Ang Lee certainly isn't like the average director who tries to stick to a certain genre of movie. He has already made all kinds of movies that don't really seem to have anything in common. His most famous one is probably "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", but he has also made movies like "The Hulk" and "Sense and Sensibility". With this movie he has made a film about the American Civil War, a time period that has been used more often in movies, but because I know that Ang Lee always tries to do something original with his movies, I decided to give it a try.
"Ride with the Devil" is situated in Missouri at the beginning of the Civil War. Jake Roedel and Jack Bull Chiles are friends and they decide to join a militia called the Bushwhackers, after Jack Bull's dad is killed by Union soldiers. Jake Roedel is the son of German immigrants who normally chose the side of the Unionists and that's why he isn't really accepted by the other members of the group. Daniel Holt has a similar problem. He's black, but no slave. His friend George Clyde had bought him and offered him his freedom. That's why Holt decided not to flee to the North, but to stay in the South and to fight together with his friend at the side of the rebels. They sometimes get involved in some skirmish and then have to flee into hiding places, offered to them by the locals. One of those locals is Sue Lee, a young widow who brings them food. She and Jack Bull become lovers, but when Jack Bull becomes deadly wounded, Jake escorts her south to a safe farm, leaving the Bushwackers behind. Some of his 'friends' who never liked him all that much anyway, now not only seek for revenge on the Federals, but also on Jake...
The fact that this movie looked historically accurate and didn't tell the story from the perspective of some regular soldiers, but from the irregular, rebellious side, was something that I really appreciated in this movie. Normally you only get to see the battlefields, but this movie offered me an idea of how the other fighting parties lived and acted and how the normal man and woman was confronted with the war. The story, which has been well-written, has spent a lot of time on all the aspects of life, so not only on the fighting and that's very good. What I also appreciated was the acting. With Tobey Maguire as the only big name and Jewel in a leading role, I had some doubts about what the acting would be like. But I admit that it all looked a lot better than what I feared. Especially Jewel proved to be capable of playing a leading role. I guess I should have known better. Ang Lee isn't the least of directors and I'm convinced that the man can spot real talent, even in people who aren't very famous for their acting.
All in all this is an enjoyable movie that shows a different aspect from the Civil War. It may sometimes be a bit slow, but overall this is an enjoyable movie that is able to keep you interested for over two hours. I really appreciated this movie and that's why I give it a 7.5/10.
"Ride with the Devil" is situated in Missouri at the beginning of the Civil War. Jake Roedel and Jack Bull Chiles are friends and they decide to join a militia called the Bushwhackers, after Jack Bull's dad is killed by Union soldiers. Jake Roedel is the son of German immigrants who normally chose the side of the Unionists and that's why he isn't really accepted by the other members of the group. Daniel Holt has a similar problem. He's black, but no slave. His friend George Clyde had bought him and offered him his freedom. That's why Holt decided not to flee to the North, but to stay in the South and to fight together with his friend at the side of the rebels. They sometimes get involved in some skirmish and then have to flee into hiding places, offered to them by the locals. One of those locals is Sue Lee, a young widow who brings them food. She and Jack Bull become lovers, but when Jack Bull becomes deadly wounded, Jake escorts her south to a safe farm, leaving the Bushwackers behind. Some of his 'friends' who never liked him all that much anyway, now not only seek for revenge on the Federals, but also on Jake...
The fact that this movie looked historically accurate and didn't tell the story from the perspective of some regular soldiers, but from the irregular, rebellious side, was something that I really appreciated in this movie. Normally you only get to see the battlefields, but this movie offered me an idea of how the other fighting parties lived and acted and how the normal man and woman was confronted with the war. The story, which has been well-written, has spent a lot of time on all the aspects of life, so not only on the fighting and that's very good. What I also appreciated was the acting. With Tobey Maguire as the only big name and Jewel in a leading role, I had some doubts about what the acting would be like. But I admit that it all looked a lot better than what I feared. Especially Jewel proved to be capable of playing a leading role. I guess I should have known better. Ang Lee isn't the least of directors and I'm convinced that the man can spot real talent, even in people who aren't very famous for their acting.
All in all this is an enjoyable movie that shows a different aspect from the Civil War. It may sometimes be a bit slow, but overall this is an enjoyable movie that is able to keep you interested for over two hours. I really appreciated this movie and that's why I give it a 7.5/10.