Gods and Generals

I love history, I always have. Out of all the wars America has fought there is one that fascinates me above all the rest...our own civil war. Brother fighting brother. Families, friends, and countrymen taking sides in a long bloody struggle that would be the most terrible ever fought on American soil. Today there are sadly very few movies made about this important time in our history. Only a handfull really, but thank goodness someone took the initiuative and brought this movie to the screen.

A lot of people are mixed on whether God's and Generals is a good movie or not. Some say it's too long, not exciting enough or just plain boring...but thats not how I see it. Is it a perfect film? No...not by any means. But it is a well thought out film that stays incredibly accurate in its interpretation of the battles and men who fought during one of the darkest times in our history. 

I wouldn't say this film was really even meant to be gobbled up by most movie goers. Honestly you HAVE to have a good amount of interest in this war to even hang on for this nearly 4 hour movie. The time alone is going to scare away most youngsters. I mean, if an American audience doesn't see an explosion or epic something or other every five minutes, most of us start thinking about what we're going to do the rest of the day.

Stephen Lang does such a good job in his ability to bring out Stonewall Jackson's character...he plays it with such a cool confidence and with tons of inner emotion that really keeps you connected with him. 

The scene that really got me the first time I watched it was when two Irish units (one from both sides) at the Battle of Fredericksburg are forced to attack one another as the Uilleann pipes play in the background. These men came over from Ireland together to escape the English and, as an Irish Sergeant remarks "End up shooting at each other in the land of the free." Broken, these Irishmen spill each others blood with tears in their eyes. That sort of stuff moves you....and its not just a movie. This happened. 

Although this movie tends to see everything more from the Confederate perspective, it stills does a good job at keeping the viewer in both camps and explores why these American's fight. Is this a perfect movie? Like I said, no it is not...but its a story that needs to be told. Sadly many filmmakers don't intend to tell these sorts of stories right now. Give us the Robots killing each other, the vampires, the car chases and leave behind the stories that echo over this land. 

Lincoln said, "The world will little note, nor long remember what we said here, but it can never forget what they did here." 

It seems we have already begun to forget. As filmmakers we have the tools to remind the world of the stories that shaped us as a people. 

Take the film for what you will. The men who made this movie have more guts than most of hollywood. You want to make films that make money but provide nothing and will be "little noted" twenty years from now? Fine. Stick with your noisy robots.  

But if you want to be more...take my challenge and BE more.