Rating: 
Summary: A little hard to follow but a very good movie
Review: The best thing about this movie was the costumes and scenery. Fantastic job depicting 1860's Missouri/Kansas. The plot was the only weak part. There appears to be several holes in the plot, like some scenes were deleted (to make it shorter?). The film is a little long, but the plot holes only make it seem longer. There are several little things in the movie that happen so fast and just pass by that you'll probably miss them the first time you watch them. Jeffrey Wright (Daniel Holt) gave the best performance of the movie with his portrayal of great quiet wisdom. It could not have been done better. I'm a little surprised that Skeet Ulrich was not used more. He's always listed at the top of the credits but I would not even consider him a main character. He seems to be there only for a token appearance to draw in the young women? It worked.The producers of this movie really made a nice attempt at recreating the Missouri wilderness. This is one of the best Civil War movies for scenery ever made. It's hard to comment on the battle scenes. They were edited too short. They made them appear to only last about 2 minutes. Most underrated film of 1999.
Rating:
Summary: A refreshing depiction of the Civil War
Review: Without a doubt, an underrated Civil War classic that, unfortunatley but perhaps not surprisingly, went unnoticed by many people. Headlined by the acting mix of Skeet Ulrich, Tobey Maguire and pop singer Jewel, the film takes a Confederate viewpoint in its portrayal of the makeshift Bushwhackers - a band of guerrillas who waged war against Union troops, just as their Northern Jayhawker opposites did in the reverse. In the course of this 2¼-hour epic, these ragtag heroes don't accomplish very much - and they know it. This is one of the movie's key points. Jake (Maguire) has a German-emigre and pro-Union father who is killed by Yankees well aware of his son's sentiments. Jack (Ulrich) is the son of a plantation owner, George (Simon Baker), a young edition of a Southern gentleman, and - in the movie's most interesting role, though belatedly so - Holt (Jeffrey Wright) is an ex-slave loyal to the Bushwhackers' cause because George purchased and freed him. It was interesting and refreshing to see the North as a foreign occupation force and Jewel was a pleasant surprise as well. This film is also something of a surprise from liberal Hollywood, and you can tell it wants to be politically correct - You wouldn't know from this film that the sacking of Lawrence resulted in Union reprisals that would far outdo Quantrills raiders in brutality. But what can one expect these PC infested days? So for what it is, it is easily worth checking out.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Discovery
Review: I bought this movie blind. I enjoy period flicks and, while seeing what was out there in Amazon.com land, I came across Ride With The Devil. I must admit, I know little about the stars in this movie (I did recognize MacGuire from Spiderman, and I've heard of - but not heard - Jewel), so it was a chance to spend my hard earned cash on it.
I'm glad I did.
Engulfing, exciting, suspenceful, and, most importantly, realistic. Not politically correct. Maybe that's why it didn't do well at the box office and critics panned it. But, it IS true to its time.
The border wars was a part of the Civil War that has hardly (if ever) been touched upon - that boundary where one straddles the fence. The problem was that one couldn't straddle the fence in a state like Missouri. They had to choose Yankee or Rebel. Jayhawk or Bushwack. And you feel clearly, while watching this movie, the turmoil that must have been raging in these citizen's minds and stomachs when they chose one side and a close friend or family member chose the other.
You also feel the deep sorrow and sympathy for ALL involved - North and South - no matter what side you stand for - when Jake reads the touching letter from a mother to her son, showing that these were people who had lives and loved ones waiting for them at home.
It's movies like this that brings these mid 19th century people to life, showing us that they're not just flat black and white pictures in a history book. And that is why this movie stands above so many other historical films.
I must warn you, however, that there is quite a bit of graphic violence. Believe me, you'll feel their pain!
Rating:
Summary: Much more than I bargained for
Review: I only bought this DVD because I'm a huge Jewel fan and I knew very little about the movie except that she was in it. While her performance was very good for an acting debut I got a lot more than I expected in terms of the rest of the cast and the movie as a whole. This film was marvelously done in pretty much every way. The story flows well and really captures some of the horrors of war as well as the way friendships and people develop and change over time. It has something for everyone as it mixes action,drama,and humor along with some wonderful cinematography to make a thoroughly satisfying movie. I was struck by the contrasting elements in this film that mirror the human experience. It's beautiful and brutal,touching and tragic,and there is love and loss. And then there's the acting. I had seen Skeet Ulrich in Scream and Chill Factor and he does well in this movie but I was far more impressed with Tobey Maguire as Jake and Jeffrey Wright as Holt. They are both great actors and worked well together. As I mentioned before,Jewel was surprisingly good as Sue Lee. Last but certainly not least;I was blown away by Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as Pitt Mackeson. His performance was menacing and intense with just a touch of icy charm and he may have stolen the show if he had a bigger part. I really love this movie and I think if it had gotten wider distribution and a little initial publicity word of mouth alone could have made it a big hit. Everyone involved in making it should be proud of their work and I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding depiction of the Border War
Review: Being someone that has grown up in Kansas City knowing that this is the only area in which the Civil War was fought where there are no statues or memorials to either side, it was very exciting that Hollywood finally made a movie which acurately depicts how it was here along the Kansas and Missouri border during the border war of the Civil War years. Tobey Maguire is excellent as a German immigrant's son who is swept up in the Missouri "bushwhacker" cause in the border war against the "jayhawkers" headquarted in Lawrence, Kansas, a town founded by Massachusetts abolitionists. The supporting cast is good as well, especially Jeffrey Wright who is spectacular as a slave fighting with the bushwhackers. The Academy made a huge error overlooking him at Oscar time. This film was released only in Kansas City, Los Angeles and New York. This is as good as Ang Lee's other films and why it was not given a general release is a mystery. But not to worry, now you can enjoy it in the peace of your own home. Check it out, you won't be disappointed!
