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Birth
of a Nation (DVD)
Birth
of a Nation (VHS Director's Edition), by D.W. Griffith, 1915. With
Lilian Gish. This controversial movie was one of the first great movie hits.
Racially charged and full of naive rhetoric, the film nevertheless vividly
portrays real life attitudes of the time, which possibly makes it more
disturbingly accurate than was intended. It also comes closer to explaining
many of the real reasons (not all good) for the great revolt than many other
more timid films.
Breaker
Morant (DVD)
Breaker
Morant (VHS)
Charge
of the Light Brigade (VHS), by Michael Curtis, 1936. With Errol
Flynn.
The
General (DVD)
The
General (VHS), with Buster Keaton. A short war-comedy by one of the
first great comedy stuntmen. Remember while watching this silent movie, that
Keaton did all of his own stunts, without any special effects. He was badly
injured on many occasions.
Gettysburg (DVD)
Gettysburg (VHS widescreen), by Ronald Maxwell, 1993. With
Richard Jordan, Jeff Daniels, Sam Elliott. This epic length film includes
countless fantastic scenes, especially Richard Jordan's role as Armistead. The
battle itself was painstakingly recreated using thousands of re-enactment
extras and it shows. The only minuses are the mediocre make-up, which
ocassionally distract from the scenes (like the haystack posing as Beringer's
beard), and Martin Sheen's manic portrayal of Lee, which contrasts sharply with
the common perception of the general.
Glory (DVD), by Edward Zwick, 1989. With Matthew Broderick
and Denzel Washington. The story of the first all colored infantry regiment in
the United States Army. An excellent movie depicting some of the no-nonsense
aspects of training and fighting during the American Civil War. Stirring
soundtrack.
Gone
with the Wind (VHS), by Victor Fleming, 1939.
The
Horse Soldiers (VHS), by John Ford, 1959. Story about a Union cavalry
raid during the Vickburg campaign, with John Wayne as Col. John Marlowe.
Khartoum
(VHS), by Basil Dearden, 1966.
Lives
of a Bengal Lancer (VHS), by Henry Hathaway, 1935. With Gary Cooper
Real
Glory (VHS), by Henry Hathaway, 1935. With Gary Cooper.
Shenandoah
(VHS), by Andrew McLaglen, 1965. A fictional famer played by James Stewart
is embroiled in the local fighting during one of the Shenandoah campaigns.
The
Wind and the Lion (VHS), with Sean Connery and Candice Bergen.
Zulu (VHS), with Michael Caine. One of Michael Caine's
famous roles as a dry humored British officer at Rorke's Drift during the Zulu
wars. Includes stunning, prolonged combat scenes, which somewhat water down the
graphic details, but nevertheless do much to convey the dispair and violence of
the battle.
55
Days at Peking (VHS), by Nicolas Ray, 1966. With Charlton Heston.
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