3 major U.S. Civil War movies due in 2003: Could Rebel Flag Revival Follow? (My Title)

The Washington Times ^ | November 29th, 2002 | Scott Bowles

[End The Hypocrisy]

Three MAJOR civil war cinema epics are due in 2003. 1) Robert Duvall plays Robert E. Lee in Gods & Generals, out Feb. 21; 2) Jude Law portrays a jaded confederate in Cold Mountain, due Dec. 25, 2003; and 3) Tom Cruise plays a Civil War veteran who witnesses the end of a Japanese culture in The Last Samurai, due Dec. 12, 2003. Gods & Generals is replete with special effects, although director Maxwell still used more than 10,000 extras to re-create battle scenes.

[wardaddy]

Ha ha ha....Sorry...I'm not so slavery sensitive.

I rank it below infanticide and the incorporation of the American Indian in immorality.

You guys are all such a hoot. You act like slavery is the worst thing ever down the pike. Must make all of you feel so damned smart and righteous.....sort of like John Brown himself eh?

What's your real beef?

The fact that states revolted and seceded?

Slavery?

The fact that the slaves were "of color"?

Or is it the issue that many of we Southerners actually have a regional identity and kinsmanship and lengthy history here as opposed to many Yankees who do not?

[wardaddy]

Incredible pics. I hear Duvall is a fairly folksy fellow. Is that true?

[muleskinner]

Re: the black and white with Duval - Thought it was Lee for a sec., great shot. My only criticism, the kids shoulda' been in period dress. Then, a classic.

[Petronski]

Excellent! No dime-store beards there. And Duvall bears a stunning resemblence to the old King of Spades.

[End The Hypocrisy]

>>> don't forget free blacks owned slaves also...<<<

They still do in countries such as Sudan, in fact.

[Frankster]

Excellent post! DEO VINDICE.

[Petronski]

"Another [favorite] scene I would say is the scene where Chamberlain tells his wife, Fanny, that he's going to enlist — Jeff Daniels and Mira Sorvino," the director said. "One of the reasons it was exceptionally poignant, because we know that that scene is being played out all over American today, with men and women saying farewell to their spouses to go off and fight our war against terrorism."

Okay, now I am VERY excited. Daniels reprises his role as Chamberlain, and his story is told from his departure from Maine. So cool.

And the complete director's cut, at 5 1/2 hours, will be released on dvd! Dayum!

[Ditto]

"in fact General Lee disagreed with it and freed all his slaves before he took command."

Not accurate. I know of no record of Lee ever buying a slave himself and as a career military officer stationed from post-to-post around the country, he had little need and likely little money of his own, to buy slaves. Lee married well, but he was not a wealthy man on his own account. The slaves he "owned" where inherited from his father-in-law, the last of the Custus family who owned the plantation now known as Arlington National Cemetery. The conditions of the will leaving the slaves and property to Lee required that all the slaves be given their freedom papers within 5 years of Custus' death. Lee did free those slave that were still in his procession until the year 1862. Those who had remained at Arlington were "freed" as contraband in 1861 when Union troops occupied that plantation and Gen. Lee no longer had access to them. There are also accounts from former slaves owned by Gen Lee that say he was not a "nice" master.

Lee, like Jefferson, “theoretically” opposed slavery. There is no record, however, of either ever acting upon their "beliefs."

[Johnny Shear]

Here's a story that is (TEMPORARILY) still being ignored by the media and many Americans:

You know, not everything's a conspiracy...

I'm a Political Junkie and a fan of History but I don't give a sh#t about that guy walking with the Confederate Flag...I've seen the posts about him time and time again, and not once have I clicked on one of them. Hell, I don't even care about the Confederate Flag itself. Keep it, get rid of it, I simply DON'T CARE! And I am assumming that is the opinion of the VAST majority of Americans...You know, the same people who drive news coverage???

The Crying Wolf around here is DEFENING!! And embarrassing at times.

Ps...Let me guess...You're also one of those harpies complaining about the lack of coverage of the "Witchata Massacre"???

[Ditto]

Lincoln was a mentally ill (severely depressed) tyrant, who used slavery as an excuse to do what he wanted to do anyway.

You are a historical illiterate. (I'm wouldn't care to comment on your mental state)

[Ditto]

the VAST majority of the whites in the south could not afford to own slaves. There were actually only a small percentage of slave owners in the south, mostly plantation owners.

Wrong. Over 1/3 of all southerners belonged to slave owning families. That average was driven down by high population upper south states like Maryland and Virginia where less than 20 percent of families owned slaves. In Deep south states like South Carolina and Mississippi, far more than 50% of the white families owned slaves.

[Ditto]

I have long contended that slavery was NOT the issue that started the cival war.

Partly correct. It was the expansion of slavery that caused the civil war. The south needed expansion as both a profit center and a releif valve for their excess slave production, and Lincoln and the Republicans flatly opposed expansion.

[GraniteStateMan]

...Anyone but Sheen as Lee for G-d's sake.

Amen to that. Sheen's Lee looked like he was on Thorazine.

[hoosierham]

The Union Jack flew over plenty of slavery and the Stars and Stripes flew over more slavery than the Stars and Bars; but don't let facts slow you down.

[rwfromkansas]

It is not revisionist history; it is a fact that is acknowledged when you get out of your middle school history courses.....

Of course, if that is all you know, well then, you will think slavery was the only cause.

BTW, the Klan marched with the U.S. flag.

[rwfromkansas]

Yeah, and the north just loved equal rights. Please.....check out some history on the Klan up north.

[rwfromkansas]

I personally don't care how big out national debt gets. This is America and we run the show.

[End The Hypocrisy]

Japan used to say something similar. It has the world's 2nd largest economy, and now in relation to its annual GDP, Japan has the world's largest national debt. Baby look at 'em now though... Even Botswana has a higher national credit rating.

Overall the USA has the largest national debt, and that's even before baby-boomers retire in droves in a few more years.

[End The Hypocrisy]

>>>You are a historical illiterate. (I'm [SIC] wouldn't care to comment on your mental state)<<<

As opposed to a grammatical illiterate?