Best Civil War Movies

[Stonewall]

Did you get to have a glorious death scene?

I died gloriously, but that did not make the final cut.

[John_C]

RE the movie glory.

Has any of you playing the AACW game located the actual black units that are depicted in this movie? Are they in the game? I'm reading somewhere that it was the movie's story was about the 54th Massachusetts, an all-black Union Infantry regiment.


I know the main action was at Fort Wagner. probably too small a fort to be depicted in the game though.

See some info on Civil War coloured troops here:
http://americancivilwar.com/colored/colored_troops.html

[John_C]

Found these rankings of top Civil War movies:

http://americanhistory.about.com/od/civilwarmenu/tp/civilwarmovies.htm
Ranks top six:
1. Glory
2. Gettysburg
3. Gone With the Wind
4. North and South TV series
5. The Red Badge of Courage
6. Shenadoah

Here there is a 10 movie ranking (which I wont reproduce because I'm lazy) plus a list of other Civil War movies:

http://www0.epinions.com/content_4021985412


Cheers

[John_C]

There's a lesser know Civil War movie called "The Hunley" of 1999 I saw
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162897/
which is quite fascinating actually because it tells the story of the first (?) submarine ever used in a war.
http://americancivilwar.com/tcwn/civil_war/naval_submarine.html

[christof139]

RE the movie glory.

Has any of you playing the AACW game located the actual black units that are depicted in this movie? Are they in the game? What was it, a whole division or just a brigade?

I know the main action was at Fort Wagner. probably too small a fort to be depicted in the game though.

The only black unit there was the 54th Mass. Infantry, and they led the 2nd assault on Fort Wagner. The first attack was also bloodily repulsed. During the 2nd attack, 2 other Regiments of the Brigade that the 54th was assigned to, the 6th Connecticut and 48th NY, actually made it into the fort and gained possession of the southeast bastion, but they were all killed or captured or thrown out. The 54th made it to and on top of the parapet where it fought for some time before being driven off. There were regiments from 2-Brigades, Strong's 1st Bde. and Putnam's 2nd Bde. of Seymour's Division, that made the 1st assault on July 10 and 11, 1863 and the same 2-brigades made the 2nd assault on July 18, 1863. Ft. or Battery Wagner was never taken by direct assault. Seymour and Strong were wounded and Putnam was killed in the 2nd assault on July 18, 1863. The Union lost about 339 men in the 1st assault and about 1,815 men in the 2nd assault, with the CSA losing about 12 and 174 resepectively in those two assaults.

Also, Fort or Battery Wagner was a large earthwork, and there was a bomproof shelter or bunker in the fort that could house 750 troops. The fort was about 800-feet long east to west, and stretched across Morris Island's northernmost point, and was about 200 to over 400-feet wide including the water filled ditch. There were 3 CSA Inf. Regts. and 2 Inf. Bns. in the fort, plus 15-large Coastal Guns of from 6 to 10-inch bore, 1-12pdr. Howitzer, 1-Requa Battery Gun (machine gun), and 2 Mortars of 8 and 10-inch bore. One of the CSA Inf. Regts., the 32nd Georgia, arrived during the 2nd Assault to throw back the 6th Connecticut and 48th NY Regts. from inside the fort.

Chris

[Chamberlain]

Gettysburg gets my vote. I have watched it so much that I have almost burned a hole right through the DVD .....LOL

I also have the soundtrack from Gettysburg & leave it in my truck. When I ride on parkways or highways with nothing but woods on both sides of the road, I play it. Then you find youself looking in the woods expecting to see a Rebel Brigade or Division charging through. It is an amazing soundtrack. I also have the all the songs from the soundtack on my desktop in a folder called Gettysburg. When I play Take Command 2nd Manassas, I always play the soundtrack in the background during the game. Sounds great, really adds to the game.

I also have & enjoy (in no special order),
Gods & Generals,
Andersonville
The Horse Soldiers with John Wayne (A Classic)
Glory
The Blue & The Gray
Cold Mountain (for the Siege Of Peterburg)

and don't forget, though not a movie,
The Civil War " A Film By Ken Burns", awesome

Chamberlain

[PhilThib]

I recently saw on RTL TV a minor one called 'Ironclads' which told the story of the battle of Hampton Roads...

[arsan]

Another vote for "the Horse Soldiers"

It have everything: John Ford, John Wayne, William Holden... it even have a good looking southern lady!!
It´s about a Union cavalry raid deep in southern territory with dramatic clashes with second rate confederate units including cadet boys from a military school.
Its a great film on his own... even if you are not interested in ACW
Cheers

[ltc taplett]

Well I actually find Glory rather excellent, if you put aside the overcharacterization of both Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman.

The whole final scene just blew me up (from Broderick's death to the final "screenshot" when the party guided by Elwes find themselves in front of artillery). This movie just convinced me Ed Zwyck was a good director.

Gettysburg is also very very good indeed. I've seen it years ago and still remember it as a pretty good movie on the civil war.

