Last night I made a great discovery. I found the antidote to all those super-hero blockbusters that have clogged the cineplexes all summer long. No sooner did I break the shrink-wrap on the recent Criterion Collection DVD of Ang Lee’s “Ride With The Devil” (1999), than I was transported to movie lover’s nirvana. All that was missing was the popcorn.
This Civil War epic is a revisionist take on the bloody battle between the states, focusing on the guerrilla fighting between the Confederate-sympathizing Missouri Bushwackers and the abolitionist, Union-supporting Kansas Jayhawkers. Its centerpiece is the Lawrence Massacre of 1863, the deadliest act of terrorism on US soil until the Oklahoma City Bombing of 1995.
Spiderman himself, Tobey Maguire, gives a fine, sensitive performance as Jake Roedel, a young German American who comes of age in the crucible of war. Equally good are his co-stars, Skeet Ulrich (as Jake’s best friend, Jack Bull Chiles) and pop singer Jewel (as Sue Ellen, Jack Bull’s love interest).
This complex action-packed film is full of visceral, gut-wrenching moments, but it’s also got wonderfully poetic writing. Better yet, it has heart. Most notable is the humanistic portrayal of Daniel Holt (solidly acted by Jeffrey Wright), a former slave held in high regard by his fellow Bushwackers, who ultimately emancipates himself.
The Criterion DVD is a restored, widescreen hi-def transfer of the director’s cut. Bonuses include audio commentaries by director Lee, producer-screenwriter James Schamus, and director of photography Frederick Elmes, plus a video interview with actor Wright.
Hot tip: Buster Keaton’s masterful Civic War comedy, “The General,” is newly available on DVD from Aberle Media in a sparkling black and white print. Something to tide us silent comedy fans over while we’re waiting for CineMuseum’s Blu-ray and DVD release of “Blue Collar Buster,” which begins taking pre-orders Oct. 1.
More from Jordan:
Buster Keaton shorts go Blu, Alloy Orchestra gets ‘Wild & Weird’
Restored ‘Potemkin’ on Blu-ray, more Gaumont treasures on DVD
OC Classic Jazz Festival swings back into Costa Mesa
‘Mary Poppins’ in Costa Mesa (closing 8/7)
‘Bakersfield Mist’ at Fountain (extended to 9/3)
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