Rating:
Summary: A Heck of a Ride
Review: This is one of those rare movies where everybody got it right ---from the cinematography to the casting; from the musical score to film editing; from costume design to second unit directing this movie is nearly flawless. The directing by Ang Lee (Sense and Sensibility) and the performance by a wonderful ensemble cast put this movie in a league with the great modern frontier movies like The Outlaw Josey Wales and The Long Riders. Set on the Missouri/Kansas border during the American Civil War, the movie faithfully recreates the story told by Daniel Woodrell in his wonderful novel, Woe To Live On. The book is worth reading for the dialogue alone and the movie is worth watching simply for James Schamus' magnificent screenplay: But there is much move to love about this movie. The tapestry upon which the story of Ride With The Devil is painted is a violent one but, apart from some very graphic scenes, is more about human nature than anything else. Indeed, the depth of the violence only adds to the poignancy of the surprisingly frequent gentle scenes that occur in the movie. Tobey Macguire is perfect in the lead role, Jewel gives a surprisingly intuitive performance, and Jefrey Wright almost steals the show with his low-key, but passionate performance as a freed slave riding with a gang of white bushwhackers. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Macguire's nemesis, has a small part but is death himself. (His final confrontation with Macguire is brief and chilling --- and encapsulates the entire sense and sensibility of the movie.) Sadly, this movie will probably go unnoticed by the general public since it seems to have had a limited release in the US and gone almost immediately from the theater to the rental market. Hopefully word-of-mouth will build interest in this truly remarkable American classic. Watch it --- but read the book too.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent and underrated
Review: Apparently, USA, which produced this film, was going under at the time of its release and it was show in only 14 theaters. This is a beautiful, emotionally engaging and entertaining film capturing a period and part of the civil war not often depicted. Skeet Ulrich and Tobey Maguire play two Missouri teens who join a rebel group of Bushwackers (Confederate sympathizers). But this isn't a film that promotes one side or the other. Rather, it shows the similarity and familiarity between both sides. The acting is wonderful and the story sensitive.
Rating:
Summary: Jewel was SO amazing :)
Review: The only reason that I wanted to see this movie was because my favorite singer, Jewel was in it. The first time I saw this movie I loved it, and I still do. :o) I loved the story, the acting, the music, and everything about it. Especially Jewel. She was SO amazing as Sue Lee Shelly, and Jewel is an amazing actress (unlike other singers like Mariah Carrey and Britney Spears ^^). The other actors in the movie are excellent too. I recommend this movie to movie fans, and Jewel fans. I also loved Jewel's music video "What's Simple is True".
Rating:
Summary: Jewel makes a film debut that is amazing
Review: Jewel(the Singer) shines in this film as Sue Lee Shelly, a daughter who helps out Tobey Maguire(Spider-Man), Simon Baker(tv's The Guardian), Jeffrey Wright(Crime and Punishment In Suburbia) and Skeet Ulrich's(The Newton Boys) characters. lots of gunplay in this one and blood splatter. powerful and somewhat over the top with the N word. though somepeople might flinch when Maguire amputates Ulrich's arm. other great actors appear, like Jonathan Rhys Meyers(Velvet Goldmine), Mark Ruffalo(The Last Castle), James Caviezel(The Thin Red Line), Jonathan Brandis(Stephen King's IT), Thomas Guiry(Tigerland) and Tom Wilkinson(In the Bedroom).
Rating:
Summary: A great movie
Review: Nothing illustrates the decay of taste in America as much as the lack of support from critics for this remarkable film. By far the most important work Ang Lee has done the movie makes the top of my list in several categories. It's the best Civil War movie ever made, it's the best ride and shoot (you know, six guns and horses) movie ever made. It's the best character study of a slave ever commited to film. The performances are across the board wonderful. Simon Baker and Jeffery Wright are particularly remakarble, they're relationshp being one of the most unique and poignant I've seen in a film for decades. Even Jewel is good. What a movie. I've watched it five times since discovering it in the discount tray at my local video store. Ang Lee deserves so much credit for doing this movie. The critical community should be ashamed of giving it so little positive attention.
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