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Of Gods and
Generals |
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The
celebrated historian Shelby Foote said in the 1960’s that for anyone
to have an understanding of America at that time, one needed to have a
grasp on the roots and causes of the Civil War, which I believe to be
true. By now most will have seen the dvd from Gods
and Generals. For
many the interest is in Dylan’s video for ‘Cross The
Green Mountain.
Personally
I find the song rather plodding but the video is quite atmospheric and I
would have liked to have seen a longer film as it brings the song to
life, interspersed with scenes and characters from the film. I
have a far longer and deeper rooted interest in the civil war that
stretches back many years before I became interested in Dylan and look
forward to the 5-hour version of the film that is to be released later
this year. I
don’t know how many of you will have seen the film Gettysburg.
Based on Michael Shaara’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel The Killer Angels it
runs over three hours long and is made by the same makers of Gods
and Generals, part
of a trilogy of films to be made about the war, Gods
and Generals
being the second. Many of the characters in Gettysburg
replay their roles in Gods and Generals. In
fact it makes more sense to see Gods
and Generals before
Gettysburg as
the events in Gods and
Generals take
place before Gettysburg
(can
you follow all this?). Often
when people visit my home they comment on the lack of Dylan pictures
around the house that they expect to see but there are none. Yet in my
back living room there is a picture of a man I was intrigued to find
more about after watching the film Gettysburg
named
Lawrence Joshua Chamberlain who is played by Jeff Daniels (he’s the
one sitting at the piano with his wife singing Kathleen
Mavoureen. At
least in Gods and Generals he
has been able to grow his own moustache as opposed to the one put on him
in Gettysburg (you’ll
notice a difference!). Born
in Maine in 1828 he graduated to Bowdoin College and in 1855 he became
professor of rhetoric and modern languages. After the outbreak of the
war he asked his superiors to allow him leave as he felt he had to
become involved in the war but was refused. In 1862 he asked permission
to study in Europe and this request was granted, only for him then to
enlist and join the 20th Maine as lieutenant colonel, his
brother Tom also serving under his command. Throughout the duration of
the war he served in 24 engagements but is best remembered for his
defence of the union line at Little Round Top on 2 July 1863, the second
day of the battle of Gettysburg. His tactics that day are still used as
a source of study in leadership classes and for it was awarded the Medal
of Honour. Following the war he returned to Maine and served three terms
as governor. He returned later to Bowdoin College as professor of mental
and moral philosophy. As president of the college he served for 13 years
and was said to have lectured in every department there until 1885. He
became a successful businessman and wrote many accounts of his
involvement in the war. He died in 1914. Joshua
L. Chamberlain was a deep thinker and a man of high moral standing who
from my readings by and about him had a conscience about the struggle
and what fellow man was capable of doing to each other and often
struggled to make sense of it all. His character was similar in some was
to that of Dick Winters who belonged to 506th Regiment, Easy
Company from 101st Airborne who served in the Normandy
campaign in Europe 1944 portrayed in Band Of Brothers. These
were some of the what has become known as citizen soldiers throughout
wartime and I have thought a lot about this recently through times of
conflict, ordinary people who for whatever reason become entangled in
the great mess that this world throws up constantly since time started. Lessons
don’t appear to be ever learnt but I am constantly intrigued about
these types of people who for whatever reasons become embroiled in
warfare, and sadly, will always be.
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