Gettysburg (film)

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Gettysburg is a 1993 film based on the novel The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, depicting the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863.

Directed and written by Ronald F. Maxwell.

[edit] Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

(repeated line to his younger brother) Don't call me Lawrence.

BAYONEEEEEETTTS!

Gentlemen. We are the flank.

(thinking) Hold to the last. To the last what? Exercise in rhetoric. Last shell? Last man? Last foot of ground? Last Reb?

Mutiny. I thought that was a word for the navy.

It doesn't make sense; hold a gun on a man to get him to fight.

(examining his sword scabbard which was hit by a bullet and bent badly) I'll be damned.

You men gather round. I've been talking with, uh, Pvt Bucklin, he's told me about your problem. There's nothing I can do today. We'll be moving out in a few minutes, we'll be moving all day. I've been ordered to take you men with me. I'm told that, uh, that if you don't come, I can shoot you. Well, you know I won't do that. Maybe somebody else will, but I won't, so, that's that. Uh here's the, uh, situation. The whole Reb army is up that road a ways, waitin' for us, so this is no time for an argument like this, I tell ya. We could surely use you fellas, we're now well below half strength. Whether you fight, or not, that's......that's up to you. Whether you come along is, is.....well, you're comin'. You know who we are, what we're doing here, but if you're gonna fight along with us, there's a few things I want you to know. This regiment was formed last summer. In Maine. There were a thousand of us, then. There are less than three hundred of us, now. All of us volunteered to fight for the Union, just as you did. Some came, mainly because we were bored at home. Thought this looked like it might be fun. Some came, because we were ashamed not to. Many of us came, because it was the right thing to do. And all of us have seen men die. This is a different kind of army. If you look back through history, you will see men fighting for pay, for women, for some other kind of loot. They fight for land. Power. Because a king leads them, or, or, just because they like killing. But we are here for something new. This has not happened much, in the history of the world. We are an army out to set other men free. America should be free ground. All of it. Not divided by a line between slave states and free, all the way, from here, to the Pacific Ocean. No man has to bow. No man born to royalty, here we judge you by what you do, not by who your father was. Here you can be something. Here is the place to build a home. And it's not the land. There's always more land. It's the idea that we all have value. You and me. What we're fighting for, in the end....we're fighting for each other. Sorry. I, uh, didn't mean to preach. You, uh, you go ahead, you talk for a while. If you, uh, you choose to join us, you want your muskets back, you can have 'em. Nothing more will be said by anybody, anywhere. If you, uh, choose not to join us, well, you can come along under guard, and when this is all over, I will do what I can to see you get a fair treatment, but for now, we're moving out. Gentlemen, I think if we lose this fight, we lose the war. So if you choose to join us, I'll be personally very grateful.

[edit] Gen. Robert E. Lee

It's my fault.

(thinking) In the morning is the great battle. Tomorrow or the next day will determine the war. Virginia is here. All the South is here. What will you do tomorrow? In the morning the enemy will be up in fortified positions on high ground. Longstreet's corps will be coming up and my boys will be ready to finish the job. If I tell them to withdraw now? No, sir. They've been patient for far too long. With the enemy out there up on the hill, they'll be ready to finish the job. But I don't even know how much is up there. How many men? How many cannon? I don't know the ground or the flanks. I don't know. If I wait in the morning, the early morning, maybe Meade, under pressure, will attack. That would make General Longstreet very happy. But I don't think Meade will come down. And I don't think I can withdraw, so, God's will, thy will be done.

Soldiering has one great trap. To be a good soldier, you must love the army. To be a good commander, you must be willing to order the death of the thing you love.

We are adrift here in a sea of blood and I want it to end.

[talks to Longstreet just before Pickets charge.] With General Longstreet in command, my old war horse, meeting the enemy face to face on ground of his own choosing, and with honour, we will prevail!

[edit] Lt. Gen. James Longstreet

I don't like going in without Pickett. It's like going in with one boot off.

We should've freed the slaves then fired on Fort Sumter.

I guess we Southerners and you English have at least one thing in common. We'd rather lose the war than admit to the mistake.

If they get batteries up there, we're gonna need buckets to catch the lead.

Place the guns! Bring up the guns!

[edit] Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead

Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit.

Virginians! Virginians! For your lands! For your homes! For your sweethearts! For your wives! For...Virginia! Forward...march!

[reaches the fench and pauses for a moment] Virginians! We'll stay! Who will come with me?!

The day is ours, men! Turn the cannons on them! Turn the cannons!

(last words) Will you tell General Hancock that General Armistead sends his regrets? Will you tell him how very sorry I am?

[edit] Maj. Gen. George Pickett

Hello, my bully boys! Virginia has arrived!

