Review of Free State of Jones (2016) by Orlando O — 18 Oct 2016

Free State of Jones is a war film about the armed rebellion against the confederacy in the 1860s. It started out like it had potential in being a strong war drama film with the gritty emotional tone to the film. It does not give the proper development to the inspired Newton Knight, leaving his character to be flat. It goes for other characters in the film that focuses more on the elements of conflict but leaving the characters to be undeveloped. That's one of the problems with Gary Ross's script on Free State of Jones that briefly goes by the several years. Leaving no character development with each other. The direction on the storytelling is also kind of dull, and the outstanding performances from the cast could not make up for it.

Newton Knight (Matthew McConaughey) deserts the confederate army to return home to his farmland and his wife, Serena (Russell Crowe). In his hometown, he tries to help defend the people from the confederate army after they keep raiding for their supplies and food. He befriends with a house slave Rachel (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), who leads him to a hiding place. Where Moses (Mahershala Ali) can aid and help him. Knight helps other deserters and Moses and his people on fighting back for their land and there freedom.

The film does start out promising with an opening sequence battle of Corinth, when Knight was just a battlefield medic. He aids in a young kid, who are pushed to the frontlines. The battle was gritty and it feels like it would set up the emotional tone for what Knight was going to go through. Things are set in motion, when he deserts the army. And hides in the forest with Rachel and several others that are either slaves or deserters. He reinforces others to fight back. Every time, the confederate sgt. Arrives to take away there supplies and crops. Knight threatens and sends them back to their commander. Also, were the film can be repetitive, when the confederate army are trying going to the town to burn a house for there refusing to give up their supplies. And Knights people threaten and fight back to keep their supplies. It could have been better if these characters had some development. That is what was lacking in the script. Knight's wife that comes and goes for a brief amount of time and his relationship with Rachel, which does not feel believable. Than, the narration going from 1860's to 60 or so years later focusing on Knight's and Rachel's grown up son, who is in court about his race. The storytelling and character development were just incoherent with the material for going over several years without making any emotional connections with these characters.