The prevalence of money shots may be the greatest advantage and biggest hobbling documentaries have taken in the past decade or so. The general accessibility of CGI and the desire to utilize it frequently, as well as incorporation of decidedly cinematic techniques have changed the face of the modern documentary. Talking heads? Forget about it, we can get experts in the foreground while expansive vistas unfold in the background. No more dry tales of bloody battles - not if we can speed-ramp some cannon fire and intercut it with bodies falling amidst clouds of gunsmoke. You know what, though? It works - and it works well. Lee & Grant, following the two Civil War generals and extraordinary human beings, wisely shortcuts all the talk with tidbits that are helpfully assisted via iconic film imagery. Lee's childhood? Children running across a bountiful field in slow motion. That's a start.
We are granted the requisite contrast and comparison, tracking Grant and Lee as they experience vastly different childhoods. This writer's no Civil War buff, but definitely appreciates the documentary working to dispel certain notions I took for granted (no pun intended) - Grant's proclivity for drinking is one, and the Union General's supposedly impoverished upbringing is another. Both men would attend West Point, where Lee excelled while Grant earned numerous demerits. The doc notes that Grant's perceived mediocrity might have pushed the man to rise up and do something extraordinary as General. In fact, as we see battles unfold via arresting footage of grime and blood intercut with a virtual map where blue icons clash with greyish brown ones, Grant proves to be an inventive risk-taker while Lee shores up or strikes fast when needed but certainly doesn't take the same wide-scale risks - at one point, the Union army permanently alters the geography of the Southern landscape!
Lee & Grant is very much what you’d expect – there’s no “secret journals” or shocking new details – instead, the documentary draws from a wealth of information that has been collected in the last one hundred and fifty years. In compiling portraits of the generals, the doc grants us access to multitude of battles major and minor, underlining key behaviors from Grant and Lee that influences outcomes and drove the course of the Civil War. It’s frequently a lot of information to take in, but the visual spoon-feeding makes it not feel critical that you recall the battle of Sharpsburg but rather see the big picture.
It all comes to a head at arguably the most famous clash of the Civil War – the Battle of Gettysburg, which culminated with Pickett's Charge’s charge, decimating Confederate forces and arguably Lee’s leadership capabilities – he never won a major battle again. The doc leaves off in 1863, two years off from surrender at Appomattox, but it seems the fate of the Confederates is sealed after those four fateful days at Gettysburg.
The production seeks to please all viewers – drama is established via smart cutting to battles that ramp up tension and make the viewer aware of the toll each successive battle took, the bloodshed that is emphasized but for the most part does not feel like exploitation. The talking heads – in this case sitting bodies – include U.S. Grant Dietz, Grant’s great-great grandson and Robert E. Lee IV, Lee’s great grandson, a variety of writers and historians and a representative of West Point.
It’s a bit of a struggle to write this review, primarily because this documentary presents a historical viewpoint that this writer can’t contest – if you are more knowledgeable, you may find questionable choices – or not. It’s safe to say that it is an entertaining piece of work, although if you harbor a wicked hatred of history docs, none of the bombastic will mask for you what is essentially a run-through of major military movements during the American Civil War. Recommended.
DVD Bonus Features
Several minutes of bonus footage.
"Lee & Grant" is on sale September 20, 2011 and is rated PG. Documentary. Written by Winston Groom. Starring Jonathan Frakes.
