Gettysburg

A three-day battle of the American Civil War, told in turn from the point of view of commanders on both sides. Decisions are taken over maps and their consequences are seen in the field. The film shows the fighting in wide shots on the real ground; the crowd scenes used volunteer reenactors rather than professional extras. The narrative gives an unusual amount of room to tactical detail. Ronald F. Maxwell directed, with Jeff Daniels, Tom Berenger and Martin Sheen. It is adapted from a novel and was first designed for television. Before watching: it runs over four hours and contains long passages of speech. Its presentation of the Southern side was also criticised for not dealing adequately with the causes of the war.