Product Description

Summer 1863. The Confederacy pushes north into Pennsylvania. Union divisions converge to face them. Two great armies will clash at Gettysburg, site of a theology school. For three days, through such legendary actions as Little Round Top and Pickett's Charge, the fate of "one nation, indivisible" hangs in the balance. Tom Berenger, Jeff Daniels, Martin Sheen, Richard Jordan and more play key roles in this magnificent epic based on Michael Shaara's Pulitzer Prize-winning The Killer Angels, filmed at actual battle locations and rigorously authenticated down to the boots.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1600 in DVD
• Color: Color
• Brand: TURNER HM ENTERTAINM
• Released on: 2004-02-03
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English, French
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 254 minutes

Amazon.com
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 film. 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

DVD features
Even without the movie, the Gettysburg DVD would qualify as a valuable document for Civil War enthusiasts. The feature-length commentary is highly informative for filmmakers and historians alike, and the making-of documentary, while not strictly about the production of Gettysburg, incorporates historical insights from the film's entire primary cast. Equally noteworthy is the Oscar-nominated 1955 documentary The Battle of Gettysburg, narrated by Leslie Nielsen. Produced and written by MGM studio executive Dore Schary (just as Nielsen was about to star in Forbidden Planet for the studio), the film relates the events of history through scenic views of the Gettysburg battleground as well as the many statues and landmarks that serve as timeless reminders of Gettysburg's historical significance. Battle maps and strategic descriptions are also provided, making this DVD a concise and compelling tribute to the soldiers--North and South--who perished on those fateful days in 1863. --Jeff Shannon