Mise en scene: Gettysburg

The 1993 American Civil War epic Gettysburg tells the story of the brutal three days of fighting surrounding the small town in southern Pennsylvania of the same name. Ronald F. Maxwell’s film on this battle is one primarily devoted to historical accuracy, yet with a flair for the dramatic and heartfelt thrown in. This is shown clearly when studying the mise en scene of the production.

            It is obvious that great lengths were taken to provide historical accuracy in the presentation of soldiers’ uniforms, generals’ faces, and other such details. On the surface, this film appears to be nothing but a dramatized documentary, taking pride in offering up even small and obscure bits of detail concerning the actual events of the battle, the men involved on both sides, and the atmosphere and grandeur of over one hundred thousand soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder, brawling for their rights and the rights of others. A closer look will not only reveal small historical inaccuracies, but also simple and sometimes very subtle ways of dramatizing the conflict.

            Most noticeably, for all of the brutal fighting presented within the film, very few scenes of outright gore exist. There are of course blood pools and splatters. There are also several instances of obvious shock gore scenes featuring severed and amputated limbs. This is done to create a sense almost boredom with the gore, which all of the characters within the film share. These characters are tired of the fighting, numb to it. As such, only in instances where the characters themselves are shocked by it, the audience is not subjected to moments of outright gore, making the death and maimings just as complacent to the viewer as it is to the characters.

            There is also an excellent effect within the movie that conveys the hectic lifestyle of both leading and following a large army. In most scenes, characters are lost within a flurry of action, even if the forces nearby are simply at rest. Only during poignant times of self-reflective thought are main characters left out of the whirling madness behind them. Otherwise, most scenes throughout the movie focus on everyday life in both armies, several scenes paying particular attention to the poor conditions of and dirty atmosphere of the Confederate camps.

            In addition, some subtle and clever cinematography lends particular feelings to raging battle scenes, conveying both the similarities and differences in particular points of the battle. During the battle of McPherson’s Ridge, quick cuts and extreme close ups of both sides engaging in battle lend a frenetic and hectic feeling to the fighting. This accurately reflects the plight of the smaller, somewhat ill-equipped force holding off a larger enemy force that actually occurred. In contrast, during the battle for Little Round Top, in which a force is entrenched and stationary at the top of hill, battle scenes tend to show more troops at once, with less severe camera cuts that cover less drastic distances. This reflects the stationary, withering assault that the forces defending the hill staved off. Only when these troops make their final, desperate countercharge are extreme close-ups and a flurry of quick cuts once again implemented.