Review of Ride with the Devil (1999) by Bobby H — 16 Oct 2011

Ride with the Devil was an interesting movie for me:

For one it was the first movie I seen that actually had the ability to break Tobey MaGuires image of Spider-man in my head. I didn't once think he was going to spawn a web on any of the rider's that were approaching! :-).

On a serious note -.

This movie was based in Missouri during and post-civil war in which we seen the struggles within the state that led to a divide of union loyalist and confederate guerrilla's that were both willing to risk it for all their believes.

This movie had some courage in a few different ways. I really enjoyed how one of the confederate guerilla fighters was a black man (as many are afraid to risks that and I've only seen it seconded in Gods and Generals) as well as it steered away from the typical Jesse James movies that are often the only Missouri based stories. We also get a viewpoint from the Confederate side of things which also is typically frowned on and not noted in movies for fear of scrutiny about those who wish to degrade heritage and truth. We now get a glimpse away from the legend behind Jesse James and Bloody Bill Anderson and focus on the everyday riders that never gained fame but only lost and sacrificed in the struggle that touched every American life somehow or another...

The actors were amazing, the gory was awesome, the soundtrack, the emotion, the action, and the off season from the action tied in with a few typical western story twist (such as how one man in the group went on to become an outlaw like so many of these men did being they were already sanctioned outlaws by both the south and the north) all came together nicely. Personally for all that it risked in the story it told and viewpoints I took I congratulate this movie for taking men who were noted as 'cowards' (worse than that of the poor confederate viewpoint by those who are ignorant in history as is) by taking the lowest considered form of Confederate 'Freedom fighters' and telling their story in a way like no movie has ever had the balls to tell it like before.

It's an amazing film and even if I wasn't a civil war buff and a historian at heart I'd still recommend this movie to many who wants a true glimpse in a film that approaches the civil war without any bias and sticks as close to historic truth as any movie I've seen that wasn't actually completely historical based (and does better then even some of those). Well done!