[click image to enter Gettysburg Gallery]
Since its theatrical release in the fall of 1993, the movie Gettysburg
has become a classic among historians, reenactors, and anyone who appreciates
serious film. A sweeping epic that has been called one of the greatest war
movies of all time, Gettysburg invites the viewer to experience the
Civil War's pivotal three day battle on a personal and intimate level. Earning
fans and accolades from around the country and the world, Gettysburg
has gained a highly respected place in the pantheon of American film. See reviews of Gettysburg
Fans of Gettysburg will be interested in writer-director Ron Maxwell's video about the making of the
film. You may also purchase a copy of the screenplay and storyboards.
Director Ron Maxwell's letter to the Gettysburg audience:
July 20th 1992, we began filming what our cinematic family now refers
to as "our beloved epic." Those who were there can bear witness
to the mystical experience we felt in the resurrection of those fateful
days in the summer of 1863. None of us who participated in the making of
this film remained unmoved or unchanged by the event. Most significantly,
I believe that in some measure our ancestors who met at Gettysburg a hundred
and thirty years ago will re-enter the consciousness of a nation through
our film.
Though we already know it, it bears repeating. None of us stands alone,
nor would we want to. The work of generations of scholars, historians, chroniclers,
archivists, journalists, novelists, composers, filmmakers, researchers,
archeologists, academicians and plain old lovers of history provided a foundation,
a resource, an atmosphere and an inspiration for the possibility of this
film's creation. I humbly take my place in a long line of citizens who continue
to ask questions, who seek to know, who wonder, who long for understanding
and connection, whose passions lead us to dedication and commitment. If
this film can in some small way add to the sum of our understanding and
compassion, can help bind us together as a people and stir the soul in its
contemplation of fratricide and its mirror image of brotherly love, then
my time, and perhaps the time of all those who participated in the making
of this film as well as all who will see it, will have been well spent.
Ronald F. Maxwell
October 1993 |