Ride with the Devil

Rating:
Summary: This film surprised me!
Review: It's always such a treat to find an new gem of a film, and I was surpised to find this one. I particularly enjoy period pieces so I thought I'd give this a try and I'm pleased that I did. I so loved the *language* of the film, the slightly stilted, formal manner of speaking of the time: simple words, but often perceptive. As Jake, Tobey Maguire was especially good as the very young man coming of age in violent and uncertain times. He gives a subtle performance and Jake's evolution, as he slowly begins to question his loyalties and realizes the folly of the Bushwhackers, is not something that happens magically overnight or comes to a head in some big dramatically convenient moment. The scenes in which Jake reads the stolen letters meant for the Unionists are an elegant way of letting Jake into the hearts of *the enemy* without being preachy or heavy-handed. Maguire is also surrounded by a great cast of young talent and veteran character actors, all of whom are right on the mark, especially Jeffrey Wright. Jewel was a surprise, and a pleasant one. And while it's a drama, here and there are touches of sly humor in the film that work very well. Ag Lee crafted a fine film, and it's a shame that it didn't get much attention when it was released.

True, it's not action packed and I can well understand that its slower pace may frustrate those who are looking for a more traditional action war or western film where the emphasis is on winning the big battle and the *right* side triumphing. It's very much a dialog film. But those with a little more patience might enjoy following the story of ordinary people affected by the Civil War. It's not a perfect film, but well worth the time investment. I've not read Woe to Live On by Daniel Wordrell, the book on which this film is based, but now I'm looking forward to doing so.