Rating: 
Summary: For Civil War Buffs Only
Review: The story line has been used in novels and films over and over again. The films saving grace is it's attention to Civil War soldier detail, and accuracy. If you could look in the past and see an actual Civil War battle, it may look alot like the scenes in this film. Some shots reminded me of war paintings from the period because everything was so damn correct. I have been a student of the Civil War since the 1960's and feel that this movie comes very close to the mark. I think the average movie watcher will find the film slow moving and "fluffy." Five stars for doing what no Hollywood picture has ever done: Portray a gritty realistic view of the American solder from the 1860's. Also, It was great not having to see the overweight, middle aged re-enactors seen in Ted Turners celluloid pipe dreams. The average age of the real Civil war soldiers ranged from 18-26 years of age, according to Bruce Catton. These actors fit the bill.
Rating: 
Summary: WICKED SPRING - POORLY DONE
Review: As a Civil War reenactor I was really hoping that this film would be something special - I really love the period and have a big tolerance for civial war and historical films that fail in certain areas...I try not to nitpick, because it's hard to get it all right and please everyone. Even with the wide berth this film is horrible - the opening scene is nearly 15 minutes and filmed without dialog, during this opening we see every cliché in the book; guy falls in love, guys enlists, and FINALLY guy goes to war. I found myself getting agitated at this. The war scene is not too bad and probably the best part of the film. There is a death scene early on (guy dying is the hands of a friend - cliché) - when he finally passes his friend reaches down to close his eyes with his hands and the recently deceased does the job for him. There are many moments like this when a re-shoot would have been appropriate. The acting is amateurish at best and the dialog is simple minded. I'm giving two stars only because the uniforms and gear were correct, otherwise this movie is bad!
Rating:
Summary: WICKED SPRING - POORLY DONE
Review: As a Civil War reenactor I was really hoping that this film would be something special - I really love the period and have a big tolerance for subject films failing in certain areas...I try no to nitpick. Even with the wide berth this film is horrible - the opening scene is nearly 15 minutes and filmed without dialog, during this opening we see every cliché in the book; guy falls in love, guys enlists, and FINALLY guy goes to war. I found myself getting agitated at this. The war scene is not too bad and probably the best part of the film. There is a death scene early on (guy dying is the hands of a friend - cliché) - when he finally passes his friend reaches down to close his eyes with his hands and the recently deceased does the job for him. There are many moments like this when a re-shoot would have been appropriate. The acting is amateurish at best and the dialog is simple minded. I'm giving two stars only because the uniforms and gear were correct, otherwise this movie is bad!
Rating:
Summary: War is wicked.
Review: As with the a couple of the other reviewers, I'm also a reenactor.I found this movie to be simply outstanding. The beginning farewell scenes can be argued to be cliche (as another reviewer posted), but they help formulate the storyline -- and the storyline of this movie is about personal human virtues, not the strategies and tactics of the battlefield. All wars are ugly, but only those that actually participated in the ACW will really know how ugly that tragic conflict truely was. Battles are hardly ever fought by perfectly formulated regiments, in brand-new clean uniforms, under the most gorgeous field and sky conditions. Battles are fought in the dirt, under chaos and confusion, where even the most honorable individual can lose his life at any given moment --- and there is no dramatic orchestra playing when this moment arrives. "Wicked Spring" brings this to the screen. As to the reviewer that had difficulty in the storyline based upon the characters that didn't easily determine that half their group weren't "the bad guys", I pondered that myself but can to the conclusion that the two that stayed up during the night DID realize early that they were opponents. When they began to have suspicions, they simply didn't address the issue as they didn't want to know. When it was beyond a doubt, (when the letter was read that used the term "Southern Stars"), they mutually decided to overlook the fact. As for criticism about carrying letters and never getting anyone in the regiment to read them, I found that to be acceptable. One word: pride. The ending may not sit well by those accustomed to the Hollywood flavor, but I found the ending to be very powerful. I was expecting a Hollywood-twist for the ending, but that did not occur. This movie took the unusual route of respecting the intelligence of the viewer. Maxwell's films ("Gettysburg", "Gods and Generals") are entertaining -- but "Wicked Spring" brings you into the rank and file for a truely human story.
Rating:
Summary: A FINE CIVIL WAR DRAMA!
Review: Director Kevin Hershberger has crafted an exciting and emotional Civil War drama set during the brutal 1864 battle of the Wilderness, where over 25,000 Confederate and Union troops were killed, wounded or captured. The battle scenes are brutal and real, and the acting is quite good. During the first ten minutes of the film, you see what each man is leaving behind as they go to war; one to fight to preserve the Union, the other to defend his home. Any Civil War historian, and fan of serious drama, will want to check out "Wicked Spring." Movie/DVD Grade: A-
Rating: 
Summary: Very Accurate Movie!!
Review: I had the DVD pre-ordered and anxiously awaited its arrival. You can dis-regard the negative review below because evidently that person has became spoiled by Hollywoods version of war...and idn't a history buff at all. Yes the film was short and the dialouge lacked in some places. But then again would you spill your whole life story to a stranger you'd just met? No. The film was on a $500,000 budget and they had like 65 re-enactors. With what little they had...they done an AWESOME job with the most accurate battle scenes and uniforms that have came outta the Civil War era of films. EVER!! This was a film about the horrors of war...and how we got to get a peek into just a few of the soldier's lives...and then we saw how everything was destoryed right before our eyes. As war really was and is.
