\Gods and Generals""
A rough sketch of the early years of the Civil War, ""Gods and Generals"" goes a long way toward capturing the initial success of the Confederacy. Moving from the Battle of Manassas to Fredericksburg and later to Chancellorsville, the film jumps between battles while providing plenty of glimpses of what happened between them. Though it tries to be an epic, the movie can't quite attain that level of greatness and falters slightly only because it attempts to do so.
It begins with Robert E. Lee (Robert Duvall) sitting down to lay out an early division and state the conflict as the film would like to state it. He delcares his loyalties, choosing the South over the Union and framing the war in terms of a regional shouting match. This early scene gives Lee his one great moment before popping in and out to say something memorable and little else.
Stonewall Jackson (Stephen Lang) then emerges as the titan of both the war and the film. His presence has the effect of looming over every man around him, whether they are the lesser officers of the Confederate Army or the Union troops he often stares down. He is set up as another man choosing to obey the calls of his homeland instead of the United States. As to not seem like a less powerful version of Lee, Jackson's depth extends to his family life and religious convictions. He never loses the thoughts of those two, carrying the burden of fatherhood and Christianity into the battlefield.
The Union has few characters worth any notice. Though Ambrose Burnside (Alex Hyde White) is pivotal in the Battle of Fredericksburg, he presents nothing more than a brief argument and a quickly forgotten assertion of his rank as general. Across the table from him, Winfield Hancock (Brian Mallon) does only a slightly better job of conveying the frustrations of being in command of the continually thwarted Federal army. When Burnside and Hancock clash over strategy, the two men present a terse but clipped window into the caution that checked the Union.
It is with Joshua Chamberlain (Jeff Daniels) that the Yankees become memorable. Chamberlain asserts the problems of leaving home while believing he's fighting for it. Deepening his resolve to fight is his commitment to his wife, Fanny (Mira Sorvino), a welcome female presence in the movie. In Chamberlain's last few moments on screen, he makes one of the few noble statements of the film, dredging up the dismissed topic of slavery.
Though it is certainly tempting to let the film rest in the hands of a few dominant men, the strength of ""Gods and Generals"" lies in the ordinary men who populate both armies. The bright spots of the movie don't shine with the generals, but instead are illuminated by the unnumbered and unnamed men who wonder why it is that they're dying. The proletariat receives a surprising amount of attention, considering they end up being used as shields for some generals.
The scene that presents the grimmest reminder that war is hell shows Chamberlain, a lieutenant colonel, lying behind yet another body while the bullets strike the corpse but save the officer. On the fields of Fredericksburg, the Union ended up fighting amongst the dead, as if there was any difference. Daniels manages to correctly portray a man who knows that his power as a commanding figure has been picked apart by the enemy's resolve and better tactics.
Coming in just under four hours, it would seem as though the length of ""Gods and Generals"" would be detrimental instead of helpful. However, the sheer volume of time allows the charges to extend for minutes instead of seconds. The unmercifully long movement puts an accent on every bullet and amplifies every last breath. Without hours to connect these marathon charges, the film would be empty meaning.
Though ""Gods and Generals"" suffers from failing its lofty aims and ignoring the Union's struggle, it manages to bring the Civil War to the theater. Every conflict becomes immediate and resound with strong voices instead of reproduced echoes. The movie is not designed to be enjoyed or entertaining, but witnessed.
""The Life of David Gale""
One of the more difficult films to pull off convincingly and successfully is the propaganda film. Any time a movie attempts to send a clear message, the director and screenwriter must walk a thin line. The last thing they want is to create an ambiguous issue movie, but blatant preaching will turn off the entire audience. ""The Life of David Gale"" fails to walk this line. More importantly, the film simultaneously tries to be a thriller with the typical twist ending. Sadly enough for director Alan Parker, the film's twists end up tying its own noose.
David Gale (Kevin Spacey) is portrayed as a famous anti-death penalty activist. He' has been charged with the murder of Constance Harraway (Laura Linney), another death penalty opponent. Gale bitterly proclaims his innocence. According to him, powerful right-wing conservatives have set him up. Gale pleads his case to investigative reporter Bitsey Bloom (Kate Winslet). Slowly, after some investigation and exposition (primarily in the form of flashbacks as Gale speaks with Bloom), the truth unfolds. During the investigation, Bloom and her assistant are trailed by a pickup driven by a cowboy. We are given few clues as to whether the mysterious man is a pro-death penalty fanatic or some other ominous figure in typical thriller movie form.
Kevin Spacey takes yet another step towards the total erosion of his career. He has been a part of some true classics. ""L.A. Confidential"" and ""American Beauty"" were strong films made greater by Spacey's presence. His choices in roles since have been progressively worsening and ""David Gale"" is hopefully the lowest he will sink. While he does what he can with the part, he is not given much.
The problems with the movie are myriad, but the largest is that Parker is never sure what he wants this movie to be. Reading into the development of this film reveals the strong anti-death penalty sentiments of the filmmakers. This sentiment enters the movie in small doses. However, Parker also shoots for box office success by throwing in all sorts of implausible and unnecessary plot devices. It isn't long before the death penalty debate is lost in the sea of thriller clich??s. In the end, the goals of the film are unclear and the back-bending logistical stretches have destroyed all the tension. In short, by the time the big twist comes, no one really cares anymore.