[Responding to an order to attack after his division is slaughtered] General Lee, I have no division.

For the glory of Virginia, form your brigade.

Up, men! Up! And to your posts! And let no man forget today that you are from old Virginia!

You know I consider it unbecomin' to a soldier, all this booklearnin'.

[As Armistead leads the charge to the stone wall] That's the style, Lo! That's the style!!

[As smoke obscures the charge] What's happenin'? I can't see what's happenin' to my boys. WHAT'S HAPPENIN' TO MY BOYS?!

[edit] Other

Maj. Gen. Isaac Trimble (as the narrator): In June 1863 after more than two years of bloody conflict the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, Robert E. Lee commanding, slips across the Potomac to begin the invasion of the North. It is an army of 70,000 men. They move slowly behind the Blue Ridge using the mountains to screen their movements. Their objective is to draw the Union army out into the open where it can be destroyed. Late in June, the Union Army of the Potomac, 90,000 men, turns north from Virginia to begin the great pursuit up the narrow roads across Maryland and into Pennsylvania. General Lee knows that a letter has been prepared by the Southern government; a letter which offers peace. It is to be placed on the desk of Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States the day after Lee has destroyed the Army of the Potomac somewhere north of Washington.

Cpl. Glazier Estabrook: Colonel, sir. You know who this 2nd Maine man is? Dan Burns from Orono. I know his daddy, the preacher. Best darn cusser I've ever heard. Knows more fine swear words than any man in Maine.

Lt. Col. Arthur Fremantle: You call yourselves Americans, but you're really just transplanted Englishmen.

Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock: There are times when a corps commander's life does not count.

Maj. Gen Isaac Trimble: Sir. I said to General Ewell these words. I said to him: "Sir, give me one division and I will take that hill." He said nothing. He just stood there and stared at me. I said, "General Ewell, give me one brigade and I will take that hill." I was becoming disturbed, sir. And General Ewell put his arms behind him and blinked. So I said, "General, give me one regiment and I will take that hill." And he said nothing. He just stood there. I threw down my sword. Down on the ground in front of him. We could have done it, sir. A blind man should have seen it. Now they're working up there. You can hear the axes of the federal troops. And so in the morning many a good boy will die taking that hill. Sir, I must request another assignment.

Maj. Gen. John Reynolds: (last words) Forward, for God's sake, forward!

[edit] Dialogue

Pvt. Buster Kilrain: Colonel? Colonel, darlin'. Rise up, me bucko. (Chamberlain groans.) Oh, I'm sorry, darlin', but we've got a bit of a problem here, Colonel, would ye like to hear about it? Would ye wake up, sir? We got a whole company comin', sir. This way. I'll give ye time to wake up, but we've got quite a problem. Altogether, 120 men are comin'. We're to be havin' them as guests.

Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain: (still half asleep) What?

Pvt. Buster Kilrain: Yeah. Should be here any minute.

Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain: Who?

Pvt. Buster Kilrain: Mutineers. Mutineers, Colonel, me lad. 120 men from the old 2nd Maine which has been disbanded.

Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain: 120 mutineers? (gestures for Kilrain to keep talking.)

Pvt. Buster Kilrain: Yes, sir. Ye see, what happened was the enlistment papers on the old 2nd Maine run out. So they were sent home. All except these 120 fellows who'd foolishly signed 3-year papers. 3 years, that is. So these poor fellows, they got one more year to serve, only, you see, they thought they was signin' to fight only with the 2nd Maine and the 2nd Maine only. So, they, uh, quit. They resigned, ye see. 120 men! (Chamberlain puts his head down.) Colonel? Are ye all right?

Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain: Yeah.

Pvt. Buster Kilrain: Well, the point is, sir, these Maine fellows; they won't fight no more. And nobody can send them home and nobody knows what to do with them. Til they thought of us. Being as we are the only other Maine regiment in the V Corps. So they've been assigned to us. Yes, sir. I've a message here from the new commanding general. George Meade, sir, that's right! Our very own general of our very own corps has been promoted to command of the whole army. The latest, if ye keep track of them as they go by.

Lt. Tom Chamberlain: One thing about this brigade is we got our own special bugle call. Ever hear tell of Dan Butterfield?

2nd Maine Soldier: What, General Butterfield? What was with Hooker?

Lt. Tom Chamberlain: That's the same fellow. See, he used to be our brigade commander.

2nd Maine Soldier: Yeah, he was a pistol. No man like him for having a good time.

