Gods and Generals

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Gods and Generals

PG-13

2003

3h 39m

War

History

Drama

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Popcornmeter

8%

Tomatometer

118 Reviews

64%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

A sweeping epic charting the early years of the Civil War and how the campaigns unfolded from Manassas I to the Battle of Fredericksburg, this prequel to the film "Gettysburg" explores the motivations of the combatants and examines the lives of those who waited at home.

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Critics Consensus

Filled with two-dimensional characters and pompous self-righteousness, Gods and Generals is a long, tedious sit. Some may also take offense at the pro-Confederate slant.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

12/24/2010

3/5

Meticulous Civil War story runs a little long.

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Steven D. Greydanus

Decent Films

10/29/2008

C-

Everybody is so good and decent that it's hard to tell where the generals leave off and the gods start.

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Bill Stamets

Chicago Reader

02/27/2007

Maxwell continues his textbook emphasis on military maneuvers, but despite literally thousands of Civil War reenactors recruited for the film, the wide-screen canvas fails to map the tactics or evoke the terror of battle.

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Peter Canavese

Groucho Reviews

05/30/2011

1.5/4

Succumbs to turgidity. And...intentionally or not...conveys the impression that the film uncritically celebrates the Confederacy. [Blu-ray]

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Urban Cinefile Critics

Urban Cinefile

10/18/2008

A labour of love with special interest to history buffs, this epic film is extraordinary in many ways.

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MARUF A

@Maruf6432 Dec 22

Racist Southern Propaganda Piece. Waste of time for non-white non-southern audience.

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Scott W

@Scot_345 Sep 22

They should of called this movie Birth of a Nation Part II

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Caveman TV

Aug 31

It’s very long and boring, in fact the film could’ve been trimmed down by over an hour. But the comments by online, righteous, moral crusaders about the film are far worse.

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Andrew P

Jul 11

Why depict "Stonewall" Jackson as a competent and effective leader? Let's just make him super creepy instead.

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Tom S

Jun 20

Characters, lighting, wardrobes come across like old tacky squeaky clean soap operas. B grade extras with some looking like they had just come from a Beverly Hills shopping spree. Made it through about 20 minutes & realized why put myself thru this.

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John T

11/27/2024

Great movie. Recording an episode in American history. Of course in modern times we are required to judge history and accord such records as good or evil remembering history and showing it remains important. This is a fictional account so isn’t 100% accurate but is still valuable.

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Ronald F. Maxwell

Director

Jeff Daniels

Colonel Joshua Chamberlain

Stephen Lang

General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson

Robert Duvall

General Robert E. Lee

Mira Sorvino

Fanny Chamberlain

Kevin Conway

Sergeant 'Buster' Kilrain

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Synopsis

A sweeping epic charting the early years of the Civil War and how the campaigns unfolded from Manassas I to the Battle of Fredericksburg, this prequel to the film "Gettysburg" explores the motivations of the combatants and examines the lives of those who waited at home.

Director: Ronald F. Maxwell
Producer: Ronald F. Maxwell
Screenwriter: Ronald F. Maxwell, Jeff Shaara
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Ted Turner Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Sustained Battle Sequences)
Genre: War, History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 21, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 1, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $12.9M
Runtime: 3h 39m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, Dolby SR, SDDS, Dolby Stereo, DTS, Surround, Dolby A
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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