Best Civil War films (or rather, the lack thereof)...

[mtvernon]

Re: Best Civil War films (or rather, the lack thereof)...

It is a very good movie, and frankly I sometimes wonder why it did not get more attention 9 or ten years ago when it was first released.

I have a theory about that (unproven). I think it was a hard sell having a slave fight for the South, and was not palatable to the major audiences. That's what I believed for a long time, but then I looked up some stats on IMDB.com to see if I could dig anything up. First, another example to contrast.

I didn't see "Ghostrider" with Nicolas Cage (and God willing never will), but here are some stats on this movie, considered a box office bomb:

Opening weekend gross: $52,022,908 (USA) (18 February 2007) (3,619 Screens)

Now contrast that with RWTD:

Opening weekend gross:$64,159 (USA) (28 November 1999) (8 Screens)

8 screens! Even in the UK it opened on 140 screens and 14 in Australia!

What I don't know is why it was so covered up. It doesn't make sense to me, as the cast was full of stars, the director had previously had great success here as a director with both The Ice Storm and Sense & Sensibility. He had the success necessary to make his next big-budget movie, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, a movie that went on to be nominated for 10 Academy Awards, winning four.

I've tried in vain to figure out how and why RWTD slipped through the cracks.

Has anyone seen "Ambrose Bierce: Stories of the Civil War"?

I got this from an aunt for Christmas but haven't seen it yet. I've heard people mention "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" a couple of times, and wondered if others have seen the surreal and ghostly version of this from 1962, La Rivière du hibou. It was highly memorable and very 'arty' for a Civil War film, and almost no dialogue the entire 28 minutes.

[64OVI]

Re: Best Civil War films (or rather, the lack thereof)...

I got this from an aunt for Christmas but haven't seen it yet. I've heard people mention "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" a couple of times, and wondered if others have seen the surreal and ghostly version of this from 1962, La Rivière du hibou. It was highly memorable and very 'arty' for a Civil War film, and almost no dialogue the entire 28 minutes.

I saw the version of OOCB many years ago when it was used as an episode of Twilight Zone with Rod Serling. Very eerie and well done.

Kent Dorr - Ohio
"Devils Own Mess"

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Best Civil War films (or rather, the lack thereof)...

Hallo!

IMHO, much of a movies financial success is acjieved by advertising and hype, and the creation of an audience in advance by that advertising and hype as an expectation of folks firt flocking to the theatres (where profits are generatred by concession stand treat profits) and then recovering the lion's share of monies from video/DVD rentals later.

The "Ride With the Devil" release was delayed as for reasons, unknown to me, it did not get put into the Advertising/Hype Mill. That lack of anticipated/expected interest leasd to backers raising their eyebrows and not coming forward to get it out into circulation.
A limited theatre "test run" was chosen, their picking "Out West." When the take was poor, after a week or so it wa spulled- and the decision made to try to recover some of the losses via rentals.

"It" happens around here quite a bit. "Seraphim Falls," a post Civil War western with Brosnan and Neesom never opened and went straight to rental. And even "Big Name" movies like Clint Eastwood's 'Letters from Iwo Jimo" did the same."

Curt

[EVOC]

Re: Best Civil War films (or rather, the lack thereof)...

I liked "Ride with the Devil" and parts of "Shenandoah" even though Jimmy Stewart's political views belied the movie was made in the Civil Rights era. My favorite is "Glory" for a number of reasons, including the historically correct ending that was victorious for the beleagured Confederates at Fort Wagner. One of my co-workers called it a "happy ending". Of course, that is going too far.

Last night I watched "Wicked Spring" for the first...and last time.

[mtvernon]

Re: Best Civil War films (or rather, the lack thereof)...

The "Ride With the Devil" release was delayed as for reasons, unknown to me, it did not get put into the Advertising/Hype Mill. That lack of anticipated/expected interest leasd to backers raising their eyebrows and not coming forward to get it out into circulation.

