The movie begins in 1863, the third summer of the war, as Harrison, a scout, informs General Longstreet that he has spotted the Federal Army approaching their position on the Maryland/Pennsylvania border. General Longstreet and General Lee discuss this, and agree that Gettysburg will be the place that they will engage the enemy. General Lee believes this is the opportunity he has been waiting for, as the Federals are finally going to be in the open, as opposed to the forests of Virginia. The Union Army, however, converges on Gettysburg as well, though with reduced numbers, as they must wait for General Meade's arrival with more infantry. Over the course of the next three days at Gettysburg, the fate of the nation hangs in the balance and numerous lives will be lost.

I have always enjoyed studying American history in college, but the opportunity to watch Gettysburg had eluded me until now; I can honestly say that I wish I had watched it sooner. It's a fantastic movie that feels very authentic and true to the Battle of Gettysburg. It is a rather lengthy movie, so be prepared to devote some time to the film and the numerous extras included; those that do will have a richer understanding of this nation's history.

Picture:
Gettysburg is presented in the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen and its anamorphic. The print used for the transfer is quite good; I detected no marks or spots, though some slight grain is present throughout the film, mostly in the darker scenes. Also, the image looks a bit soft overall. Flesh tones are accurate throughout with vibrant and rich colors. The blacks are suitably rich as well.

Sound:
Gettysburg is presented in Dolby Digital 5.0 in English and Dolby Surround 2.0 in French. I was very impressed by the dynamic and engaging 5.0 mix; the sounds of war are incredible in this film. Surrounds are put to good use as well. Dialogue throughout was free of distortion and remained crisp and clean throughout.

Extras:
Gettysburg has loads of extras. First up is an audio commentary by director Ronald Maxwell, cinematographer Kees Van Oostrum, author James McPherson, and military historian Craig Symonds. I was disappointed, though, that the track doesn't run the entire length of the movie; there are noticeable gaps between when the participants speak. However, when they do talk, they share quite a bit about production and the events surrounding the battle. Next up is "The Making of Gettysburg" narrated by Martin Sheen. It runs fifty minutes in length and offers an in-depth and informative look at the production of the film. There's also the Oscar-nominated "The Battle of Gettysburg" documentary narrated by Leslie Nielson. It runs about thirty minutes and shows footage of the actual battle sites as they appear now. There's also a featurette titled "Battlefield Maps" which shows the entire battle on a map and how it progressed. Also included are a nice selection of cast and crew interviews, the trailer & TV spots, filmographies, and subtitles in English and French.

Summary:
Gettysburg is a fully loaded DVD release of a remarkable movie featuring a great transfer, terrific sound, and lots of great extras that the fans will surely eat up. Highly Recommended!