "goggle-eyed snapping turtle" to feuding with the press to getting caught in the middle of a tirade from the First Lady to riding around bareheaded and cheering at news of Lee's surrender. Perhaps it is because he normally looked so serious, and people liked to remember the stories where he lost his usual calm. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-32419194792646381732020-03-06T10:11:28.657-06:002020-03-06T10:11:28.657-06:00had held one and ignored the results infuriating M...had held one and ignored the results infuriating Meade who wanted to stay-Hooker subsequently misrepresented the vote-further annoying Meade. He wanted the record straightpapajohnlokihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01160291528287047845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-84980314190784964802020-03-06T10:09:05.528-06:002020-03-06T10:09:05.528-06:00Meade has been criticized for too active during th...Meade has been criticized for too active during the battle.During the 2nd day he was told of a breakthrough and drew his sword to await it. The Council of war was because at Chancellorsville Hooker papajohnlokihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01160291528287047845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-27309373134303060842020-03-06T10:03:46.433-06:002020-03-06T10:03:46.433-06:00Yes the vstates rights to maintain slaveryYes the vstates rights to maintain slaverypapajohnlokihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01160291528287047845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-81640705454283811772019-12-10T21:07:30.188-06:002019-12-10T21:07:30.188-06:00The movie gets the Union command dynamic accurate....The movie gets the Union command dynamic accurate. Meade was a war council type general and was more worried about not losing rather than winning the battle. He was, however, exactly what the army needed during the battle. Not so much after.War Movie Buffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999735218343872013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-54181964293399067032019-12-03T16:02:47.571-06:002019-12-03T16:02:47.571-06:00He does come off as something of a figurehead in t...He does come off as something of a figurehead in the movie, as Hancock seems to be providing the bulk of the actual army leadership in the film and Meade seems merely content to ratify his commanders' decisions. But wasn't Meade a fairly restrained figure during the battle as well? Not that it served his army badly, though he is usually criticized for not aggressively following up on Lee during his retreat after the battle.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-64893479089229787802019-11-27T09:58:06.494-06:002019-11-27T09:58:06.494-06:00I disliked the treatment of Gen Meade (the book is...I disliked the treatment of Gen Meade (the book is worse).He was the better general there. Shaara used Longstreet's memoir as his source and boy does it show.papajohnlokihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01160291528287047845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-29920934774961806172019-09-16T09:16:53.316-05:002019-09-16T09:16:53.316-05:00Sorry, I'm more interested that they get a goo...Sorry, I'm more interested that they get a good actor than that they get an actor that looks like the historical character. Hood would make a good biopic. He certainly had his ups and downs.War Movie Buffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999735218343872013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-87416690852030407742019-09-12T14:22:31.014-05:002019-09-12T14:22:31.014-05:00The one casting choice that bothers me the most is...The one casting choice that bothers me the most is General Hood, who should be a lot younger than the actor playing him. He's a minor character in the movie, so it is very forgivable, but he's a major character in the war as a whole and it would have been an added bonus if they could have shown a bit more of his character and foreshadowed his later role and fate.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-75122126290207053252017-04-20T21:32:04.263-05:002017-04-20T21:32:04.263-05:00People do not realize how much health plays a role...People do not realize how much health plays a role in some of the turning points in history. If Lee had not been suffering from the effects of the heart condition that eventually took his life, he probably would have won this battle and the war. I think the movie made the assumption that the audience was aware that he was not on top of his game. Your analysis of Sheen's performance is spot on. He portrayed Lee as exhausted, which was appropriate. This whole scenario reminds me of Waterloo where Napoleon's health was a factor. War Movie Buffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999735218343872013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-18979208646968500782017-04-20T21:23:25.545-05:002017-04-20T21:23:25.545-05:00I'm not disputing your comment about the incen...I'm not disputing your comment about the incentive of capturing a cannon, but I would argue the prime reason for the seemingly suicidal attacks like Pickett's Charge is the same for all American wars - peer pressure. You go forward into the cannon's maw because your buddies are going. Same reason why Marines waded over a coral reef to get to Tarawa. Only in the Civil War, you would have to add in honor.<br /><br />I love the reenactment story.<br /><br />I would like to correspond with you.War Movie Buffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999735218343872013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-54977604834603564782017-04-20T10:10:28.425-05:002017-04-20T10:10:28.425-05:00I thought Martin Sheen did a good job. But not men...I thought Martin Sheen did a good job. But not mentioning that Lee just wasn't himself made Sheen look like he was just "mailing it in". <br /><br />I had a friend at the time that was incensed at the portrayal of Lee as anything other than the greatest General ever. When I tried to tell him that some people thought Lee was having heart issues at the time of Gettysburg he got very, very mad at me, said it just didn't happen. LCBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03146393047895889252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-83344499237125474472017-04-20T10:07:05.270-05:002017-04-20T10:07:05.270-05:00I have friends that just could