I've heard good rumors about "Gods and Generals" but haven't been able to see it yet. leure:

[John_C]

I really like Gods and Generals. I has good battle scenes. Probably like it more than Gettysburg, which is more localized in one battle, whereas Gods covers more situations.

[Spharv2]

There's a lesser know Civil War movie called "The Hunley" of 1999 I saw
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162897/
which is quite fascinating actually because it tells the story of the first (?) submarine ever used in a war.
http://americancivilwar.com/tcwn/civil_war/naval_submarine.html

First ever successfully used that should be. The Americans used one in the revolution, called the Turtle, though it failed to sink anything. I believe the French and British had both worked on some designs before the Civil War, but I don't think any were actually tested in battle.

[John_C]

Chamberlain,

Yes, I am listening to the complete sound track of Gettysburg and it's really mind blowing and beautiful !

The Ken Burns 9 episode TV series of the Civil War ir very comprehensive and I am just loving it too. Already on episode 7.

I think that anyone interested in the Civil War will enjoy it.

By the way, this is taken from a manual with all the leaders in AACW they just put up here in AGEOD today. Do you know this guy?




What do they exactly mean by "hothead" ?

[Le Ricain]

Chamberlain,

If you go to the 'Officers Room' sub-forum found at the top of this forum, you can find the threads for all the generals found in AACW. The various generals' traits, strategic, offensive and defensive values were reached by concensus.

[christof139]

Toss up for me between Glory and Gettysburg, then the Ironclad Monitor vs. virginia movie, gods and Generals, The Horse Soldiers with JW, Gone With the Wind, Cold Mountain or what ever it is called, Birth of a Nation to some degree, and Burns' documentaries.

Chris

[Chamberlain]

John_C

You have one of the best lines in the Gettysburg that Amistead said. (there were so many !!!!!!!)

I just read it, I can hear him in his voice saying it slowly to his troops as they get ready to attack.

This is one of the great lines in the movie. For more great lines in the Gettysburg (or any other movie for that matter), go to http://www.imdb.com (Very large online movie database).
Search for Gettysburg (movie was 1993), and on the left side of the page under the cover of the movie is "Top Links". Here is where you can find everything about Gettysburg, including "Memorable Quotes", and other cool stuff...

enjoy

Chamberlain

[John_C]

SAD and DEPRESSING

Just finished watching episode 8 of the Ken Burns series, which covers the last months of the Confederate war effort, fall of Richmond, and Lee's surrender.

Is says that Chamberlain (don't remember what rank he had then) was there when the confederates marched over to the Union lines to surrender by the way.

I really felt sad watching this. Although I don't share some of the reasons the Confederates fought for, I just feel bad that they lost against such a superior Industrialized enemy after they had fought so tenaciously and bravely.

leure:

[tc237]

Is says that Chamberlain (don't remember what rank he had then) was there when the confederates marched over to the Union lines to surrender by the way.

This is Mort Kunstler's "Salute of Honor"
I believe it is Chamberlain, with soldiers of the 5th Corps, accepting the surrender.

Here is some nice background and artists remarks about the painting: Link
(By the way, I have a coffee mug of it)

[Chris0827]

Chamberlain was a brigadier general at the time of the surrender.

[John_C]

TC237. Truly moving painting and text in the link you give.

About Chamberlein. He's a connecting character in the two movies, Gettysburg and Gods and Generals.
So what was his rank in the second movie (which is first chronologically in Civil War History)?
I hadn't realized he was such a famous character historically.

[Chamberlain]

TC237. Truly moving painting and text in the link you give.

About Chamberlein. He's a connecting character in the two movies, Gettysburg and Gods and Generals.
So what was his rank in the second movie (which is first chronologically in Civil War History)?
I hadn't realized he was such a famous character historically.

John_C,

I went to http://www.imdb.com website, selected Jeff Daniels who plays Chamberlain, and it pulled up all of the movies he has been in.
It shows in "Gods & Generals" he was Lt.Colonel Chamberlain and in "Gettysburg" it show him as Colonel Chamberlain. I guess he was promoted somewhere in-between the movies

Chamberlain

[soccercw]

John_C,

I went to http://www.imdb.com website, selected Jeff Daniels who plays Chamberlain, and it pulled up all of the movies he has been in.
It shows in "Gods & Generals" he was Lt.Colonel Chamberlain and in "Gettysburg" it show him as Colonel Chamberlain. I guess he was promoted somewhere in-between the movies

Chamberlain

Chamberlin took over just before Gettysburg from Adelbert Ames, who went on to command one of Howards brigades. He developed a form of malaria just a month or so after the battle and was removed from active duty until the spring of 64 where he moved up to command a brigade

[John_C]

I can look it up on the web, but prefer to ask your direct experience, did Chamberlain write any good books about his experience in the Civil War?


Started watching the old mini-series called "The Blue and The Gray". Will comment once I'm more into it.

[soccercw]

I can look it up on the web, but prefer to ask your direct experience, did Chamberlain write any good books about his experience in the Civil War?