Lt. Tom Chamberlain: I don't know about that. But I know he used to like to write bugle calls. The problem with this army is, we got too many calls. We got a call for artillery, infantry, get up and eat, retreat. Anyway, old Butterfield, he wrote a special call for this here brigade. Say there is an order for this brigade, you and me. Some blame fool'll be blowing his bugle, we will think that order's for us when it wasn't. We'll follow that order anyway, and then we'll look around and we'll be in a world of hurt.

2nd Maine Soldier: Yeah, that happened to me once. Us, that is. Half the regiment charged, the other half retreated. You had your choice.

Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain: Tell me something, Buster. What do you think of Negroes?

Pvt. Buster Kilrain: Well, if you mean the race, I don't really know. This is not a thing to be ashamed of. The thing is, you cannot judge a race. Any man who judges by the group is a pea-wit. You take men one at a time.

Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain: To me, there was never any difference.

Pvt. Buster Kilrain: None at all?

Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain: None at all. Of course, I haven't known that many freed men, but those I knew in Bangor, Portland, you look in the eye, there was a man. There was a "divine spark," as my mother used to call it. That is all there is to it. Races are men. "What a piece of work is man. How infinite in faculties, in form and moving. How express and admirable. In action, how like an angel."

Pvt. Buster Kilrain: Well, if he's an angel, all right then. But he damn well must be a killer angel. Colonel, darling, you're a lovely man. I see a great vast difference between us, yet I admire you, lad. You're an idealist, praise be. The truth is, Colonel, there is no "divine spark." There's many a man alive no more of value than a dead dog. Believe me. When you've seen them hang each other the way I have back in the Old Country. Equality? What I'm fighting for is the right to prove I'm a better man than many of them. Where have you seen this "divine spark" in operation, Colonel? Where have you noted this magnificent equality? No two things on earth are equal or have an equal chance. Not a leaf, not a tree. There's many a man worse than me, and some better, but I don't think race or country matters a damn. What matters, Colonel, is justice. Which is why I'm here. I'll be treated as I deserve. Not as my father deserved. I'm Kilrain, and I damn all gentlemen. There is only one aristocracy, and that is right here. (taps his temple) And that's why we've got to win this war.

Lt. Gen. James Longstreet: Good Lord, George, what is that smell?

Maj. Gen. George Pickett: That's me. Ain't it lovely?

Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead: He got it off a dead Frenchman.

Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain: Sergeant Owen, let's get these fellows some muskets.

Sgt. Owen: There are no muskets, sir.

Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain: (to 2nd Maine men) You just wait here for a bit. There'll be guns available in a little while.

Lt. Thomas Chamberlain: The boys from the 2nd Maine are being fed, Lawrence.

Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain: Ye- Don't call me Lawrence.

Lt. Thomas Chamberlain: Darn it, Lawrence, I'm your brother.

Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain: Well, just be careful about the name business in front of the men, alright? Just because you're my brother- It looks like favoritism.

Lt. Thomas Chamberlain: God Almighty, General Meade's got his own son as his aide-de-camp.

Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain: Well, that's different. Generals can do anything. Nothing quite so much like God on Earth as a general on a battlefield.

Lt. Thomas Chamberlain: Well, what are you gonna do with 'em, huh, sir? Colonel, sir. You can't shoot 'em, you'll never go back to Maine if you do that.

Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain: I know that, I know that. I wonder if they do.

Lt. Gen. James Longstreet: You English had your own civil war once, didn't you?

Lt. Col. Arthur Fremantle: Oh, that was ages ago. Wouldn't dream of it now. Cavaliers and Roundheads. "Off with his head, off with his head!" Heads lying about everywhere. One could hardly take a step without tripping over a fallen crown. We're much more civilized now, I assure you.

Lt. Gen. James Longstreet: I've got some night work for you. Are you up for it?

Harrison: "All the world will be in love with night, and pay no worship to the garish sun!"

Lt. Gen. James Longstreet: When this is over, I do look forward to seeing you on the stage.

Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead: Well, what do you hear about Sam Hood?

Lt. Gen. James Longstreet: May lose an arm.

Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead: Dick Garnett ain't fit. Can't hardly walk. Thing is, if there's a fight, he can't stand to stay out of it. But if you ordered him to stay out of it... Huh. Don't suppose you could do that.

Lt. Gen. James Longstreet: Mm-mm.

Irish Tenor: (in the background) Kathleen Mavourneen, the gray dawn is breaking. The horn of the hunter is heard on the hill. The lark from the light... (continues song through conversation)

Lt. General James Longstreet: Mm-hmm. That boy can sing. That's "Kathleen Mavourneen".

Brig. Gen Lewis Armistead: (looks away, slightly husky voice) What do you hear about Hancock?

Lt. Gen James Longstreet: (lighting pipe) Ran into him today. He's out there, 'bout a mile or so. Just a mile or so. He was... tough. Very tough today.

Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead: He's the best they got. God don't make 'em any better, and that's a fact. Well, I'd like to go over and see him as soon as I can. Last time I saw Win, we played that song, that very song. Back in California, we were all together for the last time. Before we broke up. Spring of '61. (pauses) Almira Hancock. You remember Almira, Hancock's wife? Beautiful woman. Most perfect woman I ever saw. They were a beautiful couple. Beautiful... Garnett was with me that night. A lot of fellows from the old outfit. People standin' around singin'. In the blue uniform. We were leavin', the next day. Some goin' North, some goin' South. Splittin' up. (looks up) A soldier's farewell. "Goodbye. Good luck. I'll see you in hell." (chuckles) You remember that? (sighs) Towards the end of the evening, we all sat around the piano. And Mira played that- that song there, that was the one she played. "May be for years, may be forever..." I'll never forget that. (laughs) You know how it was, Pete. (sits down, voice husky) Win was like a brother to me... Remember? (Longstreet nods) Towards the end of the evening... (shakes his head) things got a little rough. We all began to- Well, there were a lot of tears. (takes several shaky breaths) I went over to Hancock.. I-I took him by the shoulder. I said, "Win... so help me... if I ever raise my hand against you... may God strike me dead!" (pauses, quickly wipes his eyes) I ain't seen him since. He was at Malvern Hill, White Oak Swamp, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg... (sighs) One of these days... I will see him, I'm afraid. Across that small, deadly space. I thought about sittin' this one out, but I can't do that. That wouldn't be right, either. (wipes his eyes again) I guess not. (nods) Thank you, Peter. I had to talk about that.

Lt. Gen James Longstreet: Yup.

Brig. Gen Lewis Armistead: (stands, turns slightly) Um, I'm sending Almira Hancock a small package to be opened in the event of my death. (takes package from coat, holds it towards Longstreet) You'll drop by and see her, after all this is over... Won't you, Pete? (Longstreet takes the package) Thank you.

Lt. Thomas Chamberlain: Hello, men. What outfit you with?

Confederate Prisoner: Archer's Brigade, Heth's Division.

Lt. Thomas Chamberlain: Where you from?

Confederate Prisoner: Tennessee. How 'bout you?

Lt. Thomas Chamberlain: Maine. I never been to Tennessee.

Confederate Prisoner: I reckon I never been to Maine neither.

Lt. Thomas Chamberlain: I don't mean no disrespect to you fightin' men. But sometimes I can't help but figure, why you fightin' this war?

Confederate Prisoner: Why you fightin' it?

Lt. Thomas Chamberlain: Well, to free the slaves, of course. And to preserve the Union.

Confederate Prisoner: I don't know about some other folk but I ain't fightin' for no darkies, one way or the other. I'm fightin' for my rights (pronounced "rats"). Obviously that's what we're fightin' for.

Lt. Thomas Chamberlain: For your what?

Confederate Prisoner: For our rights. Why is it you folks can't just live the way you want to live, and let us live the way we do? Live and let live, I hear some folks say. Be a mite less fuss and bother if more folks took it to heart.

Lt. Thomas Chamberlain: (nods slowly, considering the man's words) Where'd you get captured?

Confederate Prisoner: Railroad cut just west of Gettysburg town. Wasn't a pretty sight. Many a good boy lost a young and promising life. Some were blue, some were grey. Seen enough of this war?

Lt. Thomas Chamberlain: I guess I have.

Confederate Prisoner: I guess I have, too. It looks like I'm gonna be sittin' out the rest of it.

Lt. Thomas Chamberlain: (nods) Well, I appreciate you talkin' to me.

Confederate Prisoner: (salutes) See you in hell, Billy Yank.

Lt. Thomas Chamberlain: (salutes) See you in hell, Johnny Reb.

Lt. Thomas Chamberlain: Lawrence. I just got back from the hospital. Godawful mess. They got no room. They got no shade, they got men lyin' everywhere! They're cuttin' off arms and legs right out there on front of everybody. They oughta not do that in public, Lawrence. Men oughta have some privacy at a time like that.

Col Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain: You see Kilrain?

Lt. Thomas Chamberlain: (nods wordlessly)

Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain: Well, how is he?

Lt. Thomas Chamberlain: (looks away) Well...Lawrence... he died. (takes off kepi) Yeah... He died this morning, 'fore I got there. A couple o' the fellows, they, they was with 'im. (looks at his brother) He said to tell you goodbye... And that he was sorry.

Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain: Yeah.

Lt. Thomas Chamberlain: (glances across the field for a moment) I tell you, Lawrence... I sure was fond of that man.

Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain: (forces a smile) Yeah.