Comments by "Itinerant Patriot" (@itinerantpatriot1196) on "American Battlefield Trust" channel.

  1. Maybe it's because I have seen it numerous times, being one of my all-time favorite war movies and all, but if I was picking between the two straight-up before filming started I would go with Jeff Daniels and never look back. I just can't see Russel Crowe in that role. Not because he's an Aussie. Other Australian actors have put in great performances portraying Americans in WWII movies like Hacksaw Ridge and Midway. But Gettysburg is one of those battles that calls for an American because it is the quintessential battle of the quintessential American war. I thought Jeff Daniels did a great job. I questioned Martin Sheen as Lee and even now, though I've gotten used to it over time, I think Robert Duvall would have been the better selection. I am not a fan of Gods and Generals but Duvall just comes off as a more believable Lee. But that's me. Great film, top-five war flick for me, even if its runtime is more than a tad excessive. I saw it at the theater and while I was engrossed, my wife fell asleep somewhere during the three-hour mark. She did wake up in time to see Pickett's Charge which is one of the best war scenes ever shot and even though she was lukewarm about the movie, she did love Jeff Daniels Chamberlin. Hard not to. His interaction with Kevin Conway is priceless. "Will ya get on the damned horse." Love that bit.
    4
  2. One of my top-five war movies, definitely #1 on the Civil War list. I saw it at the theater and that added to the experience. It took a little bit to get used to Martin Sheen as Lee but I'm okay with it. It's too bad the follow-up, Gods and Generals, is such a lousy movie. If I could jump in the DeLorean and fire up the flux capacitor I'd tell the producers to use Robert Duvall in the roll of General Lee in Gettysburg and if they still felt compelled to make Gods and Generals let Sheen take on the role in that one. But that's me. Gettysburg is a great movie and unfortunately I think the man is right, they won't make a movie like it again, for a whole host of reasons.
    1