It's the reasons unknown to anyone that makes it so intriguing and open to speculation. I'd love to get the real story.

[KarinTimour]

Re: Best Civil War films (or rather, the lack thereof)...

Someone earlier asked about Civil War films that include civilians (and a few military ones as well).....

My favorites in no particular order:

1. Little Women (the one with Winona Ryder): Terrific material culture nearly all the way through -- clothes, hair, furniture...acting is good and it's my first pick for a period "hit" when you need to do a little time travelling but have to be home that night.

2. Sommersby - Ok, technically Reconstruction, but the plot kept me on the hook wondering how they were ever going to resolve this -- and great scenes in the court room and just material culture in general.

3. Friendly Persuasion -- a Classic.

4. Shenandoah -- Ditto.

5. Lincoln -- the Turner production with Mary Tyler Moore as Mary Todd Lincoln, which seems like bizarre casting, but she brings a really good edge of "could lose it/stepped back from the edge" which I think was probably part of Mary Todd's appeal.

6. The Hunley -- Not the civilian stuff, but I personally like the inclusion of the flashback/PTSD stuff about Shiloh.

7. Gangs of New York -- Very good men's clothing and hair, bizarre hash of plot and NY locations, miserable failure on women's fashion, except for some of the people in the omnibus and the tourists "touring" the Five Points. But someone did their homework on a lot of the scenes, furniture, settings -- several scenes are straight out of period New York illustrated papers, down to the wagon watering the street to keep the dust down. Don't even get me started on the costume designer's decision that "poor women wouldn't have worn dresses down to the ground, they'd get dirty -- therefore I dressed them in bloomer costumes (aka dress reform, aka pants)."

8. The General -- If you've trained your eye on a lot of the classic Brady and LOC shots of our period, watch carefully in The General, they used a lot of them to frame this movie. Actually, I think that would make a great game -- invite a bunch of reenactors over, watch the movie and see how many you can pick out of the film.

9. Incident at Owl Creek Bridge -- the one in the "Ambrose Bierce Civl War stories". I didn't really care for the other two, but the Incident at Owl Creek Bridge was great. I really liked the scenes where he's swimming down the river and the soldiers are shooting. I especially liked it when the whole unit moved as one for the first volley. Maybe I just don't know enough about drill and they did it sloppy, but it looked great to me. and gave a sense of how "The Original Cast" would have moved all together on command.

10. Glory -- Another one that I pull off the shelf for a "hit" when I really need some time travel. Yes, I know there are tons of problems with it, but it really gets some of the feelings across.

11. Gone with the Wind -- A classic, and every time I watch it I see things I missed the first zillion times.

12. Ride with the Devil -- You've already discussed.

13. Andersonville -- Got a lot of the misery across.

14. Cold Mountain -- Good plot, better than average women's clothing -- still few bonnets and completely ridiculous hair styles. But got the feelings across, and engaged you in caring about the characters.

15. Jefferson in Paris -- Ok, now here's a curve ball -- but the opening and closing scenes were set in the 1870s and were filmed at Eastfield Village -- and the interior and exterior of that cabin are the real thing, there's no faking it.


My two cents,
Karin Timour
Period Knitting -- Socks, Sleeping Hats, Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society
Email: Ktimour@aol.com

[Sharpshooter1]

Re: Best Civil War films (or rather, the lack thereof)...

Gods and Generals was the best, most authentic movie I have ever seen.....



HA .. well at least I got a laugh out of it.. :p

[EasySam]

Re: Best Civil War films (or rather, the lack thereof)...

Hope this isn't too off topic. What would ya'll like to see put on film? I would love to see a "Band Of Brothers" thing done. It would be about a group of men starting out in the Missouri State Guard, becoming the 1st Missouri Brigade serving the Confederacy until the end. Call it "Band of Bubbas"? :D

I would like to see something about Appomattox. End it with Chamberlain's description of the ANV marching by at the surrender ceremony and the actions of Gen. Gordon & horse. Stirring scene.

