Ride with the Devil
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Movie Reviews of Ride with the Devil
Movie Review: This Really is Ang Lee's Finest Film
Summary: 5 Stars
Though finding a weak Ang Lee film takes effort, Ride With The Devil shows clearly Ang Lee's unique sense of style and pacing--perhaps more definitively than any of his other films. Those searching for a film closer to the lines of action-heavy Crouching Tiger will be disappointed with the slower pace and greater complexity, but if you enjoyed the very gentle direction of Eat Drink Man Woman or Sense and Sensibility here is a finely developed American epic--a treat for those of us who can't get enough of the way Ang Lee captures a moment that speaks heavily of his characters and situations.If you're new to Ang Lee, this would be a great movie (perhaps his finest) to start with. Ang Lee's films are as signature-laden as Spike Lee's and no less powerful. The currents can run much deeper, however, and after even one viewing of Ride with The Devil, you'll be thinking about the implications of its story--and of American's collective history--for some time to come.
The film also carries a fine demonstration of Tobey Maguire's acting ability--especially enjoyable after watching his earlier performance for Ang Lee in The Ice Storm. And even Jewel doesn't suck--she's convincing and (what we were all hoping for) unobtrusive in the softer moments of the film. But acting-wise, this is truly Jeffrey Wright's film. Without him, the movie would fall apart. With him, this film is important, relevant, and certainly one to keep.
Movie Review: American history you didn't know existed...!
Summary: 5 Stars
Ride With The Devil is a great movie that brings a part of American history that few know exist. The divided state of Missouri becomes a land for Confederate and Union Guerillas during the Civil War which allows for destruction, murder, mayhem and disorder. Several young friends join up with a band of Confederate sympathizers to defend their homelands who raid various towns of Missouri and Kansas. These friends face danger everyday from Union Jayhawkers and Union Cavalry looking to rid Confederate raiders from existance. This movie has been written from actual historic situations made famous by notorious guerilla Bloody Bill Anderson. Many of the raids and fights in this movie are taken from history to display how chaotic life was for a state that wasn't Union or Confederate. Never short on action or violence, it covers the lifestyle and focusses on the many fears and realities faced by the people of these lands during the Civil War. Fortunately Hollywood didn't turn this serious issue into a action-packed unrealistic movie with silly stunts or 'one-liners'. No ridiculous effects or modern western movie stupidity is brought forth either! I would recommend this movie to anyone who is interested about reading about a divided state in the Civil War where blood flowed endlessly! 5 STARS!
Movie Review: Gritty and realistic portrayal of the Civil War in Missouri
Summary: 5 Stars
"Ride With the Devil" is set in an often-overlooked theater of the Civil War although the action there was as much, if not more, brutal than the battlefields. Relatives and neighbors took stands against each other and everyone was subject to the viciousness of the Bushwhackers, the Jayhawkers, or both.
Although the storyline is presented from the point of view of fictional Bushwhacker Jake, the script manages to give a balanced picture of the atrocities inflicted by both sides, even William Quantrill's raid on Lawrence, Kansas (which was in retaliation for the deaths of women and girls who were being held by Union officials merely because they were related to Quantrill's men).
The filmmakers take great pains with authenticity and it's refreshing to see that the Confederate States Army WAS in fact ethnically diverse, and that African-Americans did indeed serve in its ranks while still managing to show the harsh racism of the period. If anything is less than convincing it's the romance...I thought the girl showed less moral character than typical women of the time, but Jewel gives an excellent performance. Tobey Maguire is simply outstanding.
I highly recommend this movie. Excellent period piece, historically accurate, and well casted.
Movie Review: Coming of Age in a Tragic Time
Summary: 5 Stars
Ride With The Devil is an extraordinary film, set in Missouri, a border state during the Civil War. It tells the story of several young people coming into adulthood during a profoundly unsettling time. I found it touching, well-crafted by director Ang Lee and his production crew, and graceful.The cast, with Tobey McGuire, Jewel, Simon Baker, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and James Caviezel is terrific. Its themes include love, friendship, duty, honor, character, and vengeance. Similar in some aspects to The Outlaw Josey Wales, RWTD is more authentic than many better known Civil War films. Its locations and music are bonuses, putting this movie over the top. The scene with Jake Roedel (McGuire) reading the Yankee letter around the campfire is among the most touching, thought-provoking scenes in any war movie.
It is an unflinching look at misery, hardships, and naked brutality on both sides. RWTD is "not simply a war movie, according to director Lee, "It's more about the love and friendships that take place during a war. The film is both big and small, epic and domestic." I love the hope springing from the ashes at the end. The birth, marriage, and westward trek signify a hope for the future for the characters as well as the nation.
Movie Review: Srebrenica Revisited
Summary: 5 Stars
This film is a masterpiece!I rented Ride with the Devil last night on the spur of the moment because I saw Ang Lee's name on it. Before, I had never heard of it, but boy was I swept away! How is it possible that Ang Lee - apparently a Taiwanese - is able to create social and historical drama on European and American subjects that by far surpasses that of contemporary Europeans and Americans? Ride With The Devil, The Ice Storm, Sense and Sensibility, Pushing Hands... Jesus, those films are so bloddy brilliant! Especially to me as a Dane, an unwilling bystander to the Balkan fratricide of these last 10 years, the message is unmistakable: It takes so little to start killing your neighbours indiscriminately, so little to reduce individuals to legitimate targets that you can murder for the cause. (And yes, I know that I do Ang Lee's film little justice with these cliches, but that is because I lack words to describe the magnificence of this epic).
In short, this is the best film made about the Balkan wars, even though it is set in Missouri.
Jørgen, Denmark.