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Tom Berenger, Martin Sheen, Stephen Lang

Three days in the summer of 1863, at a place called Gettysburg. Although it received a theatrical release, this four-hour depiction of the bloody Civil War battle was shot as a made-for-television fil...( read more  read more... )m. But no taint of cheapness or shortcuts should stick to this magnificent picture (well, except maybe for those phony-looking mustaches). Based on Michael Shaara's book The Killer Angels, this film takes a refreshingly slow, thorough approach to the intricacies of battle. In ordinary circumstances, those intricacies might seem of importance only to fans of military strategy or Civil War enthusiasts, yet in Gettysburg they come across as the very stuff of life, death, and unexpected heroism. If the film has a problem, it's that it climaxes too early: the first long segment, detailing the struggle of a "civilian soldier," Union Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (Jeff Daniels), to hold his ground against long odds, is an enthralling piece of moviemaking. Daniels, in a heartbreaking performance, does his best film work. Other cast members include Tom Berenger, Sam Elliott, and Martin Sheen as Robert E. Lee. Richard Jordan, in his final role, gives a powerhouse performance as Confederate general Lewis A. Armistead. Oh, and you can also try to spot Ted Turner, whose company produced the film, as a Confederate soldier. Writer-director Ronald F. Maxwell seems inspired by the gravity of the battle; long as it is, every moment of Gettysburg is informed by a nobility of purpose. --Robert Horton

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88% liked it

25,138 ratings

PG, 254 min.

Directed by: Ronald F. Maxwell

Release Date: October 8, 1993

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DVD Release Date: December 5, 2000

Stats: 1,317 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,317)

  • middleeasternfilms
    October 17, 2009
    middleeasternfilms
    Now, moving onto a completely different war Gettysburg is Ted Turner's Civil ar epic about the major turning point in the war when the Confederacy officially started getting its ass handed to it due to Lee's stubbornness, for the most part. The movie is long, over 4 hours, but it...( read more)'s not stretched out. The battle scenes are unbelievably realistic with people getting blown away and hurled across fields by cannon blasts. Plus the acting is top notch, but the only real complaint here is the dialogue. Sometimes when a General or Colonel gets to rambling on a simple answer or explanation it turns into a speech and this happens several times. But that's the only real complaint here. Serious time and effort were put into this movie and it shows.
  • clooneyfan
    February 5, 2007
    clooneyfan
    One of my husband's favorite movies. I'm not into them as much as he is but it's well made.
  • toejambaseball24
    November 15, 2007
    toejambaseball24
    This movie is something to be admired sheerly based on how ambitious it is. Clocking in at a little over four hours long, this is the most comprehensive war movie I've ever seen. It doesn't play into the normal stereotypes of other war films(e.g. the courageous and honorable good...( read more) guys against the barbaric bad guys). It shows that the Union and Confederate soldiers were equally brave, passionate, religious, and American. Of course, one side had a skewed perception of the morality of slavery, but this movie reinforces the idea that everybody in the war was human, and, even the Southerners, deserved to be respected. Like "Schindler's List", the primary goal of "Gettysburg" was not to entertain the audience, but show them, to the most accurate detail, what happened during that long bloody battle. It succeeds enormously, and also deserves to be placed in a league of its own; it's something much larger than a "movie". It does run quite long, and the dialogue is sometimes overly-dramatized, but after "Glory", this is probably the best Civil War movie ever made.
  • broadwaymo
    June 9, 2007
    broadwaymo
    I'm sorry, but Ron Maxwell and Ted Turner took an excellent book and turned it into a farce of a movie. I mean my gosh, even Ken Burns had a cameo! And Martin Sheen should be ashamed of his whimpering portrayal of Marse Robert. Thankfully, Robert Duvall got it right in Gods and G...( read more)enerals. Jeff Daniels, Sam Elliott and Stephen Lang should be commended for performing well in their respective roles.
  • Yelverton
    November 20, 2009
    Yelverton
    The best War Between the States movie ever made.
  • 21rclemente
    November 16, 2009
    21rclemente
    Very accurate depiction of the most infamous civil war battle. Great performances all round.
  • ahhh1989
    August 2, 2009
    ahhh1989
    Solid epic recreation of the infamous Civil War battle. It doesn't exploit, it doesn't cheapen the affect, and it goes all the way.
  • jameswcope
    June 26, 2009
    jameswcope
    It is a good movie, especially if one has ancestors who fought in this battle.
  • swhyman
    June 15, 2009
    swhyman
    Poor attempt to rip off "Glory". Worst part was the music, very repetitive and way too loud.
  • riyals
    May 4, 2009
    riyals
    Historic retelling of the battle of gettysburg. Enjoyable to watch with a large mixed cast.

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  • Which actor portrayed General Robert E. Lee in the 1993 film "Gettysburg"?  Answer »
  • what actor played the main lead in the movie, gettysburg..he played ..general lee  Answer »
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  • Which actor has been in all of these movies? Gettysburg Comic Book Villains The Patriot Reindeer Games Jerry Maguire  Answer »
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