• Zwick is a gifted photographer—he’s made some well-photographed epics (Legends of the Fall, Blood Diamond, Courage Under Fire)—this is no different and Zwick benefits from selecting James Horner for the score (very moving) and strong performances from Denzel and Morgan Freeman
  • Oscar wins for Denzel (supporting), cinematography and sound
  • Narrative vehicle is the letters sent to home from Matthew Broderick (Platoon from 1986 a few years before shares this)
  • Broderick—tough casting here- he’s baby-faced and lightweight—he’s just not up to the task here
  • Denzel is—and he’s magnetic— proud, strong, cynical— he hawks the others at times—the whipping scene with the tear probably wins him the Oscar
  • There’s racism on the Northern side in the war to end slavery—complex and the film handles that well. We’re outraged over the unfair soldiers’ wage one minute and prideful the next over the blue uniforms
  • A nice action set piece finale- the Civil War equivalent over the Omaha Beach sequence
  • Recommend film- not in the top 10 of 1989