The world around us fluctuates with a struggle between war and peace. Ronald Maxwell’s latest American Civil War epic, “”Gods and Generals,”” brings to the big screen a similar struggle that took place centuries ago on American soil: a divided nation’s struggle for freedom.
“”Gods and Generals”” is a prequel to Maxwell’s 1993 Civil War epic, “”Gettysburg.”” While the first film focused on the culmination of the Civil War, “”Gods”” focuses instead on the battle of Fredericksburg, where the Union suffered its greatest defeat at the hands of the Confederacy. The principle character in the film is Confederate General “”Stonewall”” Jackson, played by Stephen Lang (“”Tombstone””), whose power as a leader rivals that of General Robert E. Lee (Robert Duvall).
“”Gods and Generals”” does not rely on any new plot formula; rather, it uses the epic subject that is the Civil War. Central to the focus of the film are the emotions of all those involved in the war, from the generals to their wives to the slaves on the verge of emancipation. Maxwell draws upon the deep desires for freedom on both sides of the battle lines. It becomes clear that the Confederate generals love their God, their state and their wives — in that order. Many of them, including Lang’s Jackson, do not fight to maintain slavery, but rather to maintain the independence of the state of Virginia. Conversely, and yet very similarly, the Union soldiers fight not only for emancipation, but also the freedom of the country as a whole.
One of the most touching scenes of the film takes place during the heat of the Fredericksburg battle, where two Irish battalions fight each other. Compounded by the severity of watching the Union men march into an open field to face bullets and cannons are the tears of their fellow Confederate Irish, who weep as they shoot down their immigrant brothers.
An equally poignant scene occurs when the barrel of a Confederate cannon blows up, sending several of the Confederate generals, including Lee, to the ground amid gun powder and shards of metal. Perhaps this is Maxwell’s way of saying that hindsight is 20/20, and leaves the question open to the audience as to what the rest of American history would have been like had Lee and his fellow generals died in such a fluke accident.
While Duvall does portray a composed Lee, he comes across as a geriatric gray fox and is unable to exercise his acting capacities. Lang, however, does a marvelous job as Jackson, drawing upon deep religious convictions and giving the most realistic performance of the entire film. His portrayal of Jackson alone is reason for watching the four-hour film.
Yes, it’s true, the epic nature of “”Gods”” goes beyond the war and permeates every facet of the film. This is one of its downfalls; that, and the poor quality of digital effects that are used to recreate the townships of Fredericksburg. It also becomes clear as the film progresses that it is impossible to get thousands of extras to recreate battle scenes with realistic zeal, especially when hand-to-hand combat is called for.
Granted, a mega-movie about the Civil War will not be most college students’ call to arms. However, for the sake of better understanding the convictions of the United States, it is worth watching the Union blue and Confederate gray blend together into one mass of color on the American battlefields. Hell, even watching half the movie will be enough.
Gods and Generals
***
Starring Robert Duvall, Jeff Daniels and Stephen Lang
In theaters Feb. 21
Rated R