GETTYSBURG (FILM)

:''For other things named Gettysburg, see Gettysburg.''
'''Gettysburg''' is a 1993 movie that dramatizes the decisive Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War. It was directed by Ronald F. Maxwell, who also wrote the screenplay, a close adaptation of Michael Shaara's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1974 novel ''The Killer Angels''.
For the first time, the National Park Service allowed the motion picture industry to recreate and film battle scenes directly on the Gettysburg Battlefield, including scenes of Devil's Den and Little Round Top. However, much of the movie was shot at a nearby Adams County farm. Thousands of Civil War reenactors from across the country volunteered their time and expense to come to Gettysburg to participate in the massive battle scenes.
Media mogul Ted Turner helped bankroll the project (originally planned as a miniseries for TNT), but decided to instead release it in theaters. Although not as successful at the box office as Turner and Maxwell had hoped, the movie became a popular seller on VHS and DVD, and has become a staple of classroom history lessons.
One of the longest films ever released by a Hollywood studio, ''Gettysburg'' runs 254 minutes (4 hours, 14 minutes) on VHS and DVD. A 'Director's Cut', with several extended or deleted scenes, was produced and sold as a part of a special VHS boxed 'Collector's Edition', which also included Mort Künstler's book of Gettysburg paintings, an original Civil War lead Minié ball, some stock photographs of key officers from the battle, and other items. The editor's cut has not appeared on any DVDs to date. Ron Maxwell's 271-minute (4 hours, 31 minutes) Director's Cut has been shown on Turner's TNT Station regularly. This version is not available on DVD.
A prequel, ''Gods and Generals'', was released in 2003.

Contents

Cast

Trivia

References

External links

Cast

★ Jeff Daniels as Col. Joshua Chamberlain

★ Tom Berenger as Lt. Gen. James Longstreet

★ Martin Sheen as Gen. Robert E. Lee

★ Sam Elliott as Brig. Gen. John Buford

★ Stephen Lang as Maj. Gen. George Pickett

★ C. Thomas Howell as Lt. Thomas Chamberlain

★ Kevin Conway as Sgt. "Buster" Kilrain, the only major fictional character

★ Richard Jordan as Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead, in his final role

★ James Lancaster as Lt. Col. Arthur Fremantle

★ Cooper Huckabee as Harrison

★ Joseph Fuqua as Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart

★ Brian Mallon as Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock

★ Royce D. Applegate as Brig. Gen. James L. Kemper

★ Andrew Prine as Brig. Gen. Richard B. Garnett

★ John Rothman as Maj. Gen. John F. Reynolds

★ James Patrick Stuart as Col. Edward Porter Alexander

★ Donal Logue as Capt. Ellis Spear

★ Ted Turner as Col. Waller T. Patton

★ Ken Burns as a staff officer

Trivia

★ This theatrical film, which was produced by Turner Broadcasting, was originally planned as a miniseries for Ted Turner's television station, TNT. Civil War buff Ted Turner even has a cameo in one of the battle scenes as Colonel Waller T. Patton. During Major General Pickett's (Stephen Lang) charge, some Confederate troops come to a fence that they have to climb over. Turner plays the Confederate officer who leads the charge, then gets shot down.

★ Civil War buff Ken Burns, who wrote and directed the epic PBS documentary, ''The Civil War'', has a cameo as the aide to Major General Hancock (Brian Mallon) during Pickett's charge. He can be seen saying "General, please get down. We cannot spare you." to Hancock, to which Hancock replies with his famous quotation, "There are times when a corps commander's life does not count."

★ Other than the actors who play the major parts, all of the soldiers are played by Civil War aficionados who regularly re-enact the battles of the War for their own enjoyment. The extras all paid their own way and even brought their own props and clothing. The battles that they fight in the film are historically accurate as well.

★ There was no actual filming of the action for this picture on the Gettysburg National Battlefield (the area is considered a sacred landmark, and re-enactments of any kind are not allowed by the Park service on the actual battlefield) so all scenes were shot nearby at a similar geographic location. However, still photography (dropped into the backgrounds during production for visual authenticity) was allowed. Unfortunately, when working with the stills taken, the film's editors found that it was impossible to digitally edit out the power lines which traversed the fields where Pickett's charge took place. According to Gettysburg Park Service official account, when the issue was presented to Turner as the reason for production delays, he immediately wrote a personal check to the Township of Gettysburg to cover the expense of putting the power lines underground across that part of the battlefield. Production was delayed until this was done and the new stills were taken. As a result, subsequent visitors to the battlefield can now view the site of Pickett's charge without seeing power lines and telephone poles.

References

★

External links

★ Memorable quotes from the film

★ Sound clips from the film