not believe soldier...I have friends that just could not believe soldiers would charge right at cannons, as they did during Pickett's Charge. I tried to explain that it was an infantryman's highest honor to capture a cannon...but they wouldn't believe me. <br /><br />As to how the re-enactors know who is supposed to die: A Unit is told "You're playing the 12th Ohio here, and they took 20% casualties at this spot." So they draw straws or whatever to see who "dies" at that spot. I saw a very large reenactment at Perryville several years ago. When the Rebs fired in to the Union line and the boys in blue dropped dead it sent shivers down my spine and the crowd moaned. Instinctively we know when someone "drops dead" as opposed to the Hollyweird version of bullets throwing bodies back. The crowd and I were both just stunned.LCBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03146393047895889252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-69678167997733064572017-01-09T01:54:36.914-06:002017-01-09T01:54:36.914-06:00Great movie and a great review. It has been a lon...Great movie and a great review. It has been a long time since I have watched it but I remember being reminded of a Shakespearean tragedy with the occasional "soliloquies" from the various characters. Some of my friends found those monologs to be a bit mawkish but I think it was an effective way to establish their motivation. I agree with you about Martin Sheen, probably not his best work. He was probably miscast for the part. On the other hand, we're talking about Marse Robert. Who's going to play THAT part and not face some chilly criticism? J. Kingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-8172398727650076872013-07-01T22:49:39.666-05:002013-07-01T22:49:39.666-05:00I read your post and you make some interesting poi...I read your post and you make some interesting points. My big problem with most of the negative reviewers is they don't know much about the Civil War and the battle and thus assume the movie is trite when in reality that is the way soldiers talked and behaved. Some even criticized the facial hair when if you stick around for the credits you will see that the actors looked remarkably like the real persons.<br /><br />The movie was also criticized for being pro-South when this simply reflects the Pulitzer Prize winning novel. War Movie Buffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999735218343872013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-82895854867940088302013-07-01T17:15:27.613-05:002013-07-01T17:15:27.613-05:00I love this movie. In fact it is my most favorite ...I love this movie. In fact it is my most favorite movie of all.<br /><br />The only "flaw" it has is if you have not read "The Killer Angels", it is easy to misunderstand it. In fact, I just took one critic to task for not reading the book in this point-by-point critique of his review of "Gettysburg" I just did:<br /><br />http://www.tonyheld.hoboandbowser.net/taking-apart-a-bad-gettysburg-review/Tony Heldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17325401259031173523noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-90481271886452786572013-04-28T11:55:30.085-05:002013-04-28T11:55:30.085-05:00If that's the best complaint you have I would ...If that's the best complaint you have I would say the movie did an outstanding job. I did notice that a bunch of people walked out of the theater over that. LOLWar Movie Buffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999735218343872013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-50611280055244190022013-04-24T16:05:28.722-05:002013-04-24T16:05:28.722-05:00In one scene so many of the guys portraying the 20...In one scene so many of the guys portraying the 20th Maine are wearing black slouch hats they look like they should be the 20th Illinois instead. Vicksburg rather than Gettysburg. Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02769995285696676036noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-12317630378391062962013-04-12T12:11:56.357-05:002013-04-12T12:11:56.357-05:00Reading this for fun, trying to find comments abou...Reading this for fun, trying to find comments about the fake beards. However, it seems hard to think you know a person's side simply because they are used to hearing a battle site referred to in the local terminology. Even if you are quite familiar with the various histories, you still name battle sites the way you heard it as a youth.<br />Since Chamberlain and his anti-slavery speeches are the highlight of the film, I find it hard to say the movie leaned to the southern cause--rather, it presented the popular view of many in the south at the time. remember the scene where Tom Chamberlain talks to a prisoner who said he was fighting for "our rats." No, the southern view is never seriously given weight. Griffinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10952598061501506548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-52875463372583099152012-10-11T22:01:39.920-05:002012-10-11T22:01:39.920-05:00I can tell which side you are on based on your ref...I can tell which side you are on based on your reference to Stones River instead of calling it the Battle of Murfreesboro.<br /><br />As teacher I take a multi-causal approach to the Civil War, but I strongly believe slavery was the most significant cause. The movie certainly vocalizes the Southern argument that the war was about states'rights. This is one reason the film leans toward the Confederate side (although not nearly as obviously as "Gods and Generals").War Movie Buffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999735218343872013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-54022293268638865602012-10-10T12:51:35.148-05:002012-10-10T12:51:35.148-05:00I am a Tennessean I was raised a stones throw from...I am a Tennessean I was raised a stones throw from the Stones River. My Family history tells many stories of how the northern troops were to southerners it was a free-for-all. At most every southern estate they were killing indiscriminately, raping women, urinating and crapping in their fresh water wells, and food stores that they could not carry. I am a Proud Southerner and I am married to a woman of color. <br />P.S.<br />I was always told it was States Rights, it wasn't until I entered the public school system that I was told it was About Slavery.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com