This movie fascinates and delights me. I think it is the courage of the people who actually participated in these events that comes through. It was produced by Ted Turner, and is based on the novel by "The Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara. It shows the battle in general, but focuses on the stand on Little Round Top by Colonel Chamberlain (Jeff Bridges) and his men. However the movie shows all three days of Gettysburg, and the heroics of Little Round Top was day two. It starts showing how the skirmish got started, with General Buford's (Sam Elliott) cavalry defending Seminary Ridge. Had that first day ended differently, this battle would have played out differently. It would have been the Confederates entrenched on the high ground. The big if of the war, was had General Stonewall Jackson been there, would he have left the Union forces with the high ground, and a night to reinforce and to dig in.
As noted, the battle of the second day focused on the wings, Little Round Top to the South, and Cemetery Hill to the North.
The Confederacy was unable to turn either flank, so the third day saw a full out attack on the middle, Pickett's (Stephen Lang) charge. General Lee (Martin Short) had hoped the Federals had spread too thin. He was wrong. General Longstreet (Tom Beringer) argued for a different strategy all day. Picket and his forces were ordered to attack. After they were repulsed, Lee asked Pickett to see to his division. His response, "I have no division." They had been beaten, badly.
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