Review of C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America (2005) by Matthew F — 25 Jul 2008

This film starts with a quote attributed to George Bernard Shaw: "If you're going to tell people the truth, you better make them laugh; otherwise they'll kill you." A fitting requisite to this presentation, which will entertain, but also teach.

University of Kansas film professor Kevin Willmott and his team have crafted a very good mockumentary, a la the style of PBS/Ken Burns, which uses a fictional history to point out some real, uncomfortable truths...

Most northerners were ok with slavery? Robert E. Lee was a closet abolitionist? Lincoln didn't give much concern to the fate of African-Americans? There was actually a restaurant chain from the midwest to Seattle called the "Coon Chicken Inn"?

CSA also interludes with fake commercials for products which are unbelievably outrageous, presumably to aid the what-if-the-south-won premise, but in the end it is revealed that they were actually real products at one time or another, and not a one was isolated to or originated from the south.

CSA presents an interesting alternate timeline that uses actual facts and sentiments from real history. Very entertaining in parts, such as the "cotton curtain" between the CSA and "Red Canada." I have a Master's in history, and I really can't find fault with it, as some reviewers have. Even though it is produced in part by Spike Lee, it is low-budget, but the execution of this story doesn't require any more than was given to it. Very good, very entertaining and, if you're not careful - educational. Definitely worth a watch.