Rating:
Summary: A beautifully realized Civil War film
Review: I had the pleasure of screening this film and was well impressed. This is indie filmmaking at it's best, showcasing what can be done with care, determination, and creativity. This film was done on a budget of $500,000 and creates an effect on you that many big(ger) budgeted films easily fail with, and this achieves with style. It's the story of six soldiers, three Union, and three Confederate, who are lost during the Battle of the Wilderness, and must camp with each other for survival during the night hours of Day 1. Despite being enemies, hoping the other isn't aware of the fact, two of the men form a relationship out of necessity, and the story grows from there awaiting the climax the next morning. It is very much a character driven film, that demands your attention and emotional investment. First of all, as a history buff I was delighted with the detailed attention to authenticity obviously put into this film. Costumes are flawless and at a degree I've never seen in a war movie before, and so goes for the architectural settings and props. And the script is full of dialogue that sounds believable and realistic. It's a gritty film- no scrubbed faces, no clean uniforms, and no "oops-I'm-shot-oh-no-now-I'm-bleeding-(melodrama)". It's good to see a Civil War film that looks like it could have been during the Civil War! The authenticity adds to the atmosphere and realism of the film. This is an innovative movie in various areas. It's use of cinematography is deeply evocative, letting us glide through this other time and place as though we are spectators, and sets up certain shots so the story is told by the camera. In fact, interestingly enough, the first part of the beginning of the film passes entirely without a word spoken, playing to a gorgeous score composed by newcomer David G. Russell. Unusual approach, but it works flawlessly, and lulls the viewer into a trance, with all aspects, music, costume, setting, actors, coming together seamlessly, creating this world for us. The storyline may be debated as to its believability, but it worked for me quite easily. It's heartfelt and emotional in a totally uncliched fashion. It forces you to pay close attention to the actual character of the various characters and to what they are like personally, and what their motives may be. It weaves characters from the homefront into the equation, hinting at their lives back home, bringing these soldiers down to a human level that helps us relate to these men in spite of the war raging around them. My two particular favorite characters are John Sunderlin (DJ Perry) and Harrison Bolding (Brian Merrick) who are fascinating in their complexities (both being particularly well acted in the best performances of the film). As various characters clash, it all culminates in an ending that will leave you quite breathless not only for what it is (I don't want to give away any spoilers), but for it's underlying profundity and beauty. This is a very impressive film and one I hope that people will enjoy and that bigger films take the initiative from. It's a story about kindness, humanity, and most of all, redemption, in the face of extremely bloody chaos and fear, violence, tragedy, and a war that tore everything apart.
Rating: 
Summary: Some Good...Some Bad
Review: I liked the opening scenes, even though they were a bit cliche. At the very least you saw what each character was leaving. The battle scenes were quite real and well done in my opinion. I hated the ending. Someone else noted the lack of a Hollywood ending, but I would have preferred it. (SPOILER WARNING) I got very emotionally invested in the two main guys and was devastated when I saw they both died. I realize they're going for realism, but they need to remember its a movie that's meant to entertain. I was very into the sequence of the letter reading/writing. For it all to come crashing down in the end and that's the way the movie ends? Very poor...didn't like it at all.
Rating:
Summary: I Tried My Best To Like This Film....
Review: I really tried to like this film. I generally like independent films and I LOVE Civil War flicks. At the outset, I was skeptical that the main premise, i.e., that soldiers could spend a night together and not realize that they were on opposite sides, might not work. I was not disappointed. Aside from the general absurdity of the concept, more hints were dropped than cannonballs. These characters would have had to have been just plain stupid not to know (the premise could have just as easily been that they knew they were enemies, but survived the night together anyway). Additionally, the opening sequences of "leaving home" were cliche and sappy. The battle scenes were fairly authentic, but the storyline just doesn't work, and the acting was just OK. The guy that finally realizes the situation spends the rest of the movie trying to beat everyone else up, and no matter how many times he gets knocked out, he revives and keeps coming (kind of a Civil War "Halloween"). The ending is rather somber and pointless. There is ten minute stretch by the campfire where some decent remembrences are exchaged, but thats about the only positive in the script. It just really wasn't very good.
Rating:
Summary: took me there
Review: I thought this film was excellent! It showed the complexity of war (in particular the Civil War). With a well-written screenplay, sound acting, beautiful cinematography and effective editing the filmmakers worked together to take you back in time. It helps to get into the characters to fully appreciate the dialogue that makes the movie more realistic. I love the down-to-earth approach taken in producing 'Wicked Spring'.
I especially thought the opener was effective in that there is no dialogue so pay close attention to the two male leads in those scenes. A lot more is happening than first may appear. The scene where the father is saying good-bye to his three daughters is very moving. What a thing it is to leave your home and family to go to war. The sacrifice for all involved is obviously tremendous.
I have seen a lot of civil war movies and I thought this was one of the more realistic ones. The lighting or rather lack of lighting in the night scenes is very effective. And I absolutely loved the natural pauses and simple inferences made during the dialogue between soldiers. There is a rather pivotal scene where two soldiers connect rather than disconnect through reading letters from home. The is the scene that made this movie a notch above the rest. The acting was refreshingly not overacted. Other reviews give more detail. Bottom line, check this one out.
Perhaps those who did not like this film just didn't get it!
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