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The
road to Gods and Generals began with an earlier quest to
make another film; from his first reading of Michael
Shaara's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Killer
Angels, Ron Maxwell
(Gods and Generals producer/director/screenwriter) was determined
to bring the story of the Battle of Gettysburg to the screen.
He accomplished his mission many years later when the film premiered
as Gettysburg to critical and popular acclaim. Following
its theatrical debut in 1993, Gettysburg was released a year
later as an immensely successful miniseries.
Sadly,
Michael Shaara passed away in 1988, and never saw his book brought
to the screen. Maxwell, who directed and wrote the screenplay of
the acclaimed epic film, encouraged Shaara's
son Jeff to author Gods and Generals. Although
Jeff had never written before, the book became a critically acclaimed
bestseller, as was his second novel The Last Full Measure, the third
book in the Civil War trilogy begun by his father.
"Gods
and Generals is a mosaic of American life," says Ron Maxwell.
"It takes the Gettysburg characters we came to know
back to l861 and introduces new figures, like 'Stonewall' Jackson
and his wife Anna, Fanny Chamberlain and the Beale family. I think
it is vitally important for the next generation to understand and
contemplate the Civil War. It is our Iliad; American, yet universal,
touching on themes that transcend time and place and nation, echoing
from the American Civil War to the Civil War in Rome. Julius Caesar
crossed the Rubicon to bring Roman legions into Rome, violating
Roman law, in the same way that Lincoln sent Federal troops across
the Rappahannock, violating, in the view of the seceded states of
the Confederacy, what they perceived to be the voluntary pact of
the Constitution and American law. This story teaches us that freedom
and liberty have never come cheaply and that very few generations
ago, this country paid a tremendous price for those privileges."
"This
is not simply a war movie," cautions associate producer Dennis
Frye. "It's a movie about people who are caught
and trapped by war, whose lives are changed by war, and unfortunately,
some of whom will die because of this war. When people see this
film, Thomas Jackson no longer will be a name on a page in a book
- he now becomes real. He becomes human. He's no longer dust in
the grave."
General
Jackson is uncannily brought to life by Tony-nominated actor Stephen
Lang, who played Major General George E. Pickett in Gettysburg.
"Jackson
was a man of absolute heroic stature," says Lang. "He
was both complex and contradictory - an old testament warrior with
new testament faith. Portraying him required all I had and more."
Thomas
Jackson was a professor of natural and experimental philosophy and
instructor of artillery at the prestigious Virginia Military Institute
until the war began. His courage and devotion to his faith were
reflected in his fearlessness in battle, up until his death from
the pneumonia he contracted while recovering from wounds received
from friendly fire during the Battle of Chancellorsville. When news
reached Lee that Jackson's arm had been amputated, Lee mourned,
"He has lost his left arm; but I have lost my right."
As part of his extensive research, Lang visited the VMI Museum and
was shown Jackson's bullet-pierced raincoat by curator Keith Gibson.
Jeff
Daniels returns to his Gettysburg role as Colonel
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. Best remembered for his bravery and
fortitude at Little Round Top at Gettysburg, Gods and
Generals introduces Chamberlain as he leaves his post as a professor
at Maine's Bowdoin College and enters the war as Lieutenant Colonel
of the 20th Regiment of Maine Volunteers in June of 1862.
"Chamberlain
was relentlessly focused on fighting for what he believed was right,"
says Daniels. "He was wounded and wounded and wounded, and
he just kept going back; he was there at the end, and in the end,
became a great American hero."
"When
people think of the Civil War," comments Frye, "they concentrate
on the participants' differences: North versus South, Union against
Confederate, Yankee against Rebel. But what's really interesting
is that Jackson and Chamberlain both lived in small communities,
both were college professors, both married. One had military experience,
the other didn't. But they were both teachers who were called upon
by their respective leaders to go fight for what they believed in,
and there's nothing more American than to fight for what you believe.
When you need to sacrifice, you go and you do your duty. And both
Chamberlain and Jackson did their duty well."
Renowned
actor Robert Duvall portrays
Confederate General Robert E. Lee. "It was an honor to play
a man like Robert E. Lee," says Duvall, whose father hailed
from Fairfax County, Virginia, and whose mother was a distant relative
of the Lee family. "The role gave me a real sense of responsibility.
