"The Battle of Gettysburg" movie

Year: 1993

Type: War/Drama/History

Region: USA

Production Company:

Language: English

Release Date: Thursday, January 7, 1993

English Title: Gettysburg

Director: Ronald F. Maxwell

Cast: Tom Berenger / Martin Sheen / Stephen Lang / Jeff Daniels / Richard Jordan / Kieran Mulroney

Statistics: Subscribed by 170 people

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107007 (7.7/10 (11,889 votes))

Synopsis:

On July 1, 1863, 150,000 soldiers met at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, under the fateful circumstances. Each side fought for their ideal of democracy, and in the end, one-third of them fell silently in the fields. Their sacrifices created a turning point in the Civil War, known historically as the "Battle of Gettysburg."

The Battle of Gettysburg marked a pivotal moment in the entire Civil War. At the start of this battle, General Robert E. Lee of the Confederate Army intended to march northward, hoping that this campaign would stimulate the North's willingness for peace or at least halt the Union's attempt to unify the South. Leading 75,000 Southern troops, he encountered General George Meade's 97,000 Northern Union soldiers near Gettysburg, leading to an intense battle.

If you ask American filmmakers which is the best film about the Civil War, they might first mention "Glory," followed by "Gettysburg." However, if you ask American historians which film most authentically and grandly portrays the Civil War, they will undoubtedly choose "Gettysburg." If there were ever a selection for the sole epic film about the Civil War, only "Gettysburg" could be nominated. With its panoramic historical depiction, vivid character portrayals, realistic war scenes, profound reflections on humanity, and of course, its length of 4 hours and 21 minutes, it leaves an incredibly profound impression.

Trivia:

- This film was released in the fall of 1993 and is considered one of the greatest war films in cinema history. In the summer of 1994, it aired on the TNT network, becoming the highest-rated cable TV movie. The VHS and DVD sales reached millions.

- Composer Randy Edelman initially refused to score the film because it was expected to last six hours and required a large number of musical pieces. However, after seeing the opening sequence, he immediately agreed to take on the task.

- Besides professional actors, over 13,000 volunteers participated in the filming.

- The role of General Lee, played by Martin Sheen, was originally intended for William Hurt, but the company financing the film withdrew its support, causing William Hurt to leave. Tommy Lee Jones was also invited but had prior commitments. Robert Duvall also discussed the role with the producers and even prepared for it, although he was eventually replaced by Martin Sheen, he fulfilled his wish in the sequel "Gods and Generals."

- Richard Jordan’s last film.

- The original title of the film was "The Killer Angels."

- From the initial idea, scriptwriting to final editing and post-production, the film took 15 years.

- Charles Lester Kinsolving, who portrayed General Barksdale, is indeed a descendant of General Barksdale.

- George Lazenby insisted on waiting until his beard grew before starting his role.

- A background actor died in the hospital from a sudden heart attack during filming.

- Due to the modern buildings surrounding the real Lutheran Theological Seminary, the production team had to spend $40,000 to rebuild the seminary.

- Because the film lasts more than four hours, theaters could only show it twice a day, yet it still ranked among the top 10 box office hits.

- The film initially had two endings.

- The first day's battle scenes were entirely filmed by the second unit.

- Tom Berenger loved playing General Longstreet so much that he later opened a "Longstreet Irish Pub."

- When the film was first released, only 124 theaters across the United States showed it. It quickly received overwhelming praise, and the number of theaters showing it doubled.

- Most of the tent scenes were shot during the day but were supposed to happen at night according to the script. Therefore, the production team used tents made of blackout material.

- To prevent scaring the horses and injuring the riders, most of the explosion sound effects in the film were added during post-production.

- Initially, the TNT network wanted to broadcast the film as a TV series. However, after Ted Turner, the owner of TNT, saw some parts of the film, he realized it should not be a TV series and should instead be shown in theaters, distributed by New Line Cinema.

- During the screening period, due to the film's length, most theaters did not play previews of other films before showing this main feature.

Fun Facts:

- Emile O. Schmidt, who plays General Gibbon, is the head of the drama department at Gettysburg College.

Goofs:

- The artillery used by both sides in combat has little or no recoil when fired, clearly indicating that the cannons contained only gunpowder.

- An air conditioning fan can be seen in front of one of the farms.

- In the marching scene before the battle begins, a soldier is drumming but no drum sounds are heard.

Notable Quotes:

Lt. Gen. James Longstreet: "You know what's gonna happen? I'll tell you what's gonna happen. Troops are now forming behind the line of trees. When they come out, they'll be under enemy long-range artillery fire. Solid shot. Percussion. Every gun they have. Troops will come out under fire with more than a mile to walk. And still within the range of aimed muskets. They'll be slowed by that fence out there, and the formation will disintegrate. As they cross that road, they'll be under short-range artillery. Canister fire. Thousands of little bits of shrapnel wiping holes in the lines. If they get to the wall without breaking up, there won't be many left."

James: "Do you know what will happen? Let me tell you. The troops are now gathering behind the line of trees. When they emerge, they will be under enemy long-range artillery fire—solid shots, percussion rounds, every cannon they have. The troops will advance under fire for more than a mile. And still within the range of aimed muskets. They'll be slowed by the fence out there, losing their formation. As they cross that road, they'll be under short-range artillery fire—canister rounds. Thousands of small shrapnel pieces will tear through the ranks. If they reach the wall without breaking, there won't be many left."