Gods and Generals (2003)
Average Rating: 3.6/10
Reviews Counted: 121
Fresh: 10 | Rotten: 111
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.
Average Rating: 3.5/10
Critic Reviews: 31
Fresh: 1 | Rotten: 30
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.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.4/5
User Ratings: 8,879
Movie Info
Director Ron Maxwell and producer Ted Turner return to the glory and tragedy of the Civil War in this historical drama, a prequel to Gettysburg, which examines the early days of the conflict through the experiences of three men. Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (Jeff Daniels) left behind a quiet life and a career as a college professor to become one of the Union's greatest military minds. Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson (Stephen Lang) was, like Chamberlain, a man of great religious faith who
Watch It Now
Cast
-
Robert Duvall
Gen. Robert E. Lee -
Stephen Lang
Gen. Thomas 'Stonewall'... -
Jeff Daniels
Joshua Lawrence Chamber... -
Mira Sorvino
Fanny Chamberlain -
Bruce Boxleitner
Lt. General James Longs... -
C. Thomas Howell
Tom Chamberlain -
Frankie Faison
Jim Lewis -
Matt Letscher
Col. Adelbert Ames -
Jeremy London
Alexander "Sandie" Pend... -
William Sanderson
Gen. A. P. Hill -
Kali Rocha
Anna Morrison Jackson -
Brian Mallon
Brig. General Winfield ... -
Mia Dillon
Jane Beale -
Donzaleigh Abernathy
Martha -
George Allen
Confederate Officer -
Bo Brinkman
Major Walter H. Taylor -
Robert Byrd
Confederate General -
Bill Campbell
Gen. George Pickett -
Ryan Cutrona
Gen. Marsena Patrick -
Robert Easton
John Janney -
Joseph Fuqua
Col. J.E.B. Stuart -
Phil Gramm
Virginia Delegate -
Lydia Jordan
Jane Corbin -
Edward Markey
Irish Brigade Officer -
Dana Rohrbacher
20th Maine Officer -
R. E. Turner
Col. Tazewell Patton -
Alex Hyde-White
Ambrose Burnside -
Allison Keith
Capt. James J. White -
Royce D. Applegate
Brig. General James L. ... -
David Carpenter
Rev. Beverly Tucker Lac... -
John Castle
Old Penn -
Bo Gray
Poague -
James Horan
Col. Cummings -
Rosemary Knower
Mary Lincoln -
Tom Mason
Old Man in Fredericksbu... -
Malachy McCourt
Francis P. Blair -
Sean Pratt
Dr. Hunter Holmes McGui... -
John Prosky
Gen. Lewis Armistead -
William Morgan Sheppard
Gen. Isaac Trimble -
Buck Taylor
Gen. Maxcy Gregg -
Kevin Conway
Sgt. Buster Kilrain -
Patrick Gorman
Brig. Gen. John Bell Ho... -
Daniel J. Jesus Manning
Maj. John Harman -
Mark J. Nichols
Surgeon in Fredericksbu... -
Carsten Norgaard
Gen. Darius Nash Couch -
Trent Walker
McClintock -
James Patrick Stuart
Col. E. Porter Alexande... -
-
Keith Flippen
Maj. Gilmore -
Conn Horgan
Dooley -
Scott Allen Cooper
Lt. Joseph Morrison -
Karen Goberman
Lucy Beale -
Scott Davidson
Sam Beale -
Damon Kirsche
Harry McCarthy -
David Foster
Captain Ricketts -
Tim O'Hare
Lt. Col. Clair Mulholla... -
Terry McCrea
Captain -
Fred Griffith
Gen. Robert Rodes -
Dennis Frye
Griffin's Aide -
Mark Aldrich
Adjutant -
Mac Butler
Gen. Joseph Hooker -
Shane Callahan
Bowdoin Student -
Jim Choate
Gen. Bernard Bee -
Martin Clark
Dr. George Junkin -
Chris Clawson
Charles Beale -
Devin Cromwell
Caset Charlie Norris -
Justin Dray
George Jenkins -
Miles Fisher
John Beale -
Bourke Floyd
Longstreet's Courier -
James Garrett
Gen. John Curtis Caldwe... -
Gordon Alexander
Martha's Older Son -
Bo Greigh
Pvt. Pogue -
Karen Hochstetter
Roberta Corbin -
Ben Hulan
Lieutenant -
Sam Hulsey
Julian Beale -
Les Kinsolving
Gen. William Barksdale -
Lew Knopp
Jackson's Courier -
James Thomas Lawler
Another Looter -
Matt Lindquist
Johann Heros Von Borcke -
Doug Lory
2nd Irishman -
Jonathan Maxwell
Capt. Ellis Spear -
Andrew McOmber II
Young Corporal -
Rosemary Meacham
Hattie -
Marquis Moody
Martha's Younger Son -
Peter Neofotis
Wounded Maine Man -
Jasmyn Proctor
Martha's Daughter -
Kyle Prue
Wounded Maine Soldier -
W. Joseph Quam
1st Irishman -
Ted Rebich
Looter #3 -
Tim Ruddy
Pvt. McMillan -
Noel Schwab
Colston's Officer -
Christie Lynn Smith
Catherine Corbin -
Michael Sorvino
Federal Soldier -
Stephen Spacek
Capt. James Power Smith -
Dana Stackpole
Lottie Estelle -
Matthew R. Staley
Lieutenant Boswell -
David Stifel
Rev. David S. Jenkins -
Stephen Leonard Sullivan
Federal Soldier -
Tyler Trumbo
Young Wellford -
Christopher Crutchfield W...
