"Gods & Generals" Director's Cut to be Premiered

[jurgitemvaletem]

Re: "Gods & Generals" Director's Cut to be Premiered

Lt. Chamberlain: "The donuts, sir. They're...they're..."

*Colonel Chamberlain stares hard at Lieutenant Chamberlain, looking concerned.*

Col. Chamberlain: "Well, what is it?! What is it?!"
Lt. Chamberlain: "I'm afraid they've all been eaten, sir."

*Colonel Chamberlain places his hand to his hat, removing it from his head.*

Col. Chamberlain: "Are...are you certain they're all gone?"

*Lieutenant Chamberlain nods solemnly.*

*Dramatic pause: Colonel Chamberlain looks off into the distance.*

Col. Chamberlain: "You find more Lieutenant, is that understood?"
Lt. Chamberlain: "Sir! Yes, sir!"

*Lieutenant Chamberlain begins to ride off.*

Col. Chamberlain: "Jelly!"

*Lieutenant Chamberlain stops and turns his horse around.*

Lt. Chamberlain: "Sir?"
Col. Chamberlain: "Jelly, I said. Be sure to find some jelly."
Lt. Chamberlain: "Yes, uh, I'll see what I can find."
Col. Chamberlain: "Thank you, Thomas...thank you."

Oh my god!

Okay, I have to tell the story now! Some of the fellows from the 30th OVI were there for various stages of the filming. One week a small group went over for the filming of Antietem/Fredricksburg. The had with them a younger fellow, about 16 at the time. During part of the filming Jeff Daniels had a tent for relaxation, close to the mess tent ofcourse. One morning as the fellows were standing in line to get their chow the 16 year old spots a doughnut sitting on a table at the next tent over. Feeling his hunger pains growing he hops out of line, grabs the doughnut and demolishes it in seconds. The next thing he know Jeff Daniels is coming out of the tent, notices his doghnut is missing and loses it. He starts going off about how that was the last powdered jelley filled doughnut on site. The boy quickly makes a break for it before Daniels sees his powdered hands and heads for his camp.

True story! The guy is no longer with us, but everyone remembers the story pretty well!

[Micah Trent]

Re: "Gods & Generals" Director's Cut to be Premiered

You know, the funny side to all of this is in actuality, no matter what kind of CW film is made in the future, wether good quality, bad quality, good actors or bad actors, authentics or none, we would still rip it apart piece by piece looking for every little flaw or something we didn't agree with. It comes natural!!! We can't help it.
:beer_yum: Beer anyone?

[JustRob]

Re: "Gods & Generals" Director's Cut to be Premiered

Listen to that:

.....

It's the sound of no one giving a d-mn.

[Strawfoot]

Re: "Gods & Generals" Director's Cut to be Premiered

Hallo!

Ah, for the heddy Way Back Daze of the 1st Golden Era of the AC Forum, when modern movies were forboten. ;) :) :)

"Director's Cuts' IMHO are clever ways to recycle and try to revive profits from DVD sales and rentals by adding deleted scenes and tacking on History Channel features, trailers, etc. Sometimes the "deleted" or "Edited" scenes are found as "special features" on DVD Disk No. 2, and sometimes, rarely, they actually readd them into the movie itself.

Curt
Who has not yet watched "King Kong the Director's Cut" DVD that has been sitting by the TV for months Mess

Though I generally agree with you regarding Director's cuts, I feel the one released for Kingdom of Heaven was SUPERB. On Kevin OB's OTB review & recommendation I actually went out and bought a copy. I was NOT disappointed.

Gods an Generals was an all around disaster. I feel it set the hobby of re-enacting (plus public interest in the Civil War) back for years.

On a side note, I personally don't feel the idea of a good Civil War movie is a complete joke. I'd love to see a Spielberg/Tom Hanks endeavor (just got through watching Charlie Wilson's War). It would have to be in the same vein as a Private Ryan, where there is a credible main plot and the war itself is actually a backdrop. I think if the absolute realism of the hardship and horrors of that conflict were brought to the big screen, ala the d-Day scene in Saving Private Ryan, public interest would zoom. I've heard here on this forum that an awesome movie script could be made from "Glory Enough for All," where the main plot would be the digging on the mine at Petersburg.

Great subplots ie. a regiment of coal miners from Pennsylvania, Colored Troops training for the shock assault, all against the ghastly backdrop of trying to end almost four years of slaughter. You wouldn't even need any high priced actors, though George Clooney might make a good colonel of the 48th PA. They could put a small budget in there to hire out some hard core re-enactors (maybe 500 @ $1,000/per), and some other background fluff.

