Rating: 
Summary: Excellent lesson ins history
Review: I enjoyed every minute of this movie. The only improvement I might have made would have been to start the story earlier in the time frame.The movie was - despite being a little sterile - very accurate historically and should go a long way to fix may peoples misunderstanding about the war. Much as Gangs of New York showed much of the strife in the north during thre war like the Draft Riots. The war between the states was not even a real "civil war" anyway. A civil war is defined as a battle between two factions fighting for the control of a county. The south never wanted control over the north, merely the right to seceed and have some modicum of self determination much as the 13 colonies seceeded from England. It was truly a war of agression by the north against the south - at time an independant sovereign nation. I wish the movie went a little deeper into this. What was portrayed was accurate even is some people don't like it. I loved the acting and the scenery and ther was a sense of a larger canvas in the background. In spite of what a previous reviewed said about the "good guys" winning. I cannot imagine anyone thinking that Lincoln and Shermans behavior in any way qualified them as "good guys". In just world they should have both been hanged as war criminals. Great DVD - highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Gods & Generals - Top Knotch Entertainment
Review: If you believed the critic's and avoided this movie, you have a wonderful opportunity to re-think your decision and see this excellent epic of the Civil War in the comfort of your own home. This is Top Knotch entertainment at it's finest. The Civil War brought to life right before your eyes, the portrayal of a period of history so realistic that it will transport you to the 1860's and offer you a time capsule into the conflict that shaped the future of America and resounded all over the civilized world. Ron Maxwell and a team of expert's have combined with a story so compelling that it leaps from the television screen and into your parlour. Thousands of dedicated reenactors willingly donated their time and authenticity to ensure that the hero's of yesterday are able to depict their reasons for engaging in this most costly of conflicts as well as providing a means of bringing the voices and mannerisms of a time long forgotten for most North Americans. It is a military history on celuloid, a religious experience from a time where men and women made their faith a centerpiece in their lives and soldiers fought for ideals and dreams. It is the defense of hearth and home; a springboard for the fight for liberty and freedom. It brings to life the trials and tribulations of Thomas Jonathan Jackson, his belief and faith in God, his absolute conviction as a soldier do his duty for his country and his loyalty to his comrades in arms. It is the story of Robert E. Lee, Joshua Chamberlain, and Jim Lewis, the cook, servant and friend of General Stonewall Jackson as they live through the tumultuous times of the American Civil War. It is a tale of brother fighting brother, father fighting son in a classic battle to the death in the cause of states rights versus a centralized Federal government that results in a most accurate depiction of the first two years of the War Between the States. A must see and an absolute necessity for any first rate video collection.
Rating: 
Summary: Historically Accurate?
Review: I had high hopes for this film,however it seemed another revisitation of the Patroit, another abyssmal film which claimed some historical accuracy but that's hollywood's way of saying that the names of certain historical figures names were spelled correctly. Gods and Generals was an okay film for entertainment purposes only it would seem though I found it's depictions of American Slavery to be more than insulting. I am thinking the black cook was either too ignorant to know what was going on or that he was a dear friend to Stonewall Jackson who was clearly fighting a war for Southerns to have the "freedom" to enslave African Americans. In either instance I felt the need to use the dvd for a frisbee. I would seem that the director and screenplay writer wanted to play towards some nostalgia for the Southern Confederacy which I found just as nauseating. Let us remember that the Civil War was an unfortunate event in American history but clearly the "good" guys won if there were truly good guys in such a conflict. Though the war was not just over slavery, slavery was one of the primary issues. This film does little to address that issue.
Rating: 
Summary: Sweeping Yet Human
Review: Overall, a very watchable film and certainly a must for Civil War buffs. I felt, however, that this installment was inferior to its predecessor, Gettysburg. The script, cast, and editing of Gettysburg were much tighter and finely honed than here. The style of speech is not the problem in Gods & Generals, its the lenght and cheesy sentimentality; Chamberlain's speech quoting from Julius Caesar, for example, is over the top and unnecessary. Yes, the treatment of slaves is a bit PC and soft but within the realm of reality. While this film is about conflict and resolution, it is precisely this quality that falls short with respect to the people in the film: conflict and resolution between individuals and within individuals. This was done so much better in Gettysburg. Overall, I'd say that, buoyed by the success of Gettysburg, the director just tried too hard. The criticisms and weaknesses aside, it is still a fine film.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Quite As It Was
Review: While the movie is very stunning to watch, it avoids many parts of the Civil War. It is very sanitized. Where is the death from disease, accidents and starvation? I also couldn't believe how clean and beautiful the soldiers were in their uniforms. All the weapons worked perfectly. This is NOT the way it really was. Just check the pension files of some real Civil War Veterans and you'll find out how things really were.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome!
