By ELEANOR RINGEL GILLESPIE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Based on Jeffrey M. Shaara's novel of the same name, "Gods and Generals" is a prequel to Turner's ample "Gettysburg," based on "The Killer Angels," written by Shaara's deceased father, Michael. The new film takes place during the early years of the war, roughly 1861-63, when the nation was just beginning to eviscerate itself. Covering such major battles as Bull Run, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, the movie is told more from a Southern perspective, as opposed to its predecessor, which tended to have a more Northern point of view.

Director Ron Maxwell, who also made "Gettysburg," tells his story from different viewpoints, but the focus is mostly on Gen. Robert E. Lee (Robert Duvall), Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson (Stephen Lang) and our heroic Yank from the first movie, Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (Jeff Daniels). Lincoln offers the post of commander in chief of the Union Army to Lee, but he turns it down, saying, "I have a greater duty to my home," meaning his native state, Virginia. Chamberlain gives up a promising academic career at Bowdoin College to serve. Across the Mason-Dixon Line, in Virginia, Jackson does the same thing, leaving his teaching post at Virginia Military Institute.

Maxwell captures the ragtag feeling of those first years. We see all kinds of uniforms: some red, some green, some dark gray. One guy even wears a hand-me-down Revolutionary War uniform.

The movie also emphasizes the human scale of this massive national self-massacre. Not just in the corpse-strewn battlefields and quieter moments with the generals and their men, but even in the opening credits, which appear against a dozen or more billowing flags. There are banners from everywhere: the 28th Massachusetts, the 3rd Arkansas, the 12th New York, the 24th Georgia.

The movie treats the material with respect. The people who put it together have a deep, personal attachment to these events; they feel honor-bound to get every bridle, every epaulet, every battle plan absolutely right.

However, "Gods and Generals" is not as good as "Gettysburg." For one thing, it's too diffuse — necessarily so, perhaps, since it covers more ground. And even buffs will notice that more could have been done to flesh out the characters. We get their courage, their valor and their prayers (hence the title, "Gods and Generals"; Lee and Jackson were both very religious).

But there's not much emotional involvement. The decision was made — perhaps by some market-research nitwit trying to attract more women — that there should be scenes with the soldiers' wives and families. The notion must have been that those scenes would lend the movie an emotional tug. But they are a disaster — awkwardly acted and poorly written. Insider's tip: These bits make perfect bathroom breaks.

Now, for the non-buffs. At times, the film can feel like a historical pageant, stiff and heavy-handed. Some scenes feel as if they've been inserted for the sole purpose of having Lee ride up and utter something famous.

It's also difficult to tell one general from another. After cursory introductions, about all you've got to go on is a phantasmagoria of facial hair, from Lee's trim gray beard to Jackson's immense growth, which makes him look like he's trying to eat a carpet remnant.

The acting is on a generally high level (with the exception of the womenfolk stuff). As always, Duvall invests his part with integrity and authenticity. He's a huge improvement over Martin Sheen, who played Lee in "Gettysburg." Lang's not bad as Jackson, but we see only limited sides of him. If half his prayers were cut, the movie would be closer to three hours.

At least they didn't cut Turner's scene, as had been rumored. He appears about midway through the picture as part of the audience for a singalong performance of "The Bonnie Blue Flag." As he did in "Gettysburg," he plays Col. Waller Patton, great-great-whatever of Gen. George Patton, and even has one line.

He looks very happy.

Not everyone who passes an afternoon at "Gods and Generals" will look as happy, but if you're interested in the details of our bloodiest national tragedy, here's your movie. Even so, you should know that this isn't so much the prequel to "Gettysburg" as it is the prequel to the six-hour DVD coming soon to a Blockbuster near you.

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