Lee was a leader of men, fiercely patriotic, and deeply honorable
and religious. It was a great privilege."
Told
from the perspective of these men and those who followed them into
war, the film illuminates not only their personal triumphs and trials,
but also the greater historical impact of the battles in which they
fought.
Three major battles form the framework of Gods and Generals.
When conceptualizing the story's arc, Maxwell and novelist Jeff
Shaara rooted their structure in the conflicts during which Jackson,
Chamberlain and Lee crossed paths, with the notable exception of
First Manassas.
"First
Manassas is not in the book," explains Maxwell. "I added
it in the screenplay, because it's so important to the understanding
of Jackson, who becomes the principal character in Gods and Generals.
So, the film spends more time following the assembly and training
of the First Brigade in the Shenandoah Valley, and going into the
Battle of First Manassas."
The
first battle of Manassas (or Bull Run) was the first major engagement
of the Civil War. On July 21, 1861, Union General Irvin McDowell
attacked the Confederates near the stone bridge over Bull Run and
drove them back to Henry House Hill. Attempting to rally his fleeing
men, Confederate General Barnard Bee pointed to Jackson's newly
arrived brigade, shouting, "Look! There stands Jackson like
a stone wall! Rally behind the Virginians!" The arrival of
Jackson and General E. Kirby Smith's brigades turned the tide of
the battle, forcing the Union army's retreat. The victory electrified
the South, and gave pause to those who had expected a speedy conclusion
to the war.
The
battle of Fredericksburg was one of the Union's most disastrous
and costly campaigns. Wave after wave of Northern troops charged
up Marye's Heights to attack Lee's firmly entrenched Confederates.
Colonel Chamberlain led the 20th Maine in a brave yet ultimately
futile attack, which left them out in the field for two full nights
among their dead and wounded companions before they were given the
order to retreat.
The
film's final engagement is the battle of Chancellorsville, fought
May 1st through the 3rd, 1863. While the battle was a great Confederate
victory, Jackson was wounded the evening of the 2nd, hit by fire
from his own troops, in what is perhaps history's most infamous
episode of friendly fire. He died eight days later, having contracted
pneumonia while in recovery.
Along
with the military leaders that history has lionized, the film illuminates
the stories of those who, while not as well known as these heroes,
suffered and triumphed alongside them.
"Gettysburg
takes place over three and a half days in one place," says
Maxwell. "There are no civilians, there are no African Americans,
there are no women. It's the story of a single battle. But when
you're recreating an entire period of the Civil War, you can't limit
the perspective to that of the men in battle. It wouldn't be true.
You must have a broader canvass of what life was like, and put the
war in its context."
Gods
and Generals adds another dimension to the lives of Civil War
luminaries General Thomas Jackson and Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
as it portrays their relationships with their wives, two very intelligent,
spirited women.
"Fanny
was a very independent person for her time," says Sorvino,
who plays Fanny Chamberlain. "She was well-educated, an artist
and music teacher. I don't know if I'd say she was rebellious, but
certainly feisty and idiosyncratic and not afraid to speak out.
She was also very much in love with her husband - the Chamberlains
had a very strong relationship, and I think that's evidenced in
our scenes together."
Jeff
Daniels feels that although Fanny was distraught at Chamberlain's
decision to go off to war, "it was a chance for him to show
her that he was more than just a professor, more than just a minister;
that he could be a hero. That he could be brave and courageous."
Kali
Rocha enjoyed the challenge of portraying Anna Jackson
in all of her complexity. "I don't think I have ever had a
film role that was so multi-faceted," she declares. "It
was important to make Anna and Thomas real, and not just have them
be the General off at war and the dutiful wife at home. The respect
that they had for each other, the sense of humor they shared and
the feeling of a shared mission speaks to something profoundly universal
about love and dedication, devotion and faith. Their religion was
so unifying that it really carried them through a lot of things.
It certainly carried her through his death."
"In
Gettysburg, we were focused strictly on the fighting men
on the front lines," says Maxwell. "One of the big differences
in this film is that because of characters like Anna Jackson, Jane
Beale and Fanny Chamberlain, we have the perspective of a civilian
life thrown into chaos, of the literal and figurative invasion of
the home front."
