Gettysburg

Director: Ronald F. Maxwell, Ron Maxwell Ronald F. Maxwell

Overview

"The Civil War epic Gettysburg receives the star treatment from Warner with some spectacular results. Image quality is far better than would be expected. The picture, which is framed at the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and employs an anamorphic transfer, is nicely detailed with strong colors and excellent detail. The sound is also very impressive. A new 5.0 Dolby Digital is balanced very well between dialogue, sound effects, and music. None of these elements overwhelms the other making for a smart sound mix. Also available is a surround track in French and subtitles in English and French. The big surprise for this title is the number of supplemental features. Of strong interest is a commentary track from director/screenwriter Ronald F. Maxwell, cinematographer Kees Van Oosrum, author James M. McPherson, and historian Craig Symonds. While there are significant gaps between comments (only selected scenes have commentary), this track is still filled with fascinating information, both from the filmmaking and historical perspectives. In addition are two documentaries, the first hosted by actor Martin Sheen and covers the making of this film, while the second, the Oscar-nominated ""The Battle of Gettysburg,"" narrated by Leslie Nielsen, takes a look at the battle in general. Both are fascinating in their own respects, and are complimented with a short ""location"" featurette with additional footage taken on the set. Finally rounding out this fine disc are the theatrical trailer and television spots, plus filmographies for some of the cast and the director, a battlefield map, and some additional interviews with the cast and crew. If there is one complaint about this DVD, it's the reluctance of Warner to use two discs for longer movies. At four-plus hours, most studios would split the movie over two discs, but in the case of Gettysburg, a DVD-18 has been used, meaning the movie is split over two sides, each with two layers, possibly creating problems with handling. Still, that is a small complaint for such a nice overall package."

Product Details

Release Date:	02/03/2004
UPC:	0053939613926
Original Release:	1993
Rating:	PG
Source:	Turner Home Ent
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	4:14:00
Sales rank:	8,310

Special Features

Soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.0; New digital transfer; "The Making of Gettysburg" documentary narrated by Martin Sheen; Vintage Oscar-nominated documentary: "The Battle of Gettysburg" narrated by Leslie Nielsen; Cast/crew interview gallery; Battlefield maps; Feature-length audio commentary by director/screenwriter Ronald F. Maxwell, cinematographer Kees Van Dostrum, Pulitzer Prize-winning author James M. McPherson, and military historian Craig Symonds; Interactive menus; Theatrical trailer; TV Spots; Cast/Director filmographies; Scene access; Languages and subtitles: English, Français

