Review of Free in Deed (2017) by Spangle — 10 Sep 2016

Free State of Jones commits a few key sins, but for me, I really do not care. Yes, it is a bit long. Yes, it does love speeches. Yes, it does cover too much. Yes, interspersing scenes from the future kills the flow of the plot, even if it continues the thematic elements of the film. Yes, it probably does simplify more than a few things. All that said, I still really liked this film.

As I greatly enjoy history and have long craved a new film about the Civil War, I was just about to accept any drivel to make me truly satisfied. Fortunately, this one fits the bill and is slightly better than drivel. Matthew McConaughey turns in a typically charismatic and cool performance as a man I would follow to the end of the Earth and jump through a brick wall if he told me to. Not even as Newton Knight, either. I would jump off a bridge if McConaughey told me to without regret or shame.

A sprawling and ambitious attempt to not only cover the story of Newton Knight, but also the period just before and right after the end of the Civil War in the South including topics such as apprenticeship, the rise of the KKK, inter-racial love, voting, literacy, "emancipation", and reconstruction. This often untold area of the Civil War is told very well in Free State of Jones, even if its jumping through time a bit is a clunky way of approaching the topics. That said, each scene it does show covers the topics it sets out to cover very well and accomplishes its main goal: to inform. Even better, it not just informs, but it entertains with tense and well-constructed action sequences that capture the look and feel of the Civil War. If nothing else, Gary Ross did his homework and that is truly admirable.

Though the general plots expansiveness could have been better handled, Ross does a great job balancing his characters. Focusing in one people from different worlds, he does a good job developing the major players, especially Knight (McConaughey), Rachel (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), and Moses (Mahershala Ali). These characters really have good chemistry with one another and are largely well-written.

The production design and costume design is another major win for Free State of Jones. With shocking attention to detail from the swamps of Mississippi to the battlefield, the film is masterfully crafted. The costume design for the uniforms and clothing is terrific and really impressive with its period detail. This, in addition to the characters, is where the film's bread and butter can really be found. Ross' ability to create well-developed characters and attention to detail is really evident in these two areas and why I found the film to be better than expected.

On the negative side, Free State of Jones' use of the future case does further its examination of the power of prejudice. I mean, Newton's great-great-great grandson looks white, yet the fact that Newton had a child with Rachel means that he cannot marry the white woman he is in love with. Many took issue with the film supposedly mirroring the struggle of blacks with those of whites, but to me, it is not doing that. Instead, it is showcasing how deep and far this prejudice go. For all intents and purposes his great-great-great grandson is white. Yet, in the chance he any black in him, he must go to jail for trying to marry a white woman. Incredible stuff that shows how deeply hatred runs. Unfortunately, Ross has no idea how to work this into the film and the scenes play far too briefly and with little emotional impact. Instead, they are like blips that break up the rest of the film.

Overall, Matthew McConaughey is very good in this film destined to be shown in history classes across the nation. An untold story from the Civil War, the story of Newton Knight and Jones County is an inspirational one of fighting for what you believe in. Though it is a bit long and could have been told better, the acting, characters, and production/costume design more than elevate this one in a well told history film. Above all, I am more than willing to accept this film to try and fill my craving for more historically-based films, especially ones from the Civil War.