Much
valuable information has been gleaned about civilian life during
the Civil War from the journals that women kept during that wrenching
time. The war had profound effects on both Northern society and,
to a greater extent, Southern society, as the war was fought in
and around Southern territory. Maxwell needed to understand the
point of view of civilians caught between the clashing armies. "I
was looking for firsthand accounts of what was going on at the home
front, because the war came home during the Battle of Fredericksburg."
In
his research, Maxwell came upon Jane Beale's diary, a record of
her experiences living in Fredericksburg through the war years.
Mia Dillon plays Beale, a woman who found herself and her family
in the midst of battle when the war came to her front door. In the
diary, Beale describes her grief at the loss of her son, who was
killed fighting near Williamsburg in May of 1862, and her anger
towards the Union army encroaching upon her home. "It is painfully
humiliating to feel one's self a captive, but all sorrow for self
is now lost in the deeper feeling of anxiety for our army…."
In
its dedication to depicting the multiple perspectives of the people
who lived during the era, Gods and Generals sheds light on
an aspect of the war that isn't often discussed and goes against
present-day conventional wisdom: the involvement of African Americans
within the Confederate Army.
"One
of the things that popular culture has not shown us," says
Maxwell, "is that the Confederate Army moved on the backs of
African Americans. The Army could not have functioned without them
- they were the teamsters and the laborers and the cooks and the
quartermaster corps."
While
the majority of white males were off at war, African Americans were
instrumental in keeping the South moving domestically, laboring
in factories that provided necessary materials to outfit the army,
and working on plantations and in homes. In Gods and Generals,
the part of Martha, a slave who worked as a domestic servant for
Jane Beale in Fredericksburg, is played by the talented actress
Donzaleigh Abernathy, daughter
of Civil Rights leader Ralph Abernathy
and author of the upcoming book Partners to History: Martin
Luther King, Jr., Ralph David Abernathy and the American Civil Rights
Movement.
Abernathy
had a powerful personal motivation to take on the role. "I
wanted to honor the memory of my great Grandfather George Abernathy,
who was born a slave, and my other ancestors who were trapped in
the evil oppression of two hundred and forty-four years of slavery.
They were beautiful, elegant, dignified human beings and not savages.
I want everyone to know who they were, how they felt and that the
Civil War gave us our freedom."
In
addition to their labor holding together the home front, thousands
of African Americans, both free and enslaved, worked directly with
white officers in the Confederate Armies. One such man was Jim Lewis,
portrayed in the film by versatile actor Frankie
Faison, who was hired by Jackson in 1862 to be his cook
and personal valet. Lewis stayed with the General until Jackson's
death from pneumonia in May of 1863.
"Jim
Lewis was a very passionate, simple, earnest human being who was
really very proud of his home state, and who believed in the rights
of states," says Faison. "His had a commissioned job with
pay, so that he would be able to feed himself and his family, but
even though he was working for the Confederates, he was very much
opposed to slavery and he spoke out when he felt there was an opportunity
to do so. In a scene where he and Jackson are praying together,
he is able to bring an awareness to Jackson of who he is and what
his feelings are when he questions why God would let his people
be in bondage while white people went free. Jim was a survivor;
he could speak up when he needed to speak up and fight when he needed
to fight."
"Jim
Lewis and Martha are terribly interesting characters," comments
Maxwell, "because they're involved in the story at the beginning
of the war, when no one knew how long the conflict would last. People
were very careful in what they did and what actions they took, because
they had to think about what would happen to their family, what
would happen to their friends. In the early parts of the war, people
mostly stayed put."
It
wasn't until the Federal Army had occupied parts of the South, particularly
around New Orleans and Tidewater, Virginia, that African Americans
felt confident enough to take up a new life under the auspices of
their newfound freedom.
"These
African American characters have to be put into the context of their
time, into the dilemma that they confronted at the time," Maxwell
cautions. "There are conflicting loyalties - there's a loyalty
to one's people, people that were held in bondage, and there's also
a loyalty to place. There's a loyalty to neighbor, and there was
a loyalty to whites that the blacks were living with. It was much
more complicated than meets the eye. And we try to get into these
complex layers in this film."
