Top 5 Civil War Movies

As we approach the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, interest in the politics surrounding the war and its effect of rending the country apart grows. There have been dozens of movies made about the Civil War over the years but these five stand out to give viewers both sides' perspectives.

1. Gone With the Wind (1939)

Gone With the Wind is probably the most famous movie (and definitely the largest grossing) about the Civil War. What is interesting about GWTW is that it was filmed in 1939 based on Margaret Mitchell's only novel, written in 1936, only sixty years after the war. Many people still remembered the impacts of the war. The movie starred Clark Gable as Rhett Butler, a dashing businessman and playboy who ultimately realizes his love of his state and the need to fight. Vivian Leigh stars as Scarlett O'Hara, a privileged and spoiled young woman who loses everything as Sherman's army takes over Atlanta.

2. Glory (1989)

A luxurious and extremely accurate portrayal of the Union side of the conflict. The movie starred Matthew Broderick as the head of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, a group of black soldiers cobbled together that rose the ire and the mocking of other Union battalions. The unit's goal was to lead the attack on Fort Wagner in South Carolina in the July 1863 Battle of Fort Wagner. Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman also starred as members of the 54th. Many of the movie's scenes were shot in Savannah, Georgia.

3. Cold Mountain (2003)

Cold Mountain is based on Charles Frazier's freshman novel by the same name. The plot revolves around a fictionalized account of a real rebel soldier, W.P. Inman. Inman, in the book and movie, signs up to fight with his North Carolina brethren at the age of 22. He is wounded in 1864 and spends time in hospital after which time he deserts. The movie stars Jude Law as Inman and Nicole Kidman as his love interest and the woman he leaves the fighting to come home to. Kidman's character comes from wealth and privilege in Charleston to live with her minister father in the hills of Western North Carolina. The war leaves her to her own devices to keep the farm going. Renee Zellweger plays Ruby, a young woman fending for herself who comes to live at the farm and help Kidman bring it back to life. The movie represents a detailed look at the destruction the war brought to those in the south- not the rich coastal slave owners but the vast majority of rural farmers protecting their land.

4. CSA: The Confederate States of America (2004)

This Spike Lee movie had to be included on the list for its premise alone. What would the country look like today if the South had won the Civil War? The movie is set up as a mockumentary, showing the "history" of the conflict through the eyes of a British film crew. It shows how the CSA government deals with historical events like the Second World War and Kennedy's assassination. And it shows what slavery would look like today. Although the premise is flawed (the CSA never expressed an interest in expansionary policy), it is an interesting look at an alternative history.

5. Gods and Generals (2003)

Based on the novel of the same name by Jeffrey Shaara, Gods and Generals is the prequel movie to the 1993 film, Gettysburg. The movie stars Jeff Daniels (reprising his role in Gettysburg) and Robert Duvall as Robert E. Lee. The movie focuses on the life of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, an important and odd Confederate general who was killed half way through the war accidentally by his own soldiers. The original movie ran almost six hours but was cut down to 3 hours and 39 minutes. An alleged Director's Cut of the whole film exists but it has never been released commercially.