Taglines: The nations heart was touched by….
The film centers on the life of Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson, the God-fearing and militarily brilliant yet eccentric Confederate general, from the outbreak of the American Civil War until its halfway point when Jackson, while on a night ride with his staff to plan the next day’s battle, is accidentally shot by his own soldiers in May 1863 while commanding at the Battle of Chancellorsville.
It also follows Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and Winfield Scott Hancock. Chamberlain is a Maine college professor who is appointed a Lieutenant Colonel and becomes second-in-command of the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The film prominently features the Battles of Bull Run (1st Manassas), Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville. The film’s original running time clocked in at nearly 6 hours (much like the original running time of Gettysburg). The longer version featured the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg) as well as an entire plot following the American actor and future assassin John Wilkes Booth and his colleague Henry Harrison (from Gettysburg).
This film opens with Colonel Robert E. Lee’s resignation from the Union Army, accompanied by the perspectives of various politicians, teachers, and soldiers as the south secedes from the Union and both sides prepare for war. Major Jackson, who is a professor at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington at the outset of the war, leaves his family behind to do battle at Manassas Junction.
Jackson is asked by a retreating General Barnard Bee for assistance against the Federal army who is pursuing them after a brief stand on Matthews Hill. In rallying his shaken troops, Bee launches the name of Stonewall into history and the Confederates rout the Federals at Henry House Hill. Jackson maintains steadfast discipline in his ranks during the battle despite suffering a wound to his left hand from a spent ball.
Gods and Generals is an American period war drama film written and directed by Ronald F. Maxwell. It is an adaptation of the 1996 novel of the same name by Jeffrey Shaara and prequel to Maxwell’s 1993 film Gettysburg. The film stars Stephen Lang as Stonewall Jackson, Jeff Daniels as Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Chamberlain and Robert Duvall as General Robert E. Lee.
Gods and Generals
Directed by: Ron Maxwell
Starring: Stephen Lang, Robert Duvall, Jeff Daniels, David Carpenter, Billy Campbell, Donzaleigh Abernathy
Screenplay by: Ron Maxwell
Production Design by: Michael Z. Hanan
Cinematography by: Kees Van Oostrum
Film Editing by: Corky Ehlers
Costume Design by: Richard La Motte
Set Decoration by: Casey Hallenbeck
Music by: Randy Edelman, John Frizzell
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sustained battle sequences.
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: February 21, 2003