Another
group noted for its contributions to both sides during the war were
Irish soldiers. Largely recent immigrants, Irish men in the Union
ranks consistently distinguished themselves in battle, risking their
lives to preserve a Union that had only recently become their home.
The famed Irish Brigade, organized and led by General Thomas Francis
Meagher, was made up of the 63rd, 69th and 88th New York Infantries,
the 28th Massachusetts Infantry and 116th Pennsylvania Infantry;
they marched into battle under an emerald green flag with a large
golden harp in its center.
Civil
War correspondent George Alfred Townsend
remarked, "When anything absurd, forlorn, or desperate was
to be attempted, the Irish Brigade was called upon."
Of
those occasions, one of the bleakest was surely the Battle of Fredericksburg,
one of the Union's most disastrous and costly campaigns. Line after
line of Northern troops charged up Marye's Heights, only to be repelled
repeatedly, suffering massive casualties. Among the Confederate
units were many Irish soldiers, descendents of the colonial-era
immigrants who had settled in the Shenandoah Valley - Jackson himself
was Scotch-Irish.
The
battle at Marye's Heights provides Gods and Generals with
some of its bleakest and most heartrending moments. "What happened
at Fredericksburg is a tragedy within a tragedy," says Maxwell.
"Because even though the entire Civil War was certainly brother
against brother, here we truly have very close brothers. The Irish
Brigade charging against an Irish regiment from Georgia is one of
the most memorable moments of the Civil War; it was just too grim
and too poignant to ignore."
In
order to do justice to the stories of those who lived and fought
during the Civil War years, Maxwell wanted to assure the highest
possible level of historical accuracy on the film. To this end,
he called upon a number of relationships with Civil War authorities
he had established while working on Gettysburg, sending the
screenplay to over a dozen of these historians.
"I
can certainly say the script was vetted," says Maxwell. "All
of this extra research and input from the historians doesn't mean
Gods and Generals is historically perfect, but it means it's
as close to perfect as any motion picture can possibly be."
After
reading the script, James I. Robertson,
author of the definitive biography Stonewall Jackson: The
Man, the Soldier, the Legend said, "The script reveals
for the first time the real essence of one of history's most famous
individuals. Most important of all, it endeavors to present a film
that will inspire as well as inform."
When
the shooting phase of the project began, the production employed
the considerable expertise of historical consultants Ed
Bearss, winner of the Harry S. Truman Award and the Nevins
Freeman Award for Civil War scholarship, and Gabor S. Boritt, a
professor of Civil War Studies and director of the Civil War Institute
at Gettysburg College. Military advisor John D. Bert was
on the set around the clock to advise the filmmakers on the accuracy
of visuals, questions of military protocol and tactical issues in
the various battles.
Also
largely contributing to the film's authenticity are more than 7,500
Civil War "re-enactors," men and women with a strong interest
in the history of the American Civil War who dress in the style
of the period, both as soldiers and civilians, and exactingly reenact
battles in order to educate by bringing the era to life. Dedicated
re-enactors bring a level of accuracy to the film that could not
be achieved with the standard "extras" who are usually
employed to fill out crowds in movies.
"No re-enactors, no movie," stresses Maxwell. "The
re-enactors are not just people filling out the background of a
scene; not only do they look right in terms of their costumes and
their weaponry, but they project the right attitude. I can include
them in big close-ups and it looks realistic, because they're into
the moment the way an actor is into the moment."
Re-enactor
coordinator Dana Heim prepared
extensively for the casting of the "core group" of re-enactors.
"For the selection process, we had everybody submit pictures
of themselves in uniform doing both impressions - Union and Confederate
- and their background information. Then we had a panel of seven
people going through all of these different pictures.
"Through
the process of the movie, we had about two hundred and twenty people
in the core group. At any one given time the most I had was a hundred
on site, thirty-three of whom did the whole movie, because of their
versatility with their impressions, plus artillery and cavalry experience."
Along
with the hired core group of re-enactors, thousands of volunteers
worked on the film. In exchange for their participation, the filmmakers
donated a half million dollars to the Center for Civil War Living
History. The volunteers supplied their own uniforms, their own weapons,
and brought their own extensive knowledge and the skills of trained
mid-19th century soldiers.
