Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

Gods and Generals

 Gods and Generals
type
TVTItem
 Gods and Generals
label
Gods and Generals
 Gods and Generals
page
GodsAndGenerals
 Gods and Generals
comment
Gods and Generals is the prequel to the 1994 film Gettysburg. The film focuses on Confederate General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, from the outbreak of The American Civil War until his death from friendly fire at Chancellorsville. It also features the back story for Colonel Joshua Chamberlain, who appeared in Gettysburg and is once again played by Jeff Daniels.It was based on the novel of the same name by Jeff Shaara, who took over writing duties after the death of his father, Michael (from whose book The Killer Angels Gettysburg was adapted).As of 2012, two versions of the film are available to the public: the 3.5 hour version that was released in theaters in 2003 and the 4.5 hour Extended Director's Cut that was released to 2011. Opinion varies on which one is better, but general consensus sides with the latter.
 Gods and Generals
fetched
2023-10-05T13:29:35Z
 Gods and Generals
parsed
2023-10-05T13:29:35Z
 Gods and Generals
processingComment
Dropped link to Prequel: Not a Feature - ITEM
 Gods and Generals
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Gods and Generals / int_14ed6ab7
type
Does This Remind You of Anything?
 Gods and Generals / int_14ed6ab7
comment
Does This Remind You of Anything?: Stonewall Jackson, on his deathbed, is a bearded man raising his right hand as if in blessing, a bloodstain at the center of his bandaged palm.
 Gods and Generals / int_14ed6ab7
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_14ed6ab7
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_14ed6ab7
 Gods and Generals / int_19d06ef7
type
A Father to His Men
 Gods and Generals / int_19d06ef7
comment
A Father to His Men: Jackson. But he can be a Bad Boss at times, such as when he threatens to bayonet any stragglers during his famous flanking march to Chancellorsville.
 Gods and Generals / int_19d06ef7
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_19d06ef7
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_19d06ef7
 Gods and Generals / int_1effdd6b
type
White Man's Burden
 Gods and Generals / int_1effdd6b
comment
White Man's Burden: Roger Ebert's review of the movie provides the page quote.
 Gods and Generals / int_1effdd6b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_1effdd6b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_1effdd6b
 Gods and Generals / int_24cf8a0e
type
Speech-Centric Work
 Gods and Generals / int_24cf8a0e
comment
Speech-Centric Work: All the main characters spend a lot of time on extended monologues.
 Gods and Generals / int_24cf8a0e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_24cf8a0e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_24cf8a0e
 Gods and Generals / int_3bc88a7f
type
Foregone Conclusion
 Gods and Generals / int_3bc88a7f
comment
Foregone Conclusion: We know from history that Jackson will eventually be hit by friendly fire and die from his injuries.
 Gods and Generals / int_3bc88a7f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_3bc88a7f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_3bc88a7f
 Gods and Generals / int_3e8d9cd3
type
Historical Hero Upgrade
 Gods and Generals / int_3e8d9cd3
comment
Historical Hero Upgrade: Jackson is portrayed as favoring an eventual abolition of slavery in the South, for which there is no historical evidence - he figured that if God wanted it to end then it would end in God's time, and if God didn't want it to end then it wouldn't. He did get in trouble for teaching Sunday School lessons to slave children, with his defense that "The Lord intended all his children to be able to read his word", but he still believed they could read it fine while remaining in slavery. Also in real life, Jackson's cook was not a freeman as in the movie, but a slave. The film also leaves out his Bunny-Ears Lawyer tendencies, like the fact he kept one hand raised at most times to "keep the blood balanced" and was known to sometimes refuse to fight on a Sunday, considering it a sin.
 Gods and Generals / int_3e8d9cd3
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_3e8d9cd3
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_3e8d9cd3
 Gods and Generals / int_41dd77d
type
Zerg Rush
 Gods and Generals / int_41dd77d
comment
Zerg Rush: Truth in Television: Burnside's "tactics" at Fredericksburg consist largely of having regiment after regiment simply march across a creek, through the town, and into musket range of the Confederate Army, which is dug in behind a thick stone wall with heavy artillery support. Lee actually worries briefly that they might just succeed in swamping him in bodies, but he needn't have.
