Ted Turner is so wealthy he can afford to throw away money every now and then. So with that in mind Ted took it upon himself to finance what he felt was a worthy and needed project. Unfortunately for Ted, the film tanked at the theater, although its high production values and detail to history proved to be an educational gem.
As a prequel to director Ron Maxwell's own prior cable epic Gettysburg, the film was constructed with grueling dedication to history with the help from Civil War expert after Civil War expert. What does all of this get the viewer? Well it gets something that is a bit dry and unemotional.
Sure Gods and Generals portrays accurately the worst war our country has ever fought. However the characters in the movie lack the romantic heartbreak of a film like the Patriot or Braveheart. I sat through the film watching what really happened but feeling disconnected from the players in the battles.
Sure Robert Duvall does a fantastic General Robert E. Lee but his well documented plight never matches the fictionalized enhanced drama of something based on reality like Titanic or Braveheart. For all of the Civil War buffs out there that painfully renact all of the historical battles will appreciate the long running film, but if you're like me you'll find yourself falling alseep before the disc even hits halfway. I appreciate Turner's educational ambitions, but Gods and Generals just lacks the emotional tie that other successful war movies have had. There's good reason this 90 Million Dollar film tanked at the box office.
The Disc:
While the movie's theme and writing may be bland, there's no denying that Turner's deep pockets made for one strikingly beautiful film. Presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, Warner has shown again and again that they can present DVD film in its highest quality. The locations for this film are realistic and quite striking.
The sound of the film on the other hand is somewhat disappointing. While the center channel audio is crisp and clear, I had expected more from the surround sounds. Afterall this is a war flick with plenty of explosions to be heard. Also with such a big budget where is my beloved DTS track? Surely Warner should know by now that DTS is superior.
While the movie itself is ,well, boring, the Screen-specific audio commentary by writer and director Ron Maxwell, director of VMI Museum operations Keith Bibson and VA tech alumni professor James I. Robinson is actually pretty interesting. I found myself listening to their accounts of the history behind each specific section to be more entertaining and educational than the film itself!
Next up as far as goodies go is the 3-minute introduction by Ted Turner where he talks about how much he likes Civil War history. It doesn't take long to realize he is almost a nut about the subject.
Next on side B we have Three Featurettes - Journey to the Past, The Authenticities of the Film and The Life of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson . Each of these are interesting in their own rights but really only present more of the same stuff we have seen in the film or heard in the commentaries.
Finally we have two music videos, for Bob Dylan's "Cross the Green Mountain" in non-anamorphic widescreen and Mary Fahl's "Going Home."
bottom line:
Certainly something that many Eighth graders will watch and benefit from for years to come, Gods and Generals has its purpose. As for entertaining, unless you are a Civil War buff you might want to pass.
3 out of 5
By - Brian Gray
