Gods and Generals (2003)
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The film follows the story of Confederate general Stonewall Jackson from the beginning of the American Civil War to his death at the Battle of Chancellorsville.
The story
As Virginia votes to secede from the Union to join the Confederacy, Colonel Robert E. Lee resigns from the Union army, marking the beginning of the Civil War. Major Jackson, a professor at Virginia Military Institute, leaves his family to fight in the Battle of Manassas. During the conflict, he earns the name 'Stonewall' for his steadfast discipline. Meanwhile, Joshua Chamberlain transitions from a teacher to a military officer, learning tactics under Col. Adelbert Ames before being called to the Battle of Fredericksburg. The film depicts the intense Confederate defenses behind a formidable stone wall against heavy Union attacks.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film begins with Robert E. Lee's resignation as Virginia secedes. Major Jackson leaves his family to fight at Manassas, where he earns the nickname 'Stonewall' for his discipline. Simultaneously, Joshua Chamberlain trains as a military officer and fights at Fredericksburg, where Union forces storm the city and the 20th Maine is pinned down by Confederate defenses on Marye's Heights. Jackson later spends a winter at Moss Neck Manor, where he develops a friendship with a young girl named Jane Corbin, who dies of scarlet fever. Before the Battle of Chancellorsville, Jackson leads a surprise attack on the Union 11th Corps. During the melee, he is caught in no-mans-land and wounded by his own men who mistook him for Union cavalry. After his arm is amputated, Jackson dies of pneumonia. The film also depicts the Battle of Antietam and features a sub-plot involving John Wilkes Booth.
- First release year
- 2003
- Runtime (minutes)
- 219
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Ronald F. Maxwell
- Writers
- Ronald F. Maxwell · writer
- Cast and characters
- Jeff Daniels · Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Chamberlain; Stephen Lang · Jackson; Robert Duvall · General Robert E. Lee; Mira Sorvino · Fanny Chamberlain; Kevin Conway · Sergeant Buster Kilrain; C. Thomas Howell · Sergeant and later Lieutenant Thomas Chamberlain; Frankie Faison · Jim Lewis; Kali Rocha · Anna Jackson
- Genres
- epic war drama; historical drama; war drama
- Themes
- Lost Cause mythology; Civil War history; sacrifice; military discipline
- Tone and mood
- epic; historical; serious
- Premise and plot tags
- historical drama; war drama; biographical; epic
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1996 novel by Jeffrey Shaara
- Franchise connections
- Gettysburg prequel
- Content notes
- pro-Confederate slant
- Reception
- The film was a critical and commercial failure, criticized for its length, pacing, and pro-Confederate slant, though it received some praise for its performances and historical accuracy.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 8% · review count: 121; Metacritic · score: 30 · scale: 100 · review count: 29; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- Most of the film was personally financed by media mogul Ted Turner.; The film was originally over five hours long but was cut to 3 hours and 40 minutes for its theatrical release.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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