"Because
this film spans the first two years of the war," explains Maxwell,
"we needed to recruit many hundreds of civilian re-enactors.
And throughout this whole film they give it a great authenticity
and a great feeling of scale. So when we're on the streets in Richmond
or Fredericksburg or Washington or Harper's Ferry, there are civilians
there all the time, men and women and children, whites and blacks.
And this gives the film a great sense of verisimilitude."
Several
notable public figures were cast in cameo roles in Gods and Generals;
one performance that drew special attention was the appearance of
media mogul/filmmaker/executive producer Ted
Turner, reprising his Gettysburg role as Waller
Tazewell Patton, Confederate Colonel and great uncle of legendary
WWII General George S. Patton.
Turner took part in scenes with Robert Duvall in which Lee enjoys
a USO-style camp show with his officers and troops at his headquarters
near Moss Neck, Virginia.
Turner
(who admits to saving his costume from Gettysburg) worked
a full day on the Maryland location, singing along to a robust rendition
of "The Bonnie Blue Flag" and delivering a line of dialogue
commending General Hood, played by Patrick Gorman: "We owe
you Texas boys a debt of gratitude for putting on these shows."
As the head of Ted Turner Pictures, which fully financed Gods
and Generals, it should be noted that Turner received a union
scale paycheck for his appearance - $636.
Turner
was happy to throw his support behind the film. "I thought
this movie needed to be made," he says. "Young men and
old men fighting and dying l00 years ago, just as they do today,
is a great tragedy. By watching movies and studying history, maybe
we can avoid some of the mistakes of the past."
Another
cameo part went to Maxwell himself. "When I directed Gettysburg,
I thought I'd do the 'Hitchcock' trick of appearing in the film,"
he says. "However, the beards and makeup covered me so well,
no could find me on screen, so I decided to try again."
On the final day of principal photography, Maxwell left his director's
chair, bearded but recognizable, and crossed to the other side of
the camera to play a Union officer among Colonel Chamberlain's weary
20th Maine Regiment as they retreat to the north bank of the Rappahannock
River.
His
experience bringing Gettysburg to the screen afforded Maxwell
some unique casting opportunities when production commenced on Gods
and Generals. "Over the years, when Gettysburg came
out and subsequent to its release, I had the opportunity to meet
many politicians and members of Congress when I was asked to help
with bills supporting battlefield preservation," Maxwell explains.
"They, like other people, loved the film and some of those
relationships developed into friendships. So when we got closer
to shooting Gods and Generals, I thought I would invite them
to participate in the film in cameo appearances."
One
elected official who enthusiastically accepted the invitation was
U.S. Senator Phil Gramm (R-Texas).
Gramm appeared in muttonchops and full regalia as a member of the
Richmond House of Delegates, cheering Robert E. Lee as he accepts
command of the Army of Virginia. Later, speaking to press, Gramm
quipped, "I can't wait for my mother to see me in this get-up."
Also participating in the scene were several local politicians,
including Maryland State Senator Donald
F. Munson of Washington County.
Another
special cameo appearance went to U.S. Senator
Robert C. Byrd (D-West Virginia), who celebrated his
84th birthday on the Maryland set of Gods and Generals, sporting
a white beard and mustache for his role as a Confederate officer.
The film crew surprised Byrd with a birthday cake fashioned in the
shape of West Virginia, and Maxwell presented the Senator with a
miniature replica of a Civil War cannon.
Also
on hand to sing "Happy Birthday" was visiting U.S.
Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland). "It was an
honor to have such a talented group of people in Washington County
for the filming of Gods and Generals," says Senator
Mikulski. "I was so proud to visit the set and see my dear
friend Senator Robert Byrd join the cast in recreating an important
time in our history."
In
Washington DC on November 28th, 200l, Senator Byrd stood before
the Senate and spoke of his sincere feelings regarding his experience
on the set of Gods and Generals. Excerpts of his comments,
read into the Congressional Record, draw parallels between the challenges
Americans now face in the wake of the events of September 11th and
the hardships they confronted during the arduous, painful years
of the Civil War. "They [the actors] are not simply reciting
words on a page; rather, they are bringing to life a period of American
history that ended an inhuman practice and solidified our future
as one nation. I am thankful that we live in a country that can
confront a crisis with strength and moral certainty without abandoning
the very principles and values that we hold dear."