Hanks and Spielberg are big on history. Maybe they'll get around to the Civil War one of these days.


Mike Phineas
Arlington, TX

[cap tassel]

Re: "Gods & Generals" Director's Cut to be Premiered

It would have to be in the same vein as a Private Ryan, where there is a credible main plot and the war itself is actually a backdrop. I think if the absolute realism of the hardship and horrors of that conflict were brought to the big screen, ala the d-Day scene in Saving Private Ryan, public interest would zoom.

I've thought the same thing but then I also believe Americans have a superficial, romantic conception of the civil war which makes it uninterpretable in respects the way a Saving Private Ryan can be made and accepted by the public. I don't think Americans would want to see the civil war removed from the velvet Elvis room it's sat for so long to watch what canister actually does. We're not able to take it I don't think.

[Parault]

Re: "Gods & Generals" Director's Cut to be Premiered

They could put a small budget in there to hire out some hard core re-enactors (maybe 500 @ $1,000/per), and some other background fluff.


Mike Phineas
Arlington, TX

That is not going to happen. As long as the powers that be in the movie companies go out to events and say" Hey any of you guys want to be in a Civil War Movie? We will give you some T-shirts and other trinkets." There will be reenactors that say "uuuhhhhh okay." Never mind that they are doing everything they can to get around labor laws. They will go across the pond to Europe and use those people over there for .20 hr.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: "Gods & Generals" Director's Cut to be Premiered

Hallo!

True, although I think they paid the Romanian diary farmer ("Cold Mountain") far more for moving his cows "off set" than they would have paid any "reenactor extras." :(

Speaking of beating Dead Horses again... ;) :)

Before the Federal Reenactor Protection and Relocation Program, I was one of a number of lads who "led" the boycott of "Killer Angles" which became "Gettysburg." And still grouse about the continued precedent set by "Gettysburg" for "Gods and Generals" in spite of the so-called "Core Group" concept (that turned to cronyism and politics in the end anyways).

But, there are daze now when I wonder, what did "we" accomplish" in the filming of "Gettysburg" and "Gods and General's by "boycotting?"
IMHO, the precedent was set and established, and the "historical quality" of the visuals suffered when the "authentic" community staying away was replaced by the so-called Farb and Mainstream community who went rushing in to fill the void.
Years later, by and large, the names of the "boycotters" and the "boycots" themselves are forgotten or unknown, but the reenactors on the screen remain as does (mostly) the Precedent.

Regarding the other, my Hollywood pard, an art and set director on a number of TV shoes as "Wonder years," and movies such as "Hunt for Red October," 'Courage Under Fire," and "The Patriot" wrote a nice open-letter to reenactors warning them of creating and setting the Precedent."
But as he privately shared with me, he had a dispute with the director of "Courage Under Fire." And was rebuffed over his issues with accuracy and authenticity with the statement, "There are only four people in the country who know the difference, and I am talking to one of the four."

In the end, as we often discuss over and over... the purpose of most all Hollywood movies is to entertain to the level of generating profits- not depict actual or factual history as education.
Granted, films such as "Saving Private Ryan" and its brother, "Band of Brothers" showed that Hollywood can add a greater (but not perfect) depiction of history when they want to.
But in the end, IMHO, the only way "we" would be anywhere near somewhat happy with a Civil War movie, would be if "we" supervised its production. And that is NEVER going to happen. :tounge_sm

Curt
Federal Reenactor Protection and Relocation Program

[Ian McWherter]

I've thought the same thing but then I also believe Americans have a superficial, romantic conception of the civil war which makes it uninterpretable in respects the way a Saving Private Ryan can be made and accepted by the public. I don't think Americans would want to see the civil war removed from the velvet Elvis room it's sat for so long to watch what canister actually does. We're not able to take it I don't think.

You're absolutely right. Cutting through the "myth" and "lore" of the Civil War and all the "lost cause" romanticism at this point in time is almost impossible. Cold Mountain taught me that we are a long....ways away from ever interpreting the actual history of the war or American society at that time in a manner that is accurate and respectful to the people of the past. Every Yankee is an abolitionist or a pyromaniac rapist right? And every Southerner is a drunken sex crazed hill billy racist or a chivalrous son of the planter society with the most ridiculously fake accent possible right?

Are we actually surprised Hollywood can't get it right? 90% of the Reenacting and Living History community can't even get it right, and these are the people that truly care about history!

