Best American Civil War movie?

For me a tie between Gettysburg and Glory.

Same here.
Glory is perhaps a bit better movie for an average viewer.

North and South is epic and the main reason, why I became interested in the Civil War. The other mentioned films are good, too.

Yea, its a good two hours shorter at least and is more story driven. Gettysburg is 90% battle and 10% non-battle, and lasts over 4 hours.

Years ago I tried to make my roommate watch Gettysburg, I think he fell asleep half way through

Originally Posted by Trax

Years ago I tried to make my roommate watch Gettysburg, I think he fell asleep half way through

How can you fall asleep during Gettysburg?

Its four hours of semi-Napoleonic Warfare...

Glory, Cold Mountain. Though very hollywoodish, they are also the least PRO Glorify the war of American Civil War movies. Glory and Cold Mountain bring a more real prespective about the worst parts of the war, including Racism which just wasn't a Southern phenominon.

Glory shows the strong efforts of a few to allow African American Soldiers to fight in the war and prove themselves worthy of bing true Citizens of this Nation, showing the Racism which existed in the Northern Ranks, not some glossy Gettysburg look at Northern views of the Darkies.

Cold Mountain showed some of the worst aspects about the Confederation States of America during the American Civil War, from how brutally they treated their own people, and how ruthless Southern home guard and milita were when most everyone else was off fighting wars they were able to literally do whatever they wished as long as they had suspisions of loyalties, or harbering deserters, and how it was actually one of the CSA's biggest problems was desertion. Really the darkest movie based during the American Civil War.



I take pitty on the souls which are now pushing for a Confederate States of America day style Holiday for the Soutern States, it sickens me. Its kind of like lets make a Holiday in Germany Glorifying WWII, and only talk about how much we kicked everyones butts before we got our butts kicked type thing. Because to me, the American Civil War was one of our nations greatest Tragedies, and only because a few stupid souls pushed a bunch of brainless morons to fight a war to pospone the inevitable.

Outlaw Josey Wales is also very good, especially if you're a fan of Clint Eastwood.

I watched another civil war movie, Cold Mountain, a few days ago. But I can't really recommend this one.

How can you fall asleep during Gettysburg?

Its four hours of semi-Napoleonic Warfare...

I know, doesn't it sound like the best thing ever put to screen

Originally Posted by Trax

I know, doesn't it sound like the best thing ever put to screen

It is, a war movie without trying to force in love interests and cliches, just battle, planning for battle and heroic speeches.

It is, a war movie without trying to force in love interests and cliches, just battle, planning for battle and heroic speeches.

A war movie with all the good stuff and none of the usual bad stuff (like women ).

Cold Mountain

The battle scene was weird. Computer made?
The rest of the movie was fine I guess, but it's telling that I don't remember much of it
while Glory and Gettysburg are in my head all the time.

Originally Posted by Trax

A war movie with all the good stuff and none of the usual bad stuff (like women ).

Its cause it was made by a rich Civil War buff who had enough money he didn't really need to care about making money off it. It also cost around 1/3rd the cost of Saving Private Ryan with a much much larger cast.

Originally Posted by Trax

A war movie with all the good stuff and none of the usual bad stuff (like women ).



The battle scene was weird. Computer made?
The rest of the movie was fine I guess, but it's telling that I don't remember much of it
while Glory and Gettysburg are in my head all the time.

The battle scene, ah I can't remember which battle it was though it was Burnside's Attempt to redeme himself by digging a tunnel to confederate Trenches and blowing it up allowing soldiers to march through the gap and exploit it. Though General Meade took it up with Grant and changed Burnsides order of battle the night before the operation was to start forcing Burnside to send in a Regiment which did not prepare for the operation all because General Meade was a ... bleepHole and didn't want Burnside to ever have a good moment in the entire war. Big explosion, lots of soldiers charging, the film doesn't even show the battle like it really was sadly, though it was my biggest complaint about the film Cold Mountain. But the film isn't about battles unlike the movie Gettysburg, just like Glory, it isn't about the battles its about everything inbetween the battles, something that Gettysburg failed in miserablely.

You mean the Battle of the Crater.

Originally Posted by Future Redleg Officer

You mean the Battle of the Crater.

That was a moment in a siege, I dunno which city though. Burnside came up with a very good plan which should of actually worked and many think it would of if Meade wasn't a bleephole. Burnside had a African American Regiment train to assault the cratered position and they trained for weeks on how they will deploy and such after they arrive creative a double door and keeping it open so the other regiments can pass through and exploit the gap. Burnside's main order was to aavoid going into the Crater, problem is the regiment he put in charge of it after Meade screwed him, never trained for it, he gave a briefing to the commanding officer that night, but the BUM!! Went off into hidding while his regiment went up alone with no command, of course they jumped into the crater and used it as cover after they first started taking fire when the Confederates started to recover which was exactly what Burnside told that Commander not to let his men do as they'd be bogged down, and surrounded before long. The Movie Cold Mountain sadly shows it as the Unions charging into the hole and going WTF!? and getting stuck, which wasn't what happened, it wasn't that big of a hole.

Its cause it was made by a rich Civil War buff who had enough money he didn't really need to care about making money off it.

In case people are interested that would be Ted Turner.

Part of the Siege of Petersburg Campaign

Originally Posted by Future Redleg Officer

Part of the Siege of Petersburg Campaign

Hehe I remember events not time/location.

Gettysburg hands down.

There really aren't any terrific films depicting the Civil War. Glory had some good acting but the film was very cliche. Gettysburg is a good retelling of the events of the battle but it is not a terrific interpretation of the war itself. Despite the poor editing and writing of its sequel, Gods and Generals, Robert Duvalle was actually a much more convincing Robert E. Lee.

However, the Leone spaghetti westerns were excellent at portraying the effects of the Civil War on the land and the population. The climax to The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly was very compelling.

'bout :45 in.