Looter -
Scott Watkins
Gen. Raleigh Colston -
Chris Conner
John Wilkes Booth -
-
-
-
ADVERTISEMENT
Gods and Generals Trailer & Photos
All Critics (124) | Top Critics (31) | Fresh (10) | Rotten (111) | DVD (21)
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.
The procession of monotonous, oddly gore-free battles breaks frequently for bloated speechifying.
Top CriticFour hours including the intermission, I felt like I was seeing the Civil War in real time for awhile there.
It was made strictly by and for Civil War buffs who insist that every pious speech and every skirmish is worthy of filming, even if the end result suffers from serious battle fatigue.
A movie that crams in so many faces, chronological details and endlessly ham-handed stretches of dialogue that the impact of the legitimately moving segments is considerably diminished.
It's a plodding, episodic film, reverent and sanctimonious, and its pro-Southern viewpoint -- a time-honored Hollywood tendency -- makes Gone With the Wind look like a Northern polemic.
Succumbs to turgidity. And...intentionally or not...conveys the impression that the film uncritically celebrates the Confederacy. [Blu-ray]
Meticulous Civil War story runs a little long.
Everybody is so good and decent that it's hard to tell where the generals leave off and the gods start.
A labour of love with special interest to history buffs, this epic film is extraordinary in many ways.
The big battles impress, but become somewhat samey. Part Three is threatened.
Then there is 'Gods and Generals,' cut from the same production cloth as 'Gettysburg' but a film of very loose ends.
You will watch a series of battle re-enactments and wait for a film to break out.
Every shot is fired in sorrow, and there are no villains - except, of course, for the politicians, who remain safely out of the frame.
Thinks it is grand without ever being so.
Imagine watching half of Band of Brothers in one sitting, but with the story moving at a much slower pace.
Incredibly boring and badly acted.
War may be Hell, but in this three-and-a-half-hour Civil War epic from Ronald Maxwell, the syrupy monologues and righteous Bible thumping provide the punishment.
Swapping politics for crass platitudes, Gods and Generals is a monumental folly.
An interesting film weakened by ham-fisted writing and direction and heavy-handed revisionism.
Maxwell has made the, shall we say interesting, decision to change [Stonewall Jackson]God's hellcat into a warm and fuzzy teddy bear.
A stiff and stilted historical pageant that somehow manages to make the savage tumult of thousands pitched against thousands seem not so much dreadul as dreadfully dull.
Full of windy speeches about honor, god, fealty, and so on, the movie comes to a literal standstill whenever one of these noble addresses is about to be delivered.
Stay far away from the three hour-plus Gods and Generals--unless, of course, you need a good nap.
Audience Reviews for Gods and Generals
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
-
- Gen. Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson: Tell me general, do you expect to live till the end of this war?
- Brig. Gen. John Bell Hood: Oh... I do not know, but... I'm inclined to think I will. I expect I will be wounded. And you general?
- Gen. Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson: I do not expect to live to see the end of this war. Nor can I say that without victory I would desire to do so.
-
- Gen. Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson: Tell me general, do you expect to live till the end of this war?
- Brig. Gen. John Bell Hood: Oh... I do not know, but... I'm inclined to think I will. I expect I will be wounded. And you general?
- Gen. Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson: I do not expect to live to see the end of this war. Nor can I say that without victory I would desire to do so.
Discussion Forum
There are no discussion threads for Gods and Generals yet.
What's Hot On RT
John Goodman's Best Movies
Woody Allen in San Francisco
Naomi Watts stars as Princess Di
Pictures from a zombie nation
Featured on RT
- James Gandolfini: 1961-2013 9
- Total Recall: John Goodman's Best Movies 26
- In Pictures: Zombie Nation! 0
- Video Interviews with Cast & Crew of Monsters University 0
- Digital Multiplex: 21 & Over, Quartet, and More 3
- RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Jack the Giant Slayer and Quartet 23
- Box Office Guru Wrapup: Man of Steel Sets June Record 110
Top Headlines
-
Has Brad Pitt Ever Made a Successful Blockbuster?
1
-
Pacific Rim Set Visit Report
0
-
Shailene Woodley Cut from Amazing Spider-Man 2
0
-
Star Wars Casting Breakdown Reportedly Leaks
0
-
Universal Picks Up Dumb and Dumber To
0
-
Sam Taylor-Johnson Directing Fifty Shades of Grey
0
-
The Logan's Run Remake Has a New Writer
1










Gods and Generals is a dry hollow epic thats boring and has woodern acting and camerea work thats nothing short of standered.
Some nice music but thats it this movie is crap lol