Started watching the old mini-series called "The Blue and The Gray". Will comment once I'm more into it.

Chamberlain put his memoirs in a book called "The Passing of the Armies". It's a great souce for any information on him. While the book is "non fiction", there are many on his staff that contest some of the facts in the book. Ellis Spear (who took command of the regiment after Chamberlain) disputes the type of injuries Chamberlain says he sustained. Many also agree that it may have been Lt Holman Melcher who actually started the famous charge at Gettysburg. Melcher has an EXCELLENT book containing his memoirs called "With a Flash of His Sword", which is a great account of what the 20th went through from a guy who went from Corporal to the higher ranks.

Also, you can read the biography "Soul of the Lion" about Chamberlain. I own all 3 of these, and they are great books

[Wardyr]

If I am not mistaken Chamberlain was prompoted in a battle after Gettysburg and it was a post humous promotiuon as they thought he would not live from his wound and was given a battlefield promotion to the Brigadier General, by General Grant, after it was reported in the news papers that he had been killed in battle. If I am not mistaken it was at the Siege of Petersburg.

[Jacek]

Gettysburg by Maxwell was FLAWED! I know it follows the novel, but the impression when you watch the film is that on day 1 of the battle there was only a skirmish with Bufford, on day 2 some action on the Little Round Top and on day 3 there was the Picket's Charge. Maxwell could at least throw us some maps or dialogue explaining what happened in other parts of the battlefield. Hood coming to Lee grumbling about some attack which you don't see - for a moment it was Monty Python!

[bloodybucket]

Hollywood is never going to make a movie "correct" enough for history grogs.

You just have to live with the "artistic License".

[Matthieu Brevet]

For me, the best movie about the ACW is "Ride with the devil". It is one of the very few non-"politically correct" movie about this war.
1/ the main characters are Rebels, for once, which reminded me about one of my favorite WWII movie: "Cross of Iron", with German "heroes".
2/ despite how un-"politically correct" it is, the main characters are more or less openly slaverists and racists. If Jake Roedel's point of view toward Blacks is evolving in time, the film director spared us some pittyful scene like the one between Jackson and the slave in "Gods & Generals", to show us that, despite fighting for the South, he is a nice guy!

I think this movie is the most realistic about what the ACW was. There's no huge battle scenes (but the raid on Lawrence), but it's depicting very well, in my opinion, what kind of war a civil war is. Roedell is taking side for his friends, not for political issues; he is as racist as anybody around him because he'd never seen much Blacks himself & because slavery is the only way he knows ... as it must have been the case for most in the South (and I'm sure, in the North too). And toward the end of the war, the gentlemen's war we use to see in other movie has turned to cold hate, leading to horrors such as the raid on Lawrence.

I also liked "Gettysburg" a lot, even if I agree with what Jacek said about the movie being too restrictive on Longstreet's front. Actors were good, reenactement too, the music was great ...
I liked it so much, that I couldn't wait watching "Gods & Generals", even if this one was hardly available in France. What a disappointment! This (way too long) movie is an endless serie of quotations of the bible by Jackson (who was very religious, I think we got that quickly) or of Roman or Greek authors by Chamberlain. I hope the guy that wrote the dialogs has not been paid much, for he seems to have just been copying full pages from those books! The legendary Jackson was one of my favorite ACW figure before I saw that movie, now I think I hate him!

"The Horse Soldiers", with John Wayne, is also one ACW movie I appreciate, especially because we can hear several times the famous "When Johnny comes marching home" song ... I like the part with the Southern cadets regiment too ...

Matthieu

[gekkoguy82]

gettysburg is indeed my fav, and as soccer said, it got me into the civil war head over heels...Gods and generals....boy what a mess....as for the soundtracks, gettysburg is really good, but james horner's soundtrack for glory is one that should not be overlooked..

[Mr Dimbleby]

Here's my short list of CW films that I've enjoyed:
Glory
Ride with the Devil
Parts of Gettysburg

"Gods and Generals" was possibly the worst war film I've seen, on par with "Thin Red Line". 2/3rds of the the audience left before the end.....this was in Camp Doha, Kuwait.....there's wasn't really anything else to do there aside from visiting the food court. The only reason I stayed was that I made such a big deal about seeing the movie, I was under the misguided impression that they would feature Antietam at some point (if I recall they didn't even mention the battle). The only thing that made "GandG" worth seeing was that they filmed parts of it near where I live.

[Sven6345789]

regarding the picture of the surrender; The General of the Confederates was John B. Gordon commanding the 210 survivors of the original Stonewall Brigade.

regarding movies

a) The Horse Soldiers
b) Ride with the devil (there is also another Movie about missouri with Clint Eastwood, forgot the name)
c) The Blue and the gray ( has been a long time, i remember seeing it in 1982, can't get it on DVD in Germany, a shame really)
d) Gettyburg and Gods and Generals, although the latter isn't as good
e)Cold Mountain
f) Gone with the wind (yes)