NF What did you learn from the movie Gettysburg?

Non-Fiction

Southern Unionist

First Sergeant
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The biggest and most important thing I got out of the movie was greatly enhanced respect for the bravery of all the individuals involved in the battle, on both sides. Seeing it acted out by talented actors is so much more powerful than reading about it.

Second, I got introduced to General John Buford, and learned what he did. As someone who has personally been in tough situations (not military) where developing a wise plan and getting off to a great start is everything, I think it's impossible to overstate the importance of what he did, in a situation where he could have easily gotten by with doing a lot less.

I found out that Longstreet was not just the guy who moved slowly at Gettysburg and cost Lee the war. The reality was pretty much opposite to the stereotype promoted by Freeman. Longstreet's assessment of the overall situation at Gettysburg (as depicted in the movie and described in his memoirs) closely matches my own, after digging deeper. This portrayal was overdue.

I learned to see Lee as an imperfect human being, even though I understood that this particular week was probably the worst of his life.

I also found out whose memoirs I should be reading. Michael Shaara made extensive use of these, and I've learned a ton by taking a close look at the original writings.
 
I learned some people thought George Pickett was descended from "a ape."

I learned confederates dearly loved rats and would fight for them rather than see them get exterminated.

I learned you could try to cover the Warren statue with bushes and branches and leaves, but it will still show in the shot.

I learned confederate bands strike up songs whenever a rider comes up to General Lee.
 
I learned that Hollyweird can be a powerful influence on the way the American public views it's own history. Being as 98% know little more about history that the drive-by version offered in public schools and what they see on TV, epic movies like this are very risky when it comes to the way we interpret our history.

I appreciate it for sparking debate and interest, but IMO, these things should be held to a very high standard concerning accuracy and revisionist history.
 
I learned some people thought George Pickett was descended from "a ape."

I'll drink to that.

I learned confederate bands strike up songs whenever a rider comes up to General Lee.

That was literally true. Longstreet hated it.

Why are you trolling this thread?

Being as 98% know little more about history that the drive-by version offered in public schools and what they see on TV...

Hopefully, quality films become the starting point for further investigation. The average high school teacher has zero ability to get young people interested in history. I came out of high school thinking it was the most boring subject in the world.
 
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On the whole, the film has the capacity to stir up further interest in the Civil War and in history. I know that a number of teachers on this forum have used it! There are a number of details that are incorrect, and, as @cash pointed out, some are downright ridiculous.

I hadn't previously known that Longstreet was a closet abolitionist ("We should have freed the slaves and then fired on Fort Sumter." BTW, I couldn't find that little monologue in the book, either, so it wasn't Shaara's fault.

I watched the film Saturday, Sunday and Monday (a day of the battle each day) and still enjoyed it, despite the bloopers. I do find more bloopers (either boo-boos not edited out or historical errors) each time!
 
On the whole, the film has the capacity to stir up further interest in the Civil War and in history. I know that a number of teachers on this forum have used it!

Teachers use it for a reason. It gets the desired end result.

They are fighting to change the known fact that the average student graduates from high school with zero interest in history.

I hadn't previously known that Longstreet was a closet abolitionist ("We should have freed the slaves and then fired on Fort Sumter." BTW, I couldn't find that little monologue in the book, either, so it wasn't Shaara's fault.

The quote is from Longstreet's memoirs.

In a historical novel, where the actual dialog is not known, anything that individual has written down is fair game.
 
On the whole, the film has the capacity to stir up further interest in the Civil War and in history. I know that a number of teachers on this forum have used it!

This is my main takeaway. Enjoy the drama, and then go learn how things played out. Compare and contrast the dramatic portrayal with the genuine events.

I watched the film Saturday, Sunday and Monday (a day of the battle each day) and still enjoyed it, despite the bloopers.

I've done this the last two years. I'll watch the movie over four days, with each day's portrayal on the actual date. It gives me some perspective thinking that while I'm relaxing in my comfortable house, enjoying a day off in the air conditioning on the long holiday weekend, 154 years ago on that same day two armies of Americans were meeting at Gettysburg, with almost unfathomable numbers of men fighting and dying.
 
...Why are you trolling this thread?...

Just for the records, the 10 things I learned from (enter movie name) is a longstanding and well-used form to bring up what a film says or shows, though not necessarily what it means, in a humorous way. This isn´t (by default) malicious and contentwise isn´t wrong either. IMHO the title you gave this thread includes this direction as possible intention, too.

As it was this movie, and this movie alone, that sparked my interest in the ACW I take the shortcut and say: I learned a lot!

Pretty sure that the first time I watched it,I did not know the names of some of the Corps/Division/Brigade/Regimental commanders who were portrayed in the movie.

Fair enough. I knew the names Lee and ... well, that's all.
 
General Buford has a great voice!

I learned that sitting in an old movie theater for 4 hours is a long time. For the record, first time I saw this movie was at the historic Senator Theater in Baltimore.

I read the book before the movie, so i think I learned of the differences between the movie and book. But I do know I wanted to keep reading more.
 
The biggest and most important thing I got out of the movie was greatly enhanced respect for the bravery of all the individuals involved in the battle, on both sides. Seeing it acted out by talented actors is so much more powerful than reading about it.

Second, I got introduced to General John Buford, and learned what he did. As someone who has personally been in tough situations (not military) where developing a wise plan and getting off to a great start is everything, I think it's impossible to overstate the importance of what he did, in a situation where he could have easily gotten by with doing a lot less.

I found out that Longstreet was not just the guy who moved slowly at Gettysburg and cost Lee the war. The reality was pretty much opposite to the stereotype promoted by Freeman. Longstreet's assessment of the overall situation at Gettysburg (as depicted in the movie and described in his memoirs) closely matches my own, after digging deeper. This portrayal was overdue.

I learned to see Lee as an imperfect human being, even though I understood that this particular week was probably the worst of his life.

I also found out whose memoirs I should be reading. Michael Shaara made extensive use of these, and I've learned a ton by taking a close look at the original writings.
It was fiction. I learned that Hollywood casting is pretty much hit or miss.
 
... I watched the film Saturday, Sunday and Monday (a day of the battle each day) and still enjoyed it, despite the bloopers. I do find more bloopers (either boo-boos not edited out or historical errors) each time!

... I've done this the last two years. I'll watch the movie over four days, with each day's portrayal on the actual date. It gives me some perspective thinking that while I'm relaxing in my comfortable house, enjoying a day off in the air conditioning on the long holiday weekend, 154 years ago on that same day two armies of Americans were meeting at Gettysburg, with almost unfathomable numbers of men fighting and dying.

I've tried watching it over two consecutive days, breaking it approximately where I remember the intermission was in the theatrical version (right after Little Round Top, I think) but this time tried three sessions instead. It seems to break nicely day by day, with a principal battle scenario in each, surrounded by all the narrative ones. I now think it would be positively mind-numbing to sit through it all at once again!
 
I learned some people thought George Pickett was descended from "a ape."

I learned confederates dearly loved rats and would fight for them rather than see them get exterminated.

I learned you could try to cover the Warren statue with bushes and branches and leaves, but it will still show in the shot.

I learned confederate bands strike up songs whenever a rider comes up to General Lee.
I got a good chuckle out of this. :D
 
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