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| GODS AND GENERALS (2003) | |
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Gods
and Generals is a film focusing on General "Stonewall" Jackson
(Stephen Lang) and his accomplishments during the Civil War, which is
heavily influenced by his strong Christian belief. General Jackson
is often making speeches to encourage his soldiers to fight and he
justifies it with Gods gospel as he believes that he is protecting his
home from the Northern invaders. There are also other characters that
occasionally give different views such as Lt. Col. Chamberlain (Jeff
Daniels) who gives a speech about why the war is worth fighting for as well as General
Robert E. Lee (Robert Duvall) who refused leading the Northern forces into
his home state Virginia.
The epic cinematic experience that Gods and Generals offers is profoundly affected by its script, speeches, acting, direction, music, and mise-en-scene. The characters seem as rigid as statues with hidden tape recorders that gives dry history lectures in the form of speeches. The only character that seems somewhat real is Robert Duvalls character, Robert E. Lee, as he seems to be alive. The distant shots of Fredericksburg are not convincing as they look miniature-like and the battle fields are bloodless, which evokes a false sense of heroism amidst the horror of war. Francis Ford Coppola could use Die Walküre by Richard Wagner in Apocalypse Now, but is does not function with the same effect here as with grandeur music as the soldiers fall like domino bricks on both sides. In the end, Gods and Generals offers an awkward cinematic experience that is difficult to watch as it is well over three hours long. |
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USA |
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| REVIEWED | |
| 7/18/2004 | |
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The Internet Movie Database. |
