On G List of Movie Reviews

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Gettysburg (1993)

Rate: 8
Viewed: 7/14

7/14: It's not that I mind the length of Gettysburg, but the movie should've been an hour shorter.

That's why it's not a surprise it was a box-office failure in 1993 although I did see it on television a year later and thought it was a telefilm. Still...yes, Gettysburg is worth watching. However, it feels incomplete and sometimes formulaic as in "good talk, men."

So, basically, what I've learned is Robert E. Lee was crazy and threw his men under the bus for morale. If that's what happened, then shame on him. Countless lives were lost during the battle on both sides as it's often described as the biggest and bloodiest ever fought on American soil. Other than that, there's not much going for Gettysburg.

Of the cast, Jeff Daniels is the standout and gives the best performance of his career. That being said, he should've gotten an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He really dug deep. The rest of everybody else is mostly good. Although Joseph Fuqua who plays Jeb Stuart gives him a run for his money, Tom Berenger sports the most fake beard I've ever seen. With all the hair around him, he looks like he's being suffocated. The final hour is the best part: 5,000 extras marching in battle formations in the face of artillery bombardment. It'll never happen again.

All in all, I like Gettysburg, but I wish it was more fulfilling.

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