This last weekend I did something I have been wanting to do for some time I watched in chronological order the movies Gods & Generals (2003) followed by Gettysburg (1993) both in blu-ray. The movies were actually made in reverse order. I have had Gods & Generals for some time in blu-ray but just recently bought Gettysburg in blu-ray as soon as it was released. I have owned it in VHS, DVD and now blu- ray. I never tire of watching it.
Both movies were financed by Ted Turner and if for nothing else America owes Ted a big thanks. The movies are based upon a three book trilogy of the American Civil War written by Michale Shaara. The three books are Gods and Generals, The Killer Angels (Gettysburg)and The Last Full Measure. Jeff Shaara, Michael's son, completed "The Last Full Measure" after his father died. The third book has not yet been made into a movie but the IMDB shows that it is "in production"; however, Jeff Shaara says it is not true on his web site!
The blu ray on Gettysburg is fantastic ! I loved it. The night scenes with the soldiers gathered around their campfires are fantastic. The campfires seem so real. You also see much more detail in the large battle scenes and see more expression in the faces of the actors. Blu-ray was made for these kinds of movies with casts of thousands.After watching both movies together I believe Gettysburg is the better movie.
BIG UPDATE:
After spending the weekend watching both of these movie the only disappointment I felt was the fact so much was cut out of "Gods & Generals" before it's theatrical release.
The movie was 6 hours long and had to be cut to 3 for release to theaters. The battle of Antietam was cut from the movie and left a big gap in the continuity of the movie. Other than Gettysburg, Antietam was the most important battle of the American Civil War. It was Lee's first invasion of the North (Gettysburg was the second) and was the single most bloody day of the war. Gettysburg was three days. Filming it and cutting it out left many civil war buffs heartbroken. There was also a plot line involving John Wilkes Booth, Abraham Lincoln and Shakespeare that was edited out of the movie. None of this was in my blu-ray I purchased several years ago.
Then, Monday night I had to drive to Shady Cove to preform a wedding ceremony and on my way back my wife and I stopped at my favorite Wall-Mart in Eagle Point. I always stop there to look at their blu-ray movies because they have a large selection at good prices. To my big surprise they had the "Extended Director's Cut" of Gods & Generals in blu-ray. It adds an entire HOUR to the movie including the battle of Antietam and the John Wikes Booth story line. I couldn't believe it..... I was holding it in my hand ! I didn't know it existed. I pointed it out to my wife but her enthusiasm was muted ! I bought it! It was only $15.00 but I would have paid twice that. The following is a description from Wikipedia on Gods & Generals Extended Directors Cut:
The Director's Cut was released for Blu-ray Disc on May 24, 2011. It runs 280 minutes. For the theatrical release, almost two and a half hours of footage were removed to get the length down to approximately 3 hours, 39 minutes.
Among the footage edited includes a sub-plot which follows John Wilkes Booth, the famous actor who would eventually become the man who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. One scene towards the end of the extended cut of the film features Chamberlain and his wife, Fanny, attending a production of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar in which Booth plays Brutus. Chamberlain and his wife have a conversation with Booth and his fellow actors following the end of the play. Another scene cut from the film features a performance in Washington, D.C. in which Booth plays the role of Macbeth, which is being seen by President Lincoln. When he gives the famous "dagger of the mind" soliloquy, he looks directly at Lincoln while reciting it. Later, when Booth is offered the chance to meet with Lincoln, he refuses.
One scene that historians were sad to see removed from the film was the sequence dealing with the Battle of Antietam. The battle was seen mostly from the perspectives of Jackson (who played a major strategic role in the battle) and Chamberlain (whose brigade was held in reserve). A few minutes of footage from this scene were available online, but since appears to have been removed. In the Director's Cut the entire sequence at Antietam is shown.
I hope now that the Shakespeare, Lincoln and Booth plot line has been added our son, the historian, will like the movie better. He has even published an article on Lincoln and Shakespeare and how Shakespeare influenced Lincoln. He hates the movie for it's sympathetic portrayal of the South. He even went so far as to time the segments allocated to the North and the South to prove his point. I must admit the "lost cause" sympathies are there. I can empathise with my son because for many years I refused to watch Gone With the Wind for the same reason. I hope this new cut of the movie will somewhat correct it. Now I need to find 5 hours to watch the new cut without interruption.
For a much more detailed review of the changes to the movie click on the title for a link.