Review: I saw the movie in the theaters just days after its release. I was to see it the day before it came out in a "preview party" where Jeff Shaara and Ron Maxwell attended (did go to it and got their autographs but was unable to stay for the movie). My friend and his father in law were extras in the movie (and appeared in a few scenes!) and that's how I was able to go to that preview party. Anyway, I just received the movie today and I quickly popped in into the DVD player. This movie has amazing action scenes and great dialogue. Jeff Daniels put in another great performance...he was in Gettysburg. Robert Duvall makes a convincing Robert E Lee. Other actors who gave notable performances: Jeremy London, Bruce Boxleitner, and C Thomas Howell. Keep in mind however, that this movie takes place in the months BEFORE the battle at Gettysburg. A great movie, and definitely well worth the money.
Rating: 
Summary: Ken Burns did it better
Review: Entirely too biased to the south, unbelievable portrayal of slavery. Not enough material on Antietam the Western front,Lincoln and the various problems with McClellan etal.
Rating:
Summary: A Civil War masterpiece!
Review: Being an absolute Civil War fanatic, I cannot rate this movie highly enough! The DVD is great, with some interesting commentary and documentaries, but being able to view the movie from your own home rather than from uncomfortable theater seats is a real treat! Seeing the movie again immediately after purchasing it, I cannot help wondering what the negative reviews are based on. The film should at least be commended for it's accuracy; the script itself is mostly taken from actual quotes of the men it portrays. The cinematography is some of the most beautiful I have ever seen! (I get chills watching the shot of JEB Stuart's cavalry charging down the hill at the battle of Bull Run, with Union soldiers, far in the distance, below the hill fleeing for their lives) I'd like to try and answer the complaints I've been seeing on this site, some of them even being from people calling themselves Civil War enthusiasts: 1. People seem to be complaining about the slavery issue being put on the sidelines in this movie. Now, slavery was indeed a major issue of the day, and was a major factor leading up to southern secession, but it is definitely not the reason these men were fighting. Southerners seceded because they thought that the federal government was getting too much power over the individual states, and the thought of slavery being abolished by the federal government instead of letting popular soveirgnty decide the issue was just one of their fears. Southerners did not think they had enough say in congress and government (this is the reason why Washington D.C. is right across the Potomac from Virginia) and wanted to preserve their state's rights as they saw it, so they seceded. The Union army was fighting to preserve the democratic government and union of states as they saw it, which they feared would become obsolete if individual states had the right to challenge it. (Along with economic reasons, and hatred for what they saw as southern aristocracy, as well.) Jim Lewis, Jackson's cook in the movie, was a slave as many reviewers have said, but there were some slaves who were loyal to the Confederacy, as the south was their home to and they had no desire to have their land invaded. But the slave woman in Fredericksburg, who has been described by a few reviewers as a "yes-massa, go-get-dem-damn-yankees" stereotype, only acts that way in front of her masters. She refuses to go with them, and once the Federals occupy the town she shows her pro-Union sentiments. (In the "Journey to the Past" featurette on the DVD, the actress herself explains that her character is for the north) 2. Dialogue: I've heard several criticisms about the "speechifying". Certainly not all people back then would speak like this, but in that age of oration well-educated men like the three main characters would have been able to. 3. Battle scenes: No, they don't show decapitated soldiers and blood splattering all over the camera lens, but the battles are fierce, with men being lit up by bullets and blown up by cannon fire. The shot of the wounded Union soldiers crawling around dead bodies at Fredericksburg with the solemn music in the background is particularly grim, and the shot of the Confederates at Chancellorsville pouring a volley into a few disoriented Federals, causing plates and bottles to shatter in the background is especially effective. 4. Focus on Jackson/southerners: This is the first movie to tackle the story of Jackson, and his story is interesting. I think the perspective of these films has a great storybook quality. The Confederates dominated the Virginia front for the first few years of the war. The film shows Jackson because he is arguably the greatest Confederate general. With his death, the Army of Northern Virginia starts to go downhill. The movie Gettysburg gives a balanced perspective of both sides, as that is the turning point for the Army of the Potomac. And if they make a movie out of The Last Full Measure, it will probably focus on Grant and Chamberlain, as the Union ends up winning the war. 5. Antietam: Maxwell did indeed film this battle, but cut it due to running time constraints. In the theatrical version it seems to work out devoting 1862 to the training of the 20th Maine, during which most of the 1862 campaigns were fought, except for Fredericksburg. But I would be absolutely THRILLED to see a director's cut released someday. Excellent film! If you do are indeed a Civil War enthusiast, or have a love for history, I recommend you rent or buy this right now!
Rating:
Summary: New Life on DVD
Review: This movie will be one of those that finds new life on DVD. a movie that's 3.5 hours rarely does well on the big screen. The DVD is much easier to view and is worth every penny.
Rating:
Summary: Gods and Generals DVD
Review: While not as good on tv as on the big screen(what movie is?) it is still a superb vision of History come to life. The extra features were a bit sparse, though quite compelling. To those of you who have seen this movie and disliked it, or who have not seen it and are wary, I highly recommend watching the extras first.
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