Not that Hollywood can never get it "right", anyone remember Master & Commander? While there might be authenticity flubs, I think overall the filmmakers did a remarkable job. The result? A film that barely broke even at the box office, the most common complaint by your average "movie goer"? "I couldn't understand what they were saying." Or, "I didn't understand what was going on." What is it with the American movie going public that every film's story line has to be so obvious and dumbed down for anyone to follow?

Really, if we want an accurate Civil War or just about any film pertaining to American History to be done right we need to cross the pond and let the talented folks over at the BBC show us how period films are made. Year after year I'm always surprised at the quality of period films coming out of the BBC, do you think their recent adaptation of Charles Dickens Bleak House could've ever been done on American television?

Probably the best Mid-19th century war flick I've ever seen was the 1968 version of Charge of the Light Brigade. Terrific attention to detail, the civilian and military clothing was very well done. The filmmakers did take quite a bit of "creative license" with the actual history of the Light Brigade such as: Capt. Nolan was actually a member of the 15th Hussars not the 11th, it was rumored he had an affair with Mrs. Duberly not his friend's wife, the famous "Black Bottle" incident involved another officer...and so on, but I feel the film did a very good job of capturing the overall spirit and attitude of England at that time.

Mods, where the heck did my signature go?

[Shockoe Hill Cats]

Re: "Gods & Generals" Director's Cut to be Premiered

Not that Hollywood can never get it "right", anyone remember Master & Commander?

Interesting point, and I totally agree. This film is one of my favourites, for one, because it was definitely what filmmakers call a "process film", a very British-produced style. As the audience, we see how a man-of-war operates on a day to day basis: the shifts of the day and night crew, anxiety of preparing for battle, and most prominent, what it takes to hunt down an enemy ship.

Personally, I think that this works well for this subject. The trials of a crew operating a naval vessel is most certainly a process. I do think this could work for our era, but I'd still have some reservations. Of course, we (military players) have to deal with the monotony of waking up for role call, performing company drill, going into battle, etc. But as was Master and Commander, I should think a director would want to emphasize the reality and genuine personalities of soldiers too.

The balance between those two areas is... hard to do. And I think Hollywood culture has taught us to just "sugarcoat it with a layer of BS" instead of taking on a challenge.

Well, that made my mind a little clearer too! Thanks. And for the record, I think the film won two Academy Awards (or was nominated) for cinematography and sound?

MODS: Pardon us if some of these discussions should more appropriately be in the "Best Civil War films (or rather, the lack thereof)" thread.

[swamp two]

Re: "Gods & Generals" Director's Cut to be Premiered

I thought it was a good movie but I was a little drunk that night. I look forward to seeing the extended version. But there are no plans at this time to put it out on DVD it seems.

I don't think I would go see a movie of this length at the theater though. I think a DVD version would be the way to go.

[Yellowhammer Rebel]

Re: "Gods & Generals" Director's Cut to be Premiered

I personally would not mind seeing the 1 hour of deleted Sharpsburg footage that they cut from the original movie bec. people said it would be to long. If that kind of stuff aint in it its a definite no go for me.

Yellowhammer Rebel

[DougCooper]

Re: "Gods & Generals" Director's Cut to be Premiered

Very, very well said Ian!!!

Abel - never been that drunk, but do share what you were imbibing that night!!

But hope springs eternal this morning: http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/...ad.php?t=17738

[Strawfoot]

Re: "Gods & Generals" Director's Cut to be Premiered

That is not going to happen. As long as the powers that be in the movie companies go out to events and say" Hey any of you guys want to be in a Civil War Movie? We will give you some T-shirts and other trinkets." There will be reenactors that say "uuuhhhhh okay." Never mind that they are doing everything they can to get around labor laws. They will go across the pond to Europe and use those people over there for .20 hr.

Are you kidding me? Have you been to Europe lately? I was in the Czech Republic just last month, and the dollar was absolutely getting pummeled. The CZECH REPUBLIC.

BTW, I have a little more faith in a team of Spielberg and Hanks when it comes to realism while portraying civil war combat. And I'm not talking about the fluff of who's cravat is more authentic, or what mystery jacket this or that extra is wearing. I'm speaking of bringing the truth of the civil war experience to life instead of that crap Ron Maxwell was shovelling.


Mike Phineas
Arlington, TX

[GrumpyDave]

Re: "Gods & Generals" Director's Cut to be Premiered

Well, well. How much blood can Maxwell get out of this turnip? I need to start looking for a copy in the bargan rack at Wally World.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: "Gods & Generals" Director's Cut to be Premiered

Hallo!

"How much blood can Maxwell get out of this turnip?"

Depends upon how many fall off the cart, as some always seem to do.
;) :)

Curt