Review: ‘Gettysburg’ If We Lose this Fight, We Lose the War

The Battle of Gettysburg began 160 years ago today. The turning point of the American Civil War, the eponymous name is one of the most important events in the history of the United States.

“Gettysburg” is a 1993 film that follows the three day skirmish. The movie was written and directed by Ronald F. Maxwell. It’s based on the historical novel “The Killer Angels” by Michael Shaara.

To say it’s an epic production is a gross understatement. In the fledgling days of CGI, the scope of the movie is a thing to marvel at. Filmed on location, the movie includes a large ensemble cast and over 13,000 extras. It’s like a modern day “Ben-Hur” and, at 254 minutes, is one of the longest films ever released by a major studio.

The film opens with actual Civil War photos of the various players we will be following. Historical figures represented by Hollywood stars of the era, which is one of my first complaints of the production. Historical pictures should either inform or entertain. It’s difficult to do both. Here, we never get the sense that it’s biographical. The performances are fine, but Martin Sheen shouldn’t be playing Robert Lee.

Jeff Bridges plays Colonel Joshua Chamberlain, one of the biggest heroes in the battle. This character is easily the best of the bunch. We get good backstory for his life, and a firm understanding of how and why he ended up going from a voluntary soldier in the Maine regiment to surround by bloodshed and mayhem. “Gentlemen,” he addresses his men before the fight, “I think if we lose this fight, we lose the war.”

Tom Berenger plays Lieutenant General James Longstreet, Stephen Lang plays Major General George Pickett, and as mentioned earlier Martin Sheen plays General Robert E. Lee. It would be a sin to have a Civil War movie without Sam Elliott, and thankfully he’s here as Brigadier General John Buford.

What Works

The atmosphere of the standard definition film lends to the authenticity. The costumes are nice, the beards are cool. The brutality is real, and there’s a lot of technical military lingo. It’s not just a battle that we witness, but the politics and drama leading up to it.

I love Civil War documentaries, and have watched several excellent ones. “Glory” is an amazing film. For some reason, “Gettysburg” misses in both learning and entertainment.

The 4+ hour run time is too much. This story would be better told as a ten-part miniseries. I can’t’ fault them for that (Netflix was a ways off in 1993) so paring it down may have helped. We all know the sides but I was a bit confused at times as to which character I was watching. The dialogue and skirmishes got repetitive. I was bored as I watched.

As we celebrate July 4th Weekend, “Gettysburg” is a good way to honor the battle, but there are far better options out there if you’re looking for Civil War entertainment.

“Gettysburg” can be rented on Amazon.