I was just given my summer schedule and it seems I am teaching my Civil War class. The best part about teaching in the summer is that we watch movies (no one wants to hear me lecture 5 days a week). So I was putting together a list of possible movies to watch and thought I would make my top ten. Many of you may not care about the top ten best Civil War movies, but I will share them anyway. I just blogged about not many good movies, so if you are board, these are all worth watching
10. Horse Soldiers. This movie stars John Wayne and William Holden and directed by John Ford. This is the typical Wayne/Ford collaboration, and so you know what to expect. But as with all their movies, it is worth watching. It is about a Union cavalry raid into the deep south.
9. The Outlaw Josie Wells. Starring Clint Eastwood. This movie like the Horse Soldiers is not a great movie but I just like Clint Eastwood. As a Civil War movie it is a stretch, but Wells comes out of the guerrilla fighting in the west. This movie could easily be about Jesse James and how these men became so violent during the war it was hard to stop. This was also part of Eastwoods 1970s anti-hero movies.
8. The Red Badge of Courage. Film based on the short story written by Stephen Crane. Crane was a newspaper man during the Spanish American War, and wrote about the internal struggles of soldiers who wanted to be brave, yet ran in the face of war. Perfect casting. It starred Audie Murphy, the most decorated American soldier in history.
7. Andersonville. This was a TNT movie, but well done. It describes in living hell that Union soldiers suffered in the worst prison camp during the Civil War, Andersonville, GA. Not a happy story, but moving, makes waterboarding look like a picnic in the part.
6. Gods and Generals. Ted Turner and Ron Maxwell tried to recreate the magic of Gettysburg (see #3) but fell short. Both movies are four hours long, but Gettysburg was about one battle while Gods and Generals covered three years so they could not get the character development of the first movie. Also the long speeches worked for Gettysburg but got old in G and G. It is worth watching if for no other reason than it mostly showed the life of Stonewall Jackson, one of the greatest Virginians, and Generals ever (just ask my son Jackson Lee, can you tell who the other great general was). It is very accurate and tells a good story.
5. Gone with the Wind. This is my Tami special. This four hour classic epic, gives an excellent description of the home front during the war. It is not a good movie to show the truth about slavery, but does show how everyone’s life in the South was affected by the war. I do not get people’s obsession with Scarlet O’Hara (like Tami), she is not a good person, but is a fighter. Book and movie came out in the 1930’s and is a classic depression era film, showing the people of the depression, that there were harder times, and the people got through it.
4. Ride With the Devil. This movie stars Toby Maguire (Spiderman), Skeet Ulrich (Jericho), and Jewel (Ty Murray’s girlfriend), and was directed by Ang Lee (Broke Back Mountain, but don’t worry there are no soldier on soldier love scenes). This is not a great movie, but the reason it ranks number 4 is that it finally tells the story of the guerrilla fighting along the border. Men in Missouri and Kentucky did not fight the kind of war most fought, theirs was a crueler and bloodier war and this movie shows their lives well.
3. Gettysburg. This four hour epic has everything you want in a Civil War movie. It was detailed very accurately with a few exceptions (they unfairly blame JEB Stuart for the Southern loss, and make Lee look like an old fool at times). This has drama and action and is very moving. It has an all star cast, but Jeff Daniels steels the show as Col Chamberlain. It also has a great soundtrack.
2. Shenandoah. This movie could easily be number 1. One of the best Jimmy Stuart films ever and that says something. Stuart plays a widowed father (wife was Martha, same as Mr. Kruger’s Christmas, coincidence maybe). He wants nothing to do with the problems happing between the two sides, but his family and farm are caught in the middle. Very sad film, and will pull at your heart strings. I like it as a historian because of the way it shows how much of the mountain folk tried to avoid the war. On a lighter side, Stuart gives the best prayer ever given in a movie.
1. Glory. The number one spot has to be Glory, which would be on my top five war movies not just civil war movies. Great cast, Mathew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, and Cary Elwes (Princes Bride), all of them deserved awards. It was inspired by the letters of Col Shaw, the scenes where he is thinking, it is his real words. It was pretty accurate (their were no ex-slaves in the regiment, the Thomas character was the most accurate. They did not want men who were scared of white masters, it was meant to be a model regiment so only the best of men). It showed good battle scenes. Battles like Gettysburg were rare compared to the small skirmishes that were shown in Glory. Mostly Glory is an inspiring film, and in order for a movie to be good, it must move its audience, and Glory touches me even today, though I have seen it many times. It also has one of the best soundtracks of all time
If you have not seen any of these films, I highly recommend their viewing instead of wasting a night watching another reality show, check out some of these. If I have left any out feel free to comment. I know I left out Cold Mountain-I did it on purpose, though I like the battle of the Crater scene.
10. Horse Soldiers. This movie stars John Wayne and William Holden and directed by John Ford. This is the typical Wayne/Ford collaboration, and so you know what to expect. But as with all their movies, it is worth watching. It is about a Union cavalry raid into the deep south.
