Rating: 
Summary: ...
Review: ... To be critical, the acting is somewhat a mixed bag. There is some good acting and great actors like Gregory Peck and Stacey Keach, and some so-so acting on a par for a made-for-TV drama. And it's not so historically accurate....the siege of Vicksburg happens before Gettysburg, not after, etc... And the movie is supposed to be based upon Bruce Catton's "A Short History Of The Civil War". Hmmm...I don't know about that; I read that book. Certainly it is not based on that book in the way that the movie Gettysburg is based upon Shaara's "The Killer Angels". Despite the problems, I enjoyed this movie. What I liked best was the length of this movie. Six hours on 3 DVDs is great and abundant content for general viewers and Civil War readers who just can't get enough. The costumes and sets are realistic, and the battle recreations seemed generally realistic. I enjoyed this and am giving it 4 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting approach to the Civil War
Review: Everything can't be perfect. Being 2002 it's easy to look back and be critical of filming in the early 80's. As we see some 80's filming styles and approaches common of television come through. This 3-DVD set is perfect for those who really don't have a general knowledge of the war. The story follows historical timelines (most of the time) and also brings up key events to situations like John Brown's Raid, Bull Run, Vicksburg, Gettysburg,etc.. This movie includes common and popular situations that arose during the war such as an army trading coffee or tobacco with the enemy, or punishment procedures for being a coward, popular soldier and civilian life. It is almost like the movie has taken the most popular things of the Civil War and created a 6 hour movie from it. Sometimes I thought the acting and romance was a bit "sappy" for the movie but I realize that it is nearly 20 years old. As far as actors I found Gregory Peck acting as Lincoln to be more believable than most of the characters in the story. This movie isn't a Gettysburg though it isn't a flop. It is a perfect movie for people learning about the Civil War. Blue and Gray explores the realities of families broken up by war and how people had to ask and find themselves when choosing to fight for the North or South. It brings a well rounded view of the war and puts it together in a fine movie. I would recommend it for many ages as I think children learning about the Civil War can find great value in this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting approach to the Civil War
Review: Everything can't be perfect. Being 2002 it's easy to look back and be critical of filming in the early 80's. As we see some 80's filming styles and approaches common of television come through. This 3-DVD set is perfect for those who really don't have a general knowledge of the war. The story follows historical timelines (most of the time) and also brings up key events to situations like John Brown's Raid, Bull Run, Vicksburg, Gettysburg,etc.. This movie includes common and popular situations that arose during the war such as an army trading coffee or tobacco with the enemy, or punishment procedures for being a coward, popular soldier and civilian life. It is almost like the movie has taken the most popular things of the Civil War and created a 6 hour movie from it. Sometimes I thought the acting and romance was a bit "sappy" for the movie but I realize that it is nearly 20 years old. As far as actors I found Gregory Peck acting as Lincoln to be more believable than most of the characters in the story. This movie isn't a Gettysburg though it isn't a flop. It is a perfect movie for people learning about the Civil War. Blue and Gray explores the realities of families broken up by war and how people had to ask and find themselves when choosing to fight for the North or South. It brings a well rounded view of the war and puts it together in a fine movie. I would recommend it for many ages as I think children learning about the Civil War can find great value in this movie.
Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful emotional view of the Civil War
Review: First off, yes there are a lot of problems with this as factual history. This is not Gettysburg or Gods and General. Don't think they ever set out for it to be. This is for the person who wants more personalities, more emotions and less history. So PLEASE do not judge this against the two movies based on the Shaaras' Books. This whole intent of this was distinctive different and it achieves what it set out to do. This is not for historians, this is for the people who have a little knowledge and interest in the Civil War - and likely that is all they want. For someone looking for a more emotional view of the Civil War, with more 'people and feelings' than true history, then this is a very nice read. It is the fictionalised account of the Geyers and the Hales, cousins - one family of the South, the other from the North, that find themselves divided and fighting each other during the War Between the States in the US. The Geyers were farmers, of the land, though were not slave owners, and the story focuses around their eldest son, John, an artist who went into the war as an artist correspondent, torn by his love for both families and seeing both sides of the argument. He hates the institution of Slavery, a hatred amplified by the hanging of his black friend, a freed man for hiding fugitive slaves. The Hales were city-folk. Not only were they divided on their views, but by their styles of life. You see all the various scenes of how families were divided, how the glory of war could turn sour for the many boys simply looking for adventure. There was a real John Geyser, and he did draw a lot of pictures as his time as a soldier. But he was not a war correspondent, and not that professional of an artists. Still is immature drawing carry a power to convey the horrors of war. So take the 'history' with a grain of salt and enjoy the 'emotions' of the great conflict that ripped families and friends apart. Stacey Keech is simply marvellous as Jonas Steel, and I defy anyone not to be moved by his and Julia Duffy's Mary performance as Mary, the woman Jonas loves and loves. Duffy, best known for Designing Women and Bob Newheart, show a charming, heart-wrenching portrayal of sweet Mary. Peck is super as Lincoln, in a roll he really wanted to play. So pop the popcorn and sit back and enjoy the sweeping 'Gone With the Wind' Hollywood version of the Civil War. There is fine acting and a lot of nice 'historical' touches since Bruce Catton was consultant to the film. The DVD is the full length version. Many video copies are a shortened version, so you you will be thrilled the see it in its intended form.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful emotional view of the Civil War