[mslaird]

Re: Best Civil War films (or rather, the lack thereof)...

"Band of Bubbas," That's good :DLOL

On individual battles, I would like to see something done about both Shiloh and Antietam, beyond a documentary which there are quite a few that are good. I would also love to see a movie done about Jackson's Valley Campaign. The Turner films completely skipped through those actions as if they didn't occur.

[MissouriStateGuard]

Re: Best Civil War films (or rather, the lack thereof)...

Hello all,

I'll nominate "The Private History of a Campaign That Failed," which was produced by Nebraska Public Television in 1981. It was part of a series of Mark Twain films they produced around that time.

It is a well-produced story of Twain's "account" of his brief service in the Missouri State Guard in the summer of 1861. Given the time it was filmed they did a very commendable job of costuming and arming [most] of the men with period civilian arms.

They added Twain's anti-imperialistic, get-our-boys-out-of-the-Philippines monograph, "The War Prayer," and tied the two together with a very nice dual role for actor Edward Hermann.

Any "Sex in the City" fans will also recognize Cynthia Nixon in one of her first roles.

Unavailable at this time on dvd, but you can still get VHS versions (used) for less than $10.

V/R,
Kip

[ArtilleryNick]

Re: Best Civil War films (or rather, the lack thereof)...

I personally select a scene from the movie "Gettysburg" to top my list... July 3rd, the massive artillery barrage. Watch that on DVD with the surround sound turned to a level to just below that which will shake windows, and it's all good

[Pvt.Tyler]

Re: Best Civil War films (or rather, the lack thereof)...

One thing about "Glory" , that many people may not Know is when Morgan Freeman is talking to the slave children when the 54th is marching down the road by the plantations the kids wave to them. If you look closely at on kid and pause it when their hands are up, one kid is wearing a digital watch
Tyler McHone

[csabugler]

Re: Best Civil War films (or rather, the lack thereof)...

It's post war and sorta off topic, but I giggled thru "3:10 to yuma" last night. One of the main bad guys looks like he's wearing a leather frock. Maximus, I mean Ben Wade, wears a hat that is prominant and questionable. The hero has a Spencer carbine, but seldom ever uses it.

[militiaman1835]

Re: Best Civil War films (or rather, the lack thereof)...

Anyone remember the 1960's film JOURNEY TO SHILOH..starred a young James Caan and every young actor from 60's shows. Also take a look at HEARTS IN BONDAGE a 1940's film on the Montor & Virginia. SMITHSONIANS GREAT BATTLES OF THE CIVIL WAR three discs. All except JOURNEY are available from blockbuster online along with GHOST BRIGADE.....Jim Hensley

[guad42]

Re: Best Civil War films (or rather, the lack thereof)...

I have seen Journey to Shiloh, it appears on the "Westerns Channel" from time to time.

The trouble with CW movies now is the politics of our times, and the politics of both the industry and the "historical media" industry.

Its an extremely hard sell these days to get a balanced portrayal of the Civil War, particularly from the Southern view. The general audience has adopted thier own modern views on the CW as a conflict of Good versus Evil, and this is particularly the case on the two coasts - where the money for most mainstream production comes from.

(I experienced a Good Versus Evil moment when a youngster asked me and others what color the "good guys" wore in the CW at a public event)

If you think about it, two of the more recent CW movies (RWD and Cold Mountain) both had Southern protagonists with ambiguous politics and opinions - and this seems to be the situation with any newer (1990s - 2000s) movies dealing with the CW or post CW era - and this could include some of the already mentioned "Selleck" films from TNT.

We may never get that great Shiloh or Antietam film that all of us think about, and a few probably dream about - but we will probably get more and more PC or non-commital Southern portrayals in years to come.

Sam Dolan