Byrd
closed his speech by referring to a scene in which General Lee speaks
to his officers as they finalize their plan for battle, declaring,
"Gentlemen, these deployments are sound. The rest is in God's
hands."
"We
can say the same today," Byrd concluded. "We are making
preparations and planning for the future. The rest is in God's hands."
Byrd
spent a full day before the cameras with actors Robert Duvall, Stephen
Lang and others in scenes depicting activity at Telegraph Hill,
Lee's command post at Fredericksburg.
Also
appearing in cameo parts during the Battle of Fredericksburg scenes
were Congressman Edward Markey
(D-Massachusetts), who participated in a scene with the Irish Brigade,
in a nod to an ancestor of his who fought with the Brigade; Senator
George Allen (R-Virginia); and Congressman
Dana Rohrabacher (R-California).
Rohrabacher
feels strongly that Gods and Generals imparts an important
message by bridging America's present to its not-so-distant past.
"Young people have got to understand that it was just ordinary
people, regular human beings like the people who live across the
street and like themselves, who made sure that this country became
a free society and a wonderful place to live," he emphasizes.
"And that all of these wonderful things that we enjoy didn't
just happen - they happened because regular people sacrificed to
make them happen. Maybe if kids today see that, if they understand
that it wasn't extraordinary people who created our country but
just ordinary people like themselves, they'll understand that we
all have something to contribute."
Special visitors to the set included Robert
E. Lee IV, who had the opportunity to meet Robert Duvall,
and Mrs. Cortlandt Creech, great
granddaughter of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.
On
the day of her visit, Mrs. Creech was happy to stand up and be counted
as a descendent of the great General. "My mother always told
me, 'Don't you ever mention the name Stonewall Jackson outside of
this family, because if you brag on your ancestors, then you're
just like a potato - the best part of you is underground.' So although
we were very proud, we sort of downplayed it all of our lives. But
today I was very happy to announce that fact, so that I could get
onto the movie set!"
Principal
photography for Gods and Generals began on August 28th, 2001.
The cast and crew came together like a new army in those same locations
to recreate the sacrifice, the tragedy, the honor and the horror
that happened there 140 years ago.
In historic Lexington, filming took place at Virginia Military Institute,
rich in American history and a National Historic District, and in
front of the pillared front campus of the adjoining Washington and
Lee University, founded in l749. Robert E. Lee served as its president
from l865 until his death in l870 and is buried in Lee Chapel; the
addition of 'Lee' to the school's name came in 1871.
The
expansive parade field of VMI served as backdrop for two key scenes
in Gods and Generals. Although they were shot together, the
tone of the two scenes are worlds apart: the first sequence found
hundreds of waving citizens cheering Jackson as he rode off to battle
with the Corps of Cadets behind him. The second scene, filmed later
that day, was of a more somber nature and showed the Cadets with
guns lowered, leading a funeral cortege carrying Jackson's flag-draped
casket to the VMI barracks.
The VMI barracks field had to be modified for filming: the blatantly
anachronistic statue of General Stonewall Jackson had to be obscured,
and the field's circular road was covered in mulch, as was customary
during the Civil War era.
"There's a particular resonance to being on the actual historical
ground," Ron Maxwell comments. "I think a couple of things
happen. First of all, the look is exactly right. Secondly, the participants
are imbued with a sense of place, and it influences their performance.
All of that translates beautifully onto the screen."
While
filming between August 28th and September 15th in Virginia, the
film moved to several locations but the majority of shooting took
place in two adjoining farming communities south of the historic
city of Staunton. Owned by the Seckman and Sproul families for many
years, these grassy hills and valleys offered similar terrain for
director Ron Maxwell to recreate the Battle of First Manassas (Bull
Run).
Gods
and Generals was filming on the tragic day of September 11th,
2001, when New York and Washington DC were attacked by terrorists.
Shooting on a hill on the Sproul Farm out of cell phone range, the
film company began hearing about the terrible events of the day
from teamster drivers listening to car radios. The production came
to a temporary halt, providing the cast and crew a chance to call
home.