 Gods and Generals / int_41dd77d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_41dd77d
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_41dd77d
 Gods and Generals / int_4604fd4d
type
Worthy Opponent
 Gods and Generals / int_4604fd4d
comment
Worthy Opponent: Harrison views Chamberlain as this after the two meet. He decides that, if the Union army has such men in their ranks, then the Confederates will need all the help they can get, thus prompting him to take a hiatus from acting and become a spy. The Confederate Irishmen at Fredericksburg cheer the Union Irish Brigade for their courage as they withdraw from the field.
 Gods and Generals / int_4604fd4d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_4604fd4d
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_4604fd4d
 Gods and Generals / int_498a6a21
type
Badass Teacher
 Gods and Generals / int_498a6a21
comment
Badass Teacher: Jackson, sort of. He was a Four-Star Badass who was once a decidedly mediocre teacher - his teaching style involved writing a lecture, memorizing it, and reciting it to his students. If they didn't get it, he'd recite the same lecture, word for word, during their next class, and every class afterwards until he was satisfied that they had learned the lesson.
 Gods and Generals / int_498a6a21
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_498a6a21
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_498a6a21
 Gods and Generals / int_62ef4163
type
Boot Camp Episode
 Gods and Generals / int_62ef4163
comment
Boot Camp Episode: Part two of the Director's Cut (it's divided into 5 parts) largely focuses on Chamberlain's basic training.
 Gods and Generals / int_62ef4163
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_62ef4163
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_62ef4163
 Gods and Generals / int_64e975cf
type
Manly Tears
 Gods and Generals / int_64e975cf
comment
Manly Tears: When little Jane dies, Jackson breaks down and weeps openly, not just for her, but for all the people he's seen die so far in the war; Jane simply happened to be the straw that broke the camel's back.
 Gods and Generals / int_64e975cf
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_64e975cf
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_64e975cf
 Gods and Generals / int_786bf97f
type
Real Life Writes the Plot
 Gods and Generals / int_786bf97f
comment
Real Life Writes the Plot: Literally; it's based on actual events, so things like Jackson's death are inevitable.
 Gods and Generals / int_786bf97f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_786bf97f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_786bf97f
 Gods and Generals / int_87bb6874
type
Villain with Good Publicity
 Gods and Generals / int_87bb6874
comment
Villain with Good Publicity: Booth, insofar as he can be called a villain at this point in his life.
 Gods and Generals / int_87bb6874
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_87bb6874
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_87bb6874
 Gods and Generals / int_95265081
type
Leeroy Jenkins
 Gods and Generals / int_95265081
comment
Leeroy Jenkins: Some of the Rebel troops do this at Manassas. The Confederates under Stonewall Jackson arrive on the scene and a couple of young guys tell their company, "Come on, we can take 'em!" and charge the Union lines. The rest of the company follows, with the commander basically forced to order a charge retroactively. Looking on, Jackson remarks that "It's good to get your dander up", but correctly predicts the company will be slaughtered.
 Gods and Generals / int_95265081
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_95265081
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_95265081
 Gods and Generals / int_a5f0752f
type
Rule of Drama
 Gods and Generals / int_a5f0752f
comment
Rule of Drama: In order to emphasize the tragedy of brother fighting brother, the number of Irishmen serving on the Confederate side is somewhat exaggerated—in actual fact the C.S.A. had company-sized Irish units, while the Northern Army of the Potomac had an Irish Brigade. As the film relates its story of Virginians successfully defending their homes against Northern invaders, the attempted invasion of the North in 1862, the defeat in the battle of Antietam (seen by many historians as the real turning point of the war) and Lincoln's subsequent Emancipation Proclamation are all left out, at least in the originally released version. The film in its original edition also minimizes the Unionist part of Virginia's population, e. g. that it was Virginian general Winfield Scott who had suggested to Lincoln to appoint Robert E. Lee as his field commander or that quite early in the war the western third of the state seceded from Virginia and later set itself up as the new state of West Virginia in support of Lincoln's government.
