Movie Gods And Generals example essay topic

Gods and Generals, 2003, Colonel Joshua Chamberlain (JEFF DANIELS), Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee (ROBERT DUVALL), Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson (STEPHEN LANG), Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker (MAC BUTLER), and Capt. Alexander 'Sandie' Pendleton (JEREMY LONDON). The movie Gods and Generals is a portrayal of the actions that were illustrated very eloquently and captivating ly in the book Gods and Generals, written by Jeff Shaara. The movie even though was less than mediocre in its appeal was full of accurate historic facts. All of the battles, Manassas Junction, Antietam, and Chancellorsville, all occurred. The battle at Manassas shows the Federal troops clearly running from the Confederates, although it does not show the "audience" that was present that day.

Chancellorsville was also an accurate representation. Also the characters were all real generals and their roles and actions in the movie were true to real life. The characters personalities are also accurate with all their religious beliefs as can be seen through the book version, which is said to be a true depiction of the characters. However, one historical inaccurate segment of the movie was the scene where 'Stonewall' Jackson was shot by his own men at Chancellorsville. In the movie they dramatized it to quite vast degree.

The movie showed his men to shoot him unknowingly and to continue shooting at their own men, unaware of who they were. In truth they stopped after the first shots because they recognized who it was and were greatly shocked and horrified at what they had done. (Gods and Generals the book, pg 440) The characters in the film are all real. The Northern men are not shown much.

Only Capt. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain is portrayed, leaving out General Hancock, a major player in the beginning of the Civil War. This causes questions about there importance and if they were fighting for the "proper" reasons. A lot is left to the imagination about the North. The Southerners are all represented well and thoroughly throughout the film. Lee is portrayed as a very kind-hearted religious old man who has the respect of his troops and is out to win this war. Jackson is given the most glory as this film includes him in almost every other scene.

He is also given a great light of respect from his troops and all around him. Even Jeb Stuart, who in real life was pompous and egotistical of himself and his troops, was given a light of respect by all including Lee which was not seen at all in real life (Gods and Generals the book.) In all the Southerners were surrounded in this great white light while the Northerners were not even given there few shining moments in fame during the beginning of the Civil War. This movie held a great bias to the Southerners. There was one major Northern character, Chamberlain, comparing to the numerous southern gentleman. 'Stonewall' Jackson was the main character in this movie and the movie seemed to be trying to make the movie a biography of Jackson during the Civil War. The purpose of this film was to make a movie out of the book, Gods and Generals by Jeff Shaara.

Further it served as the prequel to the movie Gettysburg. It introduced the characters present in the battle of Gettysburg, and gave insight into theirs morals and beliefs, and utmost their lives before the war. It also recreated the battles preceding Gettysburg, such as Manassas, Antietam, Fredericksburg and the climax of Gods and Generals, Chancellorsville, to set the stage for the battle of Gettysburg presented in the following film. Ultimately this film was produced to provide the needed knowledge from the previous battles such as Chancellorsville to make sense of the happenings in the movie Gettysburg This film had very little impact on me. I found the movie on a whole very boring. I actually almost feel asleep once during the film.

In contradiction with the book which was quite interesting and eloquently written, the movie was uninteresting and very monotonous to watch. I do not recommend this movie to others. As many film critics agree with comments such as, 'If the 3 hour and 49 minute Civil War epic Gods and Generals is any indication, the Union and the Confederate armies must have talked each other to death. ' -- Rob Black welder, (rotten tomatoes. com), it is evident that this movie was not one of Hollywood's best fabrications if not the worst out there.

Do not watch this movie unless you enjoy the mind-numbing effects that will incur. web.