Colonel Chamberlain in the movie is seen as a man of great value. In the movie he receives a fair amount of men who have seem to given up hope, however he chooses to not treat them differently or as outcast. The speech which he gives about what they are fighting for the idea of freedom and each other as he points out, trying to inspire these defeated men to become the courageous soldiers they once were. He was also very much willing to stick with his men, marching with them even though he has a horse that he could ride at any moment. Pointing out the importance of the coming battle as well, shows what is as stake and the odds they are at with only a few hundred men. Also he is later seen with a runaway slave and is very compassionate with letting him rest, eat, drink and have him checked for injuries. He seems to be a man of the people, one who fights for those beside him and those who will benefit from the victory of the Union in the war. He is seems unwavering with the odds he is up against. This unwavering attitude is also seen with Brigade General Buford who holds a position against larger Confederate force until reinforcements arrive. He knows that the odds are stacked against him but his unwavering stance helps to secure a solid ground to hold against the Confederates. His actions showed that the Union would not be so easily defeated, however they were soon overrun and forced to retreat to Gettysburg. Chamberlain is a great leader who believes in his men and treats them as equals no matter what they have done, and he stands strong against adversity, fighting with no reinforcements and low ammunition. Full faith in his men and fighting for the ideas that holds the Union together, is some of why he was able to hold off and force the Confederates to retreat. Robert E. Lee was on the opposite end as the Confederate General and one of the main military leaders. He is shown to be stubborn by ignoring the pleas of his officers to consider his action of pursing a retreating Union force at Gettysburg, instead of marching on to Washington to force the Union to pursue them. However, he respects the efforts of his men even if they have failed. His was too bold in his idea of attacking the Union a fortified position. He also commands great respect from his men as they are willing to follow his orders even with protest on how difficult these task will be such as taking Gettysburg. His boldness and mistakes is what ultimately leads to his downfall. He believes firmly in the ideals of the Confederacy and believes that nothing can stop his men as long as he believes in them and they fight with conviction. He does not give up easily and refuses to allow the Union soldiers to hold the field. Though he is a good tactician he is blinded by his refusal to lose. He fights with conviction however that all he believes will take them to victory which is why he is finally defeated. Both Colonel Chamberlain and General Robert E. Lee seem to have respect for their men which I believe is a characteristic a great leader should have. Leaders should respect the men they lead because these men are willing to follow them anywhere to fight for what they believe in.
Work Citation:
Gettysburg. Dir. Ronald F. Maxwell. By Ronald F. Maxwell. Perf. Tom Berenger, Martin Sheen, Stephen Lang, and Jeff Daniels. New Line Cinema, 1993. Online.