 Gods and Generals / int_a5f0752f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_a5f0752f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_a5f0752f
 Gods and Generals / int_a65288e2
type
Ascended Extra
 Gods and Generals / int_a65288e2
comment
Ascended Extra: Jackson's role in the film is greatly exaggerated over his importance in the book from which the film was adapted, taking away screen time from the previously equally central characters of Lee and Chamberlain.
 Gods and Generals / int_a65288e2
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_a65288e2
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_a65288e2
 Gods and Generals / int_a6b14ee1
type
Hollywood Tactics
 Gods and Generals / int_a6b14ee1
comment
Hollywood Tactics: Fredericksburg has a scene where Union troops repeatedly advance across an open field towards the Confederate troops, who are crouching behind a stone wall. Obviously this works out in the Confederacy's favor. Unfortunately it's Truth in Television: Burnside's tactics at Fredericksburg really were little more than a series of Zerg Rushes against a fortified position. Fifteen years earlier and his tactics would have been just fine given his superior numbers and better artillery. Charging fixed positions to deliver the bayonet would have been how he was taught. It's just that about ten years before the war the Minie Ball and Rifled Musket were introduced, making the standard infantry weapon far more accurate and unbelievably more deadly, and infantry tactics had not yet changed to account for that. It is, however, inaccurate and in fact a bit unfair to Burnside to depict the futile fight at Marye's Heights as all that happened at Fredericksburg. Even Burnside only ever intended the fighting there as a distraction from the decisive fight further south against Stonewall Jackson, where casualties were more even (5,000 Union vs 3,400 Confederate) and where George Meade and his men actually made a fortuitous breakthrough only to have it squandered when William B. Franklin and John F. Reynolds refused to commit any of their 20,000 reserves to support him.
 Gods and Generals / int_a6b14ee1
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_a6b14ee1
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_a6b14ee1
 Gods and Generals / int_a863ef67
type
Cultured Warrior
 Gods and Generals / int_a863ef67
comment
Cultured Warrior: Chamberlain, a college professor, refuses to quote Lovelace's "To Lucasta" to his wife before he goes off to war, so she quotes it to him. Before the assault at Fredericksburg, he describes Julius Caesar crossing the Rubicon to his regiment, and then speaks of how when Roman gladiators entered the ring, they would salute the Emperor with the line, "Hail Caesar. We, who are about to die, salute you." His senior NCO repeats the line as they approach the firing lines.
 Gods and Generals / int_a863ef67
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_a863ef67
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_a863ef67
 Gods and Generals / int_aaece264
type
Rousing Speech
 Gods and Generals / int_aaece264
comment
Rousing Speech: Several, especially Jackson's "you are the first brigade" as he leaves the 1st Brigade to take command of a corps. At this point we haven't even seen a lot of Jackson's relationship with the brigade, but Stephen Lang delivers the speech so stirringly it still feels like Jackson loves these men to the point where he's almost sad to be promoted.
 Gods and Generals / int_aaece264
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_aaece264
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_aaece264
 Gods and Generals / int_ab2df806
type
Red Baron
 Gods and Generals / int_ab2df806
comment
Red Baron: "Stonewall" Jackson. Jackson himself denies the title, claiming that it rightfully belongs to the 1st Brigade, not the man who commanded it.
 Gods and Generals / int_ab2df806
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_ab2df806
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_ab2df806
 Gods and Generals / int_abc55125
type
Character Filibuster
 Gods and Generals / int_abc55125
comment
Character Filibuster: Several, but mostly notably one by Chamberlain on the reason he believes in the Union cause. At this point in the film we've mostly gotten to see Confederate characters from a Sympathetic P.O.V. who don't care much for slavery and are decent human beings who, from their point of view, just want to be left alone. Then Chamberlain (historically from a family of abolitionists) monologues to his sergeant that if the South merely believed the Federal Government had overstepped its authority and restricted their rights, he would disagree but wouldn't question their integrity, but since they complain about their rights being oppressed while simultaneously denying those same rights to others, he considers the Southern cause to be hypocrisy and believes this shows the North has just reasons to prosecute the war and end the rebellion.