9. The Outlaw Josie Wells. Starring Clint Eastwood. This movie like the Horse Soldiers is not a great movie but I just like Clint Eastwood. As a Civil War movie it is a stretch, but Wells comes out of the guerrilla fighting in the west. This movie could easily be about Jesse James and how these men became so violent during the war it was hard to stop. This was also part of Eastwoods 1970s anti-hero movies.
8. The Red Badge of Courage. Film based on the short story written by Stephen Crane. Crane was a newspaper man during the Spanish American War, and wrote about the internal struggles of soldiers who wanted to be brave, yet ran in the face of war. Perfect casting. It starred Audie Murphy, the most decorated American soldier in history.
7. Andersonville. This was a TNT movie, but well done. It describes in living hell that Union soldiers suffered in the worst prison camp during the Civil War, Andersonville, GA. Not a happy story, but moving, makes waterboarding look like a picnic in the part.
6. Gods and Generals. Ted Turner and Ron Maxwell tried to recreate the magic of Gettysburg (see #3) but fell short. Both movies are four hours long, but Gettysburg was about one battle while Gods and Generals covered three years so they could not get the character development of the first movie. Also the long speeches worked for Gettysburg but got old in G and G. It is worth watching if for no other reason than it mostly showed the life of Stonewall Jackson, one of the greatest Virginians, and Generals ever (just ask my son Jackson Lee, can you tell who the other great general was). It is very accurate and tells a good story.
5. Gone with the Wind. This is my Tami special. This four hour classic epic, gives an excellent description of the home front during the war. It is not a good movie to show the truth about slavery, but does show how everyone’s life in the South was affected by the war. I do not get people’s obsession with Scarlet O’Hara (like Tami), she is not a good person, but is a fighter. Book and movie came out in the 1930’s and is a classic depression era film, showing the people of the depression, that there were harder times, and the people got through it.
4. Ride With the Devil. This movie stars Toby Maguire (Spiderman), Skeet Ulrich (Jericho), and Jewel (Ty Murray’s girlfriend), and was directed by Ang Lee (Broke Back Mountain, but don’t worry there are no soldier on soldier love scenes). This is not a great movie, but the reason it ranks number 4 is that it finally tells the story of the guerrilla fighting along the border. Men in Missouri and Kentucky did not fight the kind of war most fought, theirs was a crueler and bloodier war and this movie shows their lives well.
3. Gettysburg. This four hour epic has everything you want in a Civil War movie. It was detailed very accurately with a few exceptions (they unfairly blame JEB Stuart for the Southern loss, and make Lee look like an old fool at times). This has drama and action and is very moving. It has an all star cast, but Jeff Daniels steels the show as Col Chamberlain. It also has a great soundtrack.
2. Shenandoah. This movie could easily be number 1. One of the best Jimmy Stuart films ever and that says something. Stuart plays a widowed father (wife was Martha, same as Mr. Kruger’s Christmas, coincidence maybe). He wants nothing to do with the problems happing between the two sides, but his family and farm are caught in the middle. Very sad film, and will pull at your heart strings. I like it as a historian because of the way it shows how much of the mountain folk tried to avoid the war. On a lighter side, Stuart gives the best prayer ever given in a movie.
1. Glory. The number one spot has to be Glory, which would be on my top five war movies not just civil war movies. Great cast, Mathew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, and Cary Elwes (Princes Bride), all of them deserved awards. It was inspired by the letters of Col Shaw, the scenes where he is thinking, it is his real words. It was pretty accurate (their were no ex-slaves in the regiment, the Thomas character was the most accurate. They did not want men who were scared of white masters, it was meant to be a model regiment so only the best of men). It showed good battle scenes. Battles like Gettysburg were rare compared to the small skirmishes that were shown in Glory. Mostly Glory is an inspiring film, and in order for a movie to be good, it must move its audience, and Glory touches me even today, though I have seen it many times. It also has one of the best soundtracks of all time
If you have not seen any of these films, I highly recommend their viewing instead of wasting a night watching another reality show, check out some of these. If I have left any out feel free to comment. I know I left out Cold Mountain-I did it on purpose, though I like the battle of the Crater scene.
3 comments:
Please don't torture me with another civil war movie.
At least GWTW made the list
This is in response to your question on my blog. I thought it would be best to answer it here.
I haven't seen all the Civil War movies you have on your list, but I have seen, # 6,5,3 & 1 and enjoyed all of them. I thought Glory was phenominal. I haven't asked my husband yet, but I can be pretty certain he's seen some of the others you mentioned.
Looking at your other Movie blog I'd like to make a couple of recommendations. If you haven't seen them yet, I think you would enjoy, Courage Under Fire, with Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan. Also, We Were Soldiers with Mel Gibson. Both these movies are rated R for war violence and language. Not good Saturday afternoon movies unless the kids are out for the day, lol.
Thanks for taking the time to compile your list. We're forever saying, "what movie do you want to see?" Now we have a list.
Hope your having a great day,
Janice
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