(1993) Along with Ken Burns's Civil War documentary, this dramatized history of the war's turning point, the three-day battle outside Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, along with its companion film Gods and Generals, is awesome and awful in detailing the grueling conflict between Americans "Four score and seven years" after the country's founding. The day after the battle, the Fourth of July, 1863, represented an occasion for celebration of a significant victory for the Union as well as mourning for the tens of thousands of casualties (a total of 53,000 on both sides), which President Abraham Lincoln would memorialize in his famous address.

Director/screenwriter Ronald F. Maxwell's epic cinema (four days represented in four hours), the most realistic realization of a Civil War battle on a grand scale, filmed on the actual battleground in Gettysburg National Park with thousands of military re-enactors, based on Michael Shaara's The Killer Angels (son Jeff later completed his father's novel), music by Randy Edelman, begins on June 30th, 1863, as the scout Harrison reports to Confederate Gen James "Pete" Longstreet (Tom Berenger) the propinquity of 80,000 Federal forces under Gen George Meade advancing only miles away.

Frustrated that Gen J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry, the eyes of his army, has not kept in contact, Commander-in-chief Robert E. Lee (Martin Sheen) presses forward with his objective of catching the Yankees in the open on its own territory, gambling that a huge, costly defeat for the North so near to Washington will result in negotiations for peace.

On the side of the US Army, recently appointed to regimental command of the 20th Maine, the idealistic Col Joshua L. Chamberlain (Jeff Daniels), must deal with 120 Maine mutineers from the 2nd Maine (he has the option of shooting them); in a speech he attempts to convince them of "the idea that we all have value," touching on reasons for their original decision to enlist - for fun, shamed not to, to do the right thing - but stating pragmatically: "What we're fighting for in the end - we're fighting for each other." He concludes with, "I think if we lose this fight, we lose the war."

In the morning of Wednesday, July 1st, at the head of the Union's seven corps, the cavalry under Gen John Buford (Sam Elliott) makes first contact with the Rebels; exasperated with Gen Meade's overly cautious approach (similar to the previous generals of the Army of the Potomac), Buford decides on Chambersburg Pike to engage the enemy in order to delay Lee's advance onto the high ground. Fortunately for the future fortunes of the Union, Gen Reynolds arrives to reinforce Buford's 2500 dismounted cavalry. Infantry and artillery pour on the fire, frustrating CSA's Gen Heth from dislodging Buford.

Lee orders a concerted attack from all of his commanders; the Yankees, withdrawing in confusion with Gen Reynolds killed, fall back toward the town. Desiring to take advantage of the situation, Lee pushes his offensive, though Longstreet argues against a direct attack, urging a defensive flanking movement.

Made privy to the personalities (old friendships from the Mexican War, as between Gen Armistead and Gen Hancock, have left heartrending regrets of serving on opposite sides) and strategies of the generals (Hancock assures Meade the army is on "good ground" while Lee hears complaints of missed opportunities) - the Blue headquarters located on Cemetery Ridge, the Gray on Seminary Ridge - we also see the individual soldiers, such as barefoot Johnny Reb, who regards his leader an angel of the Lord, and Billy Yank, an immigrant Irishman fighting for justice and to prove who's the better man.

Thursday, July 2nd, begins with the Yankees fortified, holding the high ground, leaving Lee, still without accurate appraisal of the enemy's position and numbers, a less-then-desirable option of attacking across open terrain and ascending into the hills: "I don't think I can withdraw … God's will be done."

Atop Little Round Top, "You are the end of the line," Col Chamberlain and his Maine men are given the ultimatum: "You cannot withdraw on any condition … defend the place to the last." (To the last bullet, man, end of time.) Repeated Rebel charges are repulsed in the face of murderous volleys of musket fire, cartridges running low as the carnage continues: yet another assault with hand-to-hand combat, bayonets and rifle butts defending the butte, then in desperation, lacking ammunition, Chamberlain orders a fixed-bayonet charge of the entire regiment like a swinging door that slams closed on the rude aggression. (For his valor, Chamberlain would be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.)

At Devil's Den, where CSA Gen Sam Hood was seriously wounded, the Rebels found themselves on the worst ground. Leading his cavalry back to the main force after having been delayed on his raids farther north, Gen Stuart finally appears in the early hours, Friday, July 3rd, to receive Lee's critical remarks for his absence. Then to Longstreet, Lee expostulates his plan of attack against the center of the Union's line, with the hope of severing the Federal defense, against which his most trusted officer makes a futile argument; Lee is adamant and somewhat arrogant: "I have never left the command of the field."

Chamberlain's 20th Maine, having been relieved of its valiant position on the extreme flank, is sent to the "safety" of the reserves at the center. As the Confederate artillery sends its concentrated fire into the Yankee midsection beneath a clump of trees, where Gen Hancock's boys behind a low stonewall were not expecting another attack so soon, commencing a two-hour duel between 300 cannons of batteries on both sides, Longstreet details the day's duties to his division commanders - Joseph Pettigrew, taking charge of the wounded Gen Heth's command and the flamboyant but courageous George E. Pickett (Stephen Lang), his being the only fresh troops available - saying: "I do believe this attack will decide the fate of our country."

When Harrison the scout volunteers to join the attack, Longstreet attempts to dissuade him with a description of the devastation he expects: the infantry - led by generals Lewis Armistead (Richard Jordan, whose performance is the most poignant in the picture), Garnett, and Kemper - must march across a mile of open wheatfield while Yankee artillery rains hot iron on them, clamber over a fence in the face of withering rifle rounds, and then (if enough of them survive) reach their objective: "I don't believe my boys will reach that wall."

Yet the sons of Virginia - including descendants of Patrick Henry, a US president, and the defender of Fort McHenry - reach the stonewall where Gen John Hancock (Brian Mallon) has been wounded as Armistead, waving his sword-pierced hat to rally his men, falls mortally wounded. Thus ends the last, lost charge of Pickett's division, divided and destroyed, corps of corpses covering the ground.

However, with Gen Meade's hesitancy to follow the retreating Rebels with a full pursuit, Lee's army managed an orderly withdrawal back to Virginia where the Confederates maintained slim hope for their lost cause for nearly another two years.

In his address at Gettysburg on November 19th, 1863, "to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives," President Lincoln spoke: "But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate - we cannot consecrate - we cannot hallow - this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract…. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion …"

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Copyright © 2008 Patrick Ivers. All rights reserved.
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