 Gods and Generals / int_abc55125
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_abc55125
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_abc55125
 Gods and Generals / int_b8e3f20a
type
Demoted to Extra
 Gods and Generals / int_b8e3f20a
comment
Demoted to Extra: General Hancock. In the book, while he got slightly less mention than Lee, Chamberlain, or Jackson, all 4 were approximately equal main characters. In the movie, even in the director's cut he only gets a few scenes, and no real character development to speak of.
 Gods and Generals / int_b8e3f20a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_b8e3f20a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_b8e3f20a
 Gods and Generals / int_bdb5c651
type
Real Men Love Jesus
 Gods and Generals / int_bdb5c651
comment
Real Men Love Jesus: Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson—devout Christian and genuine Four-Star Badass.
 Gods and Generals / int_bdb5c651
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_bdb5c651
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_bdb5c651
 Gods and Generals / int_c2393191
type
Show Within a Show
 Gods and Generals / int_c2393191
comment
Show Within a Show: The stage play scenes in the Director's Cut.
 Gods and Generals / int_c2393191
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_c2393191
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_c2393191
 Gods and Generals / int_c40c8b74
type
And Starring
 Gods and Generals / int_c40c8b74
comment
And Starring: The main and secondary cast rolls end with "and Robert Duvall as Robert E. Lee" as well as "and Bruce Boxleitner as General James Longstreet", respectively.
 Gods and Generals / int_c40c8b74
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_c40c8b74
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_c40c8b74
 Gods and Generals / int_d2aa7d09
type
Littlest Cancer Patient
 Gods and Generals / int_d2aa7d09
comment
Littlest Cancer Patient: Jackson's young friend Jane. She doesn't get better.
 Gods and Generals / int_d2aa7d09
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_d2aa7d09
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_d2aa7d09
 Gods and Generals / int_e0040f41
type
Start of Darkness
 Gods and Generals / int_e0040f41
comment
Start of Darkness: John Wilkes Booth in the Director's Cut. At first, he simply hates Lincoln, as many in the South did. As the film progresses, however, he gradually begins indicating that he's toying with the idea of killing him personally.
 Gods and Generals / int_e0040f41
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_e0040f41
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_e0040f41
 Gods and Generals / int_e8d46c29
type
Backstory
 Gods and Generals / int_e8d46c29
comment
Backstory: To the characters who appear in Gettysburg but not the film's protagonist, Jackson, who dies.
 Gods and Generals / int_e8d46c29
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_e8d46c29
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_e8d46c29
 Gods and Generals / int_f1d6144a
type
War Is Hell
 Gods and Generals / int_f1d6144a
comment
War Is Hell: Applies to both versions, but this is more overt in the Director's Cut which included the Battle of Antietam, complete with some very grim shots of the aftermath.
 Gods and Generals / int_f1d6144a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_f1d6144a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_f1d6144a
 Gods and Generals / int_name
type
ItemName
 Gods and Generals / int_name
comment
 Gods and Generals / int_name
featureApplicability
1.0
 Gods and Generals / int_name
featureConfidence
1.0
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Gods and Generals / int_name
 Gods and Generals / int_name
itemName
Gods and Generals

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Gettysburg
seeAlso
Gods and Generals
 GodsandGenerals
sameAs
Gods and Generals
 Gods and Generals
seeAlso
Gods and Generals
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
A Million Is a Statistic / int_ef7554d1
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Badass Teacher / int_ef7554d1
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Battle Butler / int_ef7554d1
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Bayonet Ya / int_ef7554d1
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Character Filibuster / int_ef7554d1
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Deleted Role / int_ef7554d1
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Happiness in Slavery / int_ef7554d1
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Historical Hero Upgrade / int_ef7554d1
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Intermission / int_ef7554d1
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Loved I Not Honor More / int_ef7554d1
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Named Weapons / int_ef7554d1
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
Tears from a Stone / int_ef7554d1
 Gods and Generals
hasFeature
The Noun and the Noun / int_ef7554d1