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Tom Berenger	Lt. Gen. James Longstreet
Martin Sheen	Gen. Robert E. Lee
Jeff Daniels	Col. Joshua Chamberlain
Richard Jordan	Gen. Lewis Armistead
Sam Elliott	Gen. John Buford
Stephen Lang	Gen. George Pickett
Andrew Prine	Gen. Richard B. Garnett
C. Thomas Howell	Lt. Thomas Chamberlain
Kevin Conway	Sergeant `Buster' Kilrain
Royce D. Applegate	Brigadier General James L. Kemper
Maxwell Caulfield	Colonel Strong Vincent
Richard Anderson	General George Gordon Meade
Kieran Mulroney	Major G. Moxley Sorrel
Ted Turner	Lieutenant Colonel W.T. Patton
Patrick Gorman	Major General John Bell Hood
Cooper Huckabee	Henry T. Harrison
James Lancaster	Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Fremantle
Brian Mallon	Major General Winfield Scott Hancock
John Rothman	Major General John F. Reynolds
Morgan Sheppard	Major General Isaac R. Trimble
Bo Brinkman	Major Walter H. Taylor
Tim Ruddy	Major Charles Marshall
Ivan Kane	Captain Thomas J. Goree
George Lazenby	Brigadier General J. Johnston Pettigrew
Warren Burton	Major General Henry Heth
MacIntyre Dixon	Major General Jubal A. Early
Joseph Fuqua	Major General Jeb Stuart
Tim Scott	Lieutenant General Richard S Ewell,Lieutenant General Richard S Ewell
Alex Harvey	Major Hawkins
Charles Lester Kinsolving	Brigadier General William Barksdale
Ted Kozlosky	Confederate Lieutenant
Henry Atterbury	Lee's Aide
Graham Winton	Major General Robert E Rodes
Curtiss Bradford	Another Officer,Another Officer
Daniel Chamblin	Confederate Officer
Patrick Falci	Lieutenant General Ambrose Powell Hill
Greg Ginther	Rodes' Courier
George Heffner	Another Officer
Tom Landon	2nd Texas Solider
Michael Tennessee Lee	Rebel Prisoner
Steve Leone	An Officer
Tom Mays	Early's Courier
Donal Logue	Captain Ellis Spear
Ken Burns	Hancock's Aide
Frank McGurgan	Old Sergeant
Peter Miller	Pender's Courier
Arnold Nisley	Sergeant
Ted Rebich	Dr. Cullen
Curtis Utz	1st Texas Soldier
C. George Werner	Another Officer
Joe Ayer	Banjo & Guitar Player,Banjo & Guitar Player
Josh Mauer	Colonel James C. Rice
William Campbell	Lieutenant Pitzer,Capt. Atherton W. Clark
David Carpenter	Colonel Thomas C. Devin
Dwier Brown	Captain Brewer
Herb Mitchell	Sergeant Andrew J. Tozier
Emile O. Schmidt	Brigadier General John Gibbon
Daniel Baumann	2nd Private
James Patrick Stuart	Col. E. Porter Alexander
Joy Todd	Actor
Buck Taylor	Col. William Gamble
John Diehl	Private Bucklin
Michael Callahan	Bearded Man
David Cole	Buford's Aide
John Fitzpatrick	Old 2nd Maine Man
Robert Lucas	Guard, 118th Pennsylvania
Mark Moses	Sgt. Owen
Leonard Termo	Cpl. George F. Estabrook
Michael Phillips	Soldier #4 20th Maine
John Durant	Fiddle and Guitar Player
William Morgan Sheppard	Maj. Gen. Isaac R. Trimble
Randy Edelman	Composer

Technical Credits

Ronald F. Maxwell

Michael Shaara

Ronald F. Maxwell	Director,Director,Screenwriter
Taylor Black	Special Effects
Steve M. Boym	Stunts
Bonnie Burnham	Special Effects
Moctesuma Esparza	Producer
Ralph Pavarotto	Special Effects
Joy Todd	Casting
Matt Vogel	Special Effects
Michael Shaara	Screenwriter
Nick Lombardo	Producer
Sandy Martin	Producer
Ted Rae	Special Effects
Jane Cameron	Sound Effects
Richard Corwin	Sound Effects
Gabrielle Gilbert Reeves	Sound Effects
R.L. Tolbert	Stunts
Robert Katz	Producer
Mace Neufeld	Producer
Stephen Halbert	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

This television miniseries is the type of film that Hollywood rarely makes anymore in an era of budget consciousness, a war epic with a cast of thousands. Like the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel upon which it's based, the film restricts its dramatization to the battlefield and surrounding area (no cutaways to President Lincoln fretting at the White House here) and focuses on a handful of major players. It's a wise narrative choice given the endless dramatic possibilities and the multiple real-life historical figures involved. Budgetary restrictions sometimes overwhelm director Ron Maxwell's ability to mount the awe-inspiring tableaux that he's attempting to create, but he succeeds to an inspiring degree, proving that the sweeping period epic isn't dead. Performances are riveting, particularly from Jeff Daniels as a stoic hero and Martin Sheen, eerie in his resemblance to Robert E. Lee. One of the better projects to show up on television in the past few decades, Gettysburg (1993) is to be applauded for its adherence to its respected source material and some inspired casting choices. Widespread talk of a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for Daniels during the film's limited theatrical run didn't materialize in an actual Academy Award nod, but the actor does outstanding work in one of his greatest, most intense roles.