MarsRobert wrote:I thought it would be cool as an aside to post my take on the Civil War movies I've seen; both the ones I liked and the ones I thought, if not always bad films, were questionable as Civil War movies. Please by all means share your thoughts, especially on Civil War films I may not have seen. Also, it seemed appropriate to post this in the AGEOD Civil War forum, though I would understand if the admin decided to put it in the General Discussion Forum since it is only indirectly related to AEGOD's great Civil War game....
Are we talking about films about the Civil War or films that take place during the period? Let me address your list.
Ted Turner's Gettysburg and Glory - two excellent CW films. Top notch, no doubt. It helps to have read Shaara's The Killer Angels first. BTW, for those of you who have never been to Boston Common - the plaque of the 54th is huge, about six feet by four, at least, set in monumental stone.
N&S - wasn't there, didn't buy the popcorn. Sorry. Miniseries are a separate art form, IMHO, but I know where you're coming from.
The Beguiled - have seen a good bit, but need to see the entire film. Not a CW film. Could've been set in the Revolution, or WWI - but I could be tremendously wrong, which is why we need to see things title to credits.
RBOC - saw Mr. Thomas years ago and think I saw Audie. Hazy recollections, but good memories.
G&G - didn't see. Girlfriend at the time went to see it. Her response? "It helps to like Stonewall Jackson - a lot." My impression is of a slow, ponderous movie. Another 90 minutes? Yikes.
Lincoln - didn't see. Not enough good pics about Abe - good ones. He gets lots of walk ons, but few treatments about a very complex man who is probably the single most important figure in American history, with the exception of Washington.
Ride with the Devil - yeah, I think I saw that recently. Not bad at all. Thoughtful, IMO. Has a good look & feel to it.
B&G - same remarks per above for N&S.
Josey Wales - qualifies as a CW movie, because the war is pertinent to the story. Can't be reset in the Revolution, for example, pertinent themes. A very, very good film and probably Eastwood's finest role in a Western, other than Unforgiven.
GBU - sorry, no. Have seen it all the way through, once. Lesse - no, that's not how you storm or defend a bridge, even an eight year old would be yelling 'Stop!' after ten minutes. Some good moments and Leone tries really hard, but the dusty magic is not quite there in this one. A much longer, but stick with it, it's a great film (although the score is somewhat too operatic and bombastic for my taste) is Once Upon a Time in the West by Leone.
And now, GWTW - not a CW film, per se. Could not be reset in another period, but is not a CW film. What GWTW is, is one of the handful of films that one never tires of seeing, all of it, stop what you're doing right now and Watch This. I saw it in the theater when I was fourteen. It's so good, that when intermission came, I turned to my elder sister and said, "What a great film!" Yes, it's that good, next time you see it, tell me if you don't think that the first half works as a melodramatic, very good, although not great, story all in itself. Now for the rest. GWTW is quite simply, one of the standards we use when discussing Stupendously Great, Over the Top Awesome Films of All Time. It is the story of one of the most fascinating characters given to us in film, a story that breaks your heart, although Scarlett can be unlikable and richly deserves her rebuke by Rhett. It is a film for adults, for mature people who can examine their consciences and reflect on their own failings. It teaches us a different lesson every time we see it and yet never loses sight of the central theme of frailty and justice. As much as she deserves her fate, we hope Scarlett can win Rhett back, if only she can grow up and be the whole human and woman that she could be, that she clearly can be, but seems not to want to try to be. I've been crying for Scarlett and myself every time I see it. As someone once said, borrowing another's observation about Huckleberry Finn (the book): "There was nothing before it; there's been nothing as good since."