Hours
later at the lower base camp, Ron Maxwell addressed the solemn company,
who surrounded him in a circle of grim faces. Giving everyone the
option to leave if they felt unable to continue, Maxwell voiced
his opinion that those who attacked America wanted to "bring
us to our knees" and that the country must go forward.
The
entire company chose to remain with Maxwell to continue filming.
"We could not forget that we were recreating a time when the
country confronted great challenges, encountered fear and doubted
the safety of daily life," says the director, "and they
rose to the occasion and assured freedom for us all."
When
Gods and Generals returned to Maryland in mid-September,
locations included a scenic Shenandoah river overlook near Charles
Town and the historically preserved town of Harper's Ferry, where
the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers meet to form the boundaries of
three states.
It
was in Harper's Ferry that John Brown's raid in l859 took over the
armory in a failed attempt to spark rebellion against slavery, an
act that helped precipitate the Civil War. Brown was captured, found
guilty by a court and sentenced to death by hanging.
The
Battle of Chancellorsville was filmed through the end of September
on a 600-acre farm near Keedysville, Maryland.
The
month of October 2001 found Gods and Generals traveling to
various locations, many of which shared historic significance with
the film. The screen home of the Chamberlains was found in a Civil
War-era mansion in Clear Springs, Maryland; the Christmas reception
shared by Lee and Jackson at Moss Neck Manor was filmed at the Claymont
Mansion near Charles Town; and the Guiney Station where Jackson
sees his child for the first time was lensed near the famous B&O
Railroad Museum in Baltimore.
In
Hagerstown, the film company rented an empty and cavernous Lowe's
Warehouse, where the art department, under production designer Michael
Hanan, painstakingly built six interior sets. These included the
Jackson room at Chandler House where the General died, his log cabin
headquarters at Moss Neck and classroom at VMI, and Joshua Chamberlain's
classroom at Bowdoin College.
Another
interior that features prominently during the Battle of Fredericksburg
is the Jane Beale mansion, turned into a field hospital during battle,
and the home's cellar where the family huddles during the invasion
of their town.
Standing
in for the courthouse where Lee was sworn in as Commanding Officer
of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia before the Richmond
House of Delegates was the Jefferson County Courthouse in Charles
Town, West Virginia, the actual seat of justice where John Brown
was sentenced.
Before
the film company began a two-week hiatus in late October to wait
for bleak winter weather and another major battle scene, final location
days included filming in the historic Old Town area of Frederick,
Maryland, on the historic streets of Winchester and Lexington, Virginia
and at Cedar Creek, Virginia, to create Jackson's camp at Centreville,
where the General praises his troops and announces his transfer.
When
the film company returned to work on November 13th, it was to begin
the Battle of Fredericksburg, which dominated filming for the remainder
of the shooting schedule. Between l862 and l864, Fredericksburg
changed hands seven times. It was one of the few battlefields where
men fought street by street and house by house.
The
re-dressed historic district of Harper's Ferry stood in for Fredericksburg
itself. The facades of seven buildings were added to the existing
township of Harper's Ferry for the film and blended in with the
existing look of the park. Then production moved to the rolling
fields and wooded valleys of the Flook Farm in Maryland.
After
weeks of filming thousands of charging troops, musket fire, thundering
cavalry and cannon explosions, the last day's shooting for Gods
and Generals on December 12th was a comparatively quiet one.
Along the Potomac River, doubling for the Rappahannock, the company
filmed final scenes in which two soldiers, strangers from opposite
sides of the war, exchange coffee and tobacco in a chance encounter.
In
postproduction, the film was again screened for the historians who
had lent their expertise during the development of the script. His
viewing led James I. Robertson to extol Gods and Generals
as "the greatest Civil War movie I have ever seen, and I have
seen them all."
Dennis
Frye believes that the accuracy of the film gives it a value far
beyond what audiences expect. "People will go into this theater
expecting to be entertained, which they will be, but when they see
this movie, they will come out educated. People are going to learn
about America and discover what makes us Americans when they see
this movie. It's going to be the greatest educational motion picture
experience that we've ever seen with regard to the Civil War."
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