Review: First off, yes there are a lot of problems with this as factual history. This is not Gettysburg or Gods and General. Don't think they ever set out for it to be. This is for the person who wants more personalities, more emotions and less history. So PLEASE do not judge this against the two movies based on the Shaaras' Books. This whole intent of this was distinctive different and it achieves what it set out to do. This is not for historians, this is for the people who have a little knowledge and interest in the Civil War - and likely that is all they want. For someone looking for a more emotional view of the Civil War, with more 'people and feelings' than true history, then this is a very nice read. It is the fictionalised account of the Geyers and the Hales, cousins - one family of the South, the other from the North, that find themselves divided and fighting each other during the War Between the States in the US. The Geyers were farmers, of the land, though were not slave owners, and the story focuses around their eldest son, John, an artist who went into the war as an artist correspondent, torn by his love for both families and seeing both sides of the argument. He hates the institution of Slavery, a hatred amplified by the hanging of his black friend, a freed man for hiding fugitive slaves. The Hales were city-folk. Not only were they divided on their views, but by their styles of life. You see all the various scenes of how families were divided, how the glory of war could turn sour for the many boys simply looking for adventure. There was a real John Geyser, and he did draw a lot of pictures as his time as a soldier. But he was not a war correspondent, and not that professional of an artists. Still is immature drawing carry a power to convey the horrors of war. So take the 'history' with a grain of salt and enjoy the 'emotions' of the great conflict that ripped families and friends apart. Stacey Keech is simply marvellous as Jonas Steel, and I defy anyone not to be moved by his and Julia Duffy's Mary performance as Mary, the woman Jonas loves and loves. Duffy, best known for Designing Women and Bob Newheart, show a charming, heart-wrenching portrayal of sweet Mary. Peck is super as Lincoln, in a roll he really wanted to play. So pop the popcorn and sit back and enjoy the sweeping 'Gone With the Wind' Hollywood version of the Civil War. There is fine acting and a lot of nice 'historical' touches since Bruce Catton was consultant to the film. The DVD is the full length version. Many video copies are a shortened version, so you you will be thrilled the see it in its intended form.
Rating:
Summary: do you like Bold Girls?
Review: Has anyone noted the similarities between the duel scene in this and the one in North and South with Charles....my mother and i noted this the other day...they both end the same way but this one incorporates a joke...i thought it was cute. as for the person who commented on the proper ways of the southern lady....if you had indeed watched the movie you will have noted that "Mary" was from the NORTH. And for that matter, the type of women portrayed in this movie weren't the type to sit on a cushion and be pampered ( with the exception of Kathy, in the beginning). These were middle class women who were hard working. Though i love North and South (i'm an addict) i think that the Blue and Gray paints a better portrait of the average family and household......think of the line "slaves, heck we couldn't afford slaves. We could hardly afford shoes." This movie also has my fave kissing scene......
kathy: " This is so you dont go away mad"
(they kiss, john thinks, scrunches his head)
John: I'm still mad
(they kiss again)
i love that scene!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent made for TV mini-series
Review: I just finished watching the complete 3 disc set and found the quality to be somewhat better then regular TV and not as good as what you would expect from a DVD. The actual story is excellent yet it can not recieve 5 stars because of the regular quality and the audio selection of this DVD. (mono only).
I know that this mini series was originally shown and made for network TV and not intended for DVD but, because I have other movies on DVD in the same situation, I know this one could have been done much better.
Rating:
Summary: An Introduction to the Civil War.
Review: I remember watching this miniseries when I was five years old. I was amazed by the whole thing. Being a little kid, I wanted to watch it for the cool looking battles, all the guns, swords, horses, and cannons. What I didn't know when I was watching it that it opened my eyes to a whole bunch of things I had never thought about before. For example, soldiers peeing there pants and running away in the thick of battle; innocent people being shot by straying gunfire; people who were so hungery that they would eat horse meat; the non-fighting hero taking up arms to defend his family and home; were all things that had never entered my mind before. The miniseries gave me a greater appreciation of the Civil War and a beginning understanding about the grimness of war in general. Now, with that said I must admit that some of the acting is kind of lame and a lot of the dialogue is cheesy. However, keep in mind that this was a television miniseries made in the early 1980s. Computer special effects were non-existant and the film had to appeal to a huge audience of people over three different days. The whole prophetic gift of Major Steele is a bit farfetching, but other than that everything flows together fairly well. There are some fine acting performances and the battles aren't too shabby. A good film to introduce people to the Civil War.
Rating: 
Summary: 1 star is too much for this movie...
Review: It's bad - really, really bad. If you are able to get past the early 80's haircuts, uniforms which don't look quite right, Civil War battles that look they were fought by maybe 30 people, and painfull to watch overacting, then there is still the writing. Stacy Keach's character for example, had dreams in which he predicts the future (you hear about them throughout the movie - somehow Keach is able to deliver his lines with a straight face). Hard to believe someone wrote this movie on purpose, harder still to believe that someone thought it was a good idea. Save your money and get Gettysburg instead, or make your own movie with sock puppets, which will still be much better than The Blue and the Gray.
Rating:
Summary: 1 star is too much for this movie...
Review: It's bad - really, really bad. If you are able to get past the early 80's haircuts, uniforms which don't look quite right, Civil War battles that look they were fought by maybe 30 people, and painfull to watch overacting, then there is still the writing. Stacy Keach's character for example, had dreams in which he predicts the future (you hear about them throughout the movie - somehow Keach is able to deliver his lines with a straight face). Hard to believe someone wrote this movie on purpose, harder still to believe that someone thought it was a good idea. Save your money and get Gettysburg instead, or make your own movie with sock puppets, which will still be much better than The Blue and the Gray.
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