Ride with the Devil

_**Southern guerrillas along the Missouri/Kansas border**_ Released in 1999, "Ride with the Devil" is a Civil War tale focusing on Southern guerrilla fighters known as Bushwhackers, mostly young men who stage daring raids on Union forces and communities along the Missouri/Kansas border. The story includes Quantrill's infamous 1863 raid on Lawrence, Kansas, which his men burned & pillaged, murdering over 150 unarmed men, women and children. The story shines the spotlight on the son of a German immigrant (Tobey Maguire), a beautiful woman (Jewel) and an ex-slave (Jeffrey Wright), all of whom take up the Southern cause. I enjoyed how Tobey and Wright slowly develop a close friendship, as well as Wright's growing sense of freedom as the story progresses. Jewel makes an impressive acting debut and should do more films, she's a natural. One reviewer erroneously stated that the film ran 3 hours so I was surprised when the credits started rolling at the 2 hour and 13 minute mark. In fact, I was disappointed because I wanted the story to continue; this is a sign of a good film. The story takes its time and gradually pulls you in. Before viewing "Ride with the Devil" I caught the new Indiana Jones flick "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." The contrast couldn't be more different -- "Crystal Skull" is essentially a 2-hour Road Runner cartoon, whereas "Ride" is a realistic drama/Western. Although I enjoyed "Crystal Skull" for what it is, it can't be taken seriously for even a second, not to mention they overdid it with the over-the-top action and fake CGI location enhancements & props (cliffs, waterfalls, jungles, monkeys, etc.). "Ride with the Devil" is the perfect antidote to such loony-toon drivel. It's totally realistic and takes its time so you get to know the characters and FEEL their experiences. For instance, what's it like spending the entire Winter in a dugout hut in the woods with three other guys and the only highlight is some cute blonde stopping by to drop off food? What's it like when you have no other recourse but to saw a buddy's arm off? What's it like when a blood-thirsty "comrade" tries to kill you during battle? What do you do when you run into him two years later and you're not sure what his intentions are? The film was shot in Western Missouri and Eastern Kansas where the conflicts actually took place. Authentic locations are vital to this viewer or, at least, authentic-looking locations (for instance, "Cold Mountain" was shot in Romania, but the locations LOOK like western North Carolina). After all, how are we to accept the film's visualization of history if it wasn't shot where the actual events occurred or at locations that at least _resemble_ the actual ones?. I encourage you to view the film with the subtitles on as the language is sometimes hard to understand due to accents and archaic phrasing; this will help you follow what's going on and who's who. FINAL ANALYSIS: "Ride with the Devil" is reminiscent in quality & style of films like "Cold Mountain," "Pharoah's Army" and "The Long Riders." If you appreciate those films you'll enjoy "Ride." It's leagues better than the generally aloof and soporific "Gettysburg." It's a class 'A' picture which brings to life Quantrill's raid on Lawrence, Kansas, including what leads up to it and what follows -- how can you go wrong? GRADE: A