Favorite Films of All Time, No. 11

 


In 2022 I'm revisiting my favorite films of all time, doing a countdown of the Top 50 throughout the year. Check back each Friday for the latest installment in the countdown of films, which include releases through 2019. Agree? Disagree? Have a thought on the choice? Be sure to share in the comments below!

Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain:  Of course, I haven't known that many freed men... But those I knew in Bangor, Portland... You look in the eye, there was a man. There was a "divine spark," as my mother used to call it. That is all there is to it. Races are men. "What a piece of work is man. How infinite in faculties and form, and movement... How express and admirable. In action how like an angel.
Sergeant 'Buster' Kilrain: Well, if he's an angel, all right then... But he damn well must be a killer angel. Colonel, darling, you're a lovely man. I see a vast great difference between us, yet I admire you, lad. You're an idealist, praise be. The truth is, Colonel... There is no "divine spark". There's many a man alive no more of value than a dead dog. Believe me. When you've seen them hang each other the way I have back in the Old Country. Equality? What I'm fighting for is to prove I'm a better man than many of them. Where have you seen this "divine spark" in operation, Colonel? Where have you noted this magnificent equality? No two things on Earth are equal or have an equal chance. Not a leaf, not a tree. There's many a man worse than me, and some better... But I don't think race or country matters a damn. What matters, Colonel... Is justice. Which is why I'm here. I'll be treated as I deserve, not as my father deserved. I'm Kilrain... And I damn all gentlemen. There is only one aristocracy... And that is right here (Points to his head).

Gettysburg (1993)
Starring: Jeff Daniels, Martin Sheen, Tom Berenger, C. Thomas Howell, Stephen Lang, Sam Elliott, and Richard Jordan
Director: Ronald Maxwell
About: I am a big fan of history, particularly Civil War history. This film is a commitment. It runs four and a half hours. When it aired on TNT, it went in two pieces. But it chronicles the turning point in the Civil War--the battle at Gettysburg. The small Pennsylvania hamlet was the site of three days of bloody conflict in 1863. This film, shot on location at the battle site, covers those three days. The film begins as armies move into place on June 30, then goes through the three days of battle and culminates with the Confederate retreat on July 4, 1863. The film is an adaptation of the Michael Shara novel The Killer Angels. It follows several key players, including Lt. Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (Daniels), who is one of my favorite historical figures. I love this movie. I love the craft that went into telling the story, the battle sequences and the way it celebrates history. Despite it's length, I've seen it more than 20 times. I never fail to be moved, especially by Daniels in his role. It has long been and likely forever will be one of my favorite films.

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