514 Ride with the Devil

[Darren]

Are there Jewel supplements on the previous DVD release?

Where, pray, are the Jewel supplements?

[Orphic Lycidas]

Are there Jewel supplements on the previous DVD release?

Where, pray, are the Jewel supplements?

Only a western-themed music video. I guess Criterion just cares too much to make our ears bleed.

[HistoryProf]

got around to watching this tonight and the blu ray really is stunning. It's been too long since I last saw it to know what the new footage is, but I don't feel it dragged at all, even if the middle stanza does run a bit long it's all so well done and intrinsically fascinating to me that I was completely absorbed. I really think this is among the best, if not THE best, films on the Civil War. I'd rate it well above Gettysburg, which is lauded simply for its chronology and portrayal of well known battles. This film, however, succeeds in conveying the true senselessness of it all...and the mixed emotions that so many people must have felt as the watched the world around them fall apart. The hopelessness, anger, fear, frustration, and outright hatred that neighbors came to have for each other that drove them to murder is something I can never understand. But no other film so evocatively portrays those tumultuous years better than this one.

because I recently moved to Kansas City, I began looking for some reading on the border war and Kansas history in general and was amazed at how little there really is. Considering it was the crucible of the larger conflict, leading directly to it and featuring some of the nastiest violence in American history, it's surprising so little scholarship exists. But I think after watching this tonight that part of the reason is that it's all so visceral...and probably impossible to parse objectively. There are no heroes or villains, everyone is at fault, and there's nothing left to conclude than some rather unsavory insights into the basest elements of human nature. The seething hatred two groups of people managed to concoct through political propaganda and nationalistic moralizing is really hard to fathom. And like that reality, there's no one to really like in this film. Spiderman is our de facto hero I guess...but no one comes out of this looking good...and that is why it is such a resounding success for me. I think it's Lee's best film, and it's not close.

I'm all the more annoyed at the lack of any historical special features though...but must chalk it up to the same reason so little has been written on Bleeding Kansas - it's all just so nasty and no one comes out of it looking good...and the lack of direction and action from Washington meant the entire nation would ultimately suffer the same fate. It's not a nice story, but why they couldn't find some folks to explain that is hard to understand. The Jeffrey Wright interview is nice, but I wanted so much more. What a blown opportunity.

[zedz]

I happened to watch this on the weekend as well and I went in with low expectations, not being a big fan of Lee's and recalling the disdain with which this announcement was greeted, but I was quite impressed. It's a really solid and interesting take on the Civil War, well-mounted and gorgeously shot. Frederick Elmes alone justifies Criterion releasing this on BluRay. I was very impressed by the climactic showdown

Spoiler

simply because it was side-stepped - I can't think of any other Hollywood films of recent vintage that have had the guts to set up that kind of 'inevitable' conflict and then avoid it.

I don't know how much the film has been improved by the 'Director's Cut' overhaul, but this is easily the best Lee film I've seen, but then apart from The Ice Storm they've pretty much left me cold. Anyway, well worth checking out.

I agree with History Prof about the lack of historical extras, but the booklet does take up some of the slack.

[HistoryProf]

I meant to comment on that as well Zedz....I can't think of another example actually. That took balls...and added to the verisimilitude as it ends as it started: with people trying to navigate a landscape that no one could really understand or comprehend, but still trying to grasp some small shred of decency out of the mess: whether doffing their caps for a lady, or having a drink in the place they grew up.

[poultryinmotion]

HistoryProf, here's a bunch of titles that I consider worthwhile reading with regards to the Civil War in Missouri and Kansas:

Inside War: Michael Fellman
The Devil Knows How to Ride: Edward Leslie
Black Flag: Thomas Goodrich
Bloody Bill Anderson: Albert Castel & Thomas Goodrich
Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War: T.J. Stiles

[matrixschmatrix]

I was very impressed by the climactic showdown

Spoiler

simply because it was side-stepped - I can't think of any other Hollywood films of recent vintage that have had the guts to set up that kind of 'inevitable' conflict and then avoid it.

I can't think of many movies, but it was stock in trade in the Sopranos, and a few other serialized tv shows have done it more than once- in some ways, actually, Ride the Devil felt like something that could very easily have been a Deadwood-like tv show, perhaps moreso than a movie.

[movielocke]

because I recently moved to Kansas City, I began looking for some reading on the border war and Kansas history in general and was amazed at how little there really is. Considering it was the crucible of the larger conflict, leading directly to it and featuring some of the nastiest violence in American history, it's surprising so little scholarship exists. But I think after watching this tonight that part of the reason is that it's all so visceral...and probably impossible to parse objectively. There are no heroes or villains, everyone is at fault, and there's nothing left to conclude than some rather unsavory insights into the basest elements of human nature. The seething hatred two groups of people managed to concoct through political propaganda and nationalistic moralizing is really hard to fathom. And like that reality, there's no one to really like in this film.

Ahh, well wait until MU v. KU (aka the Border War) the Saturday after thanksgiving. It's not an affectionate football rivalry, or even a bitter football rivalry. It is a nasty football rivalry. Feelings still run high, in large part because, you know, KU is located IN lawrence.

I also think it's a terrific film for the reasons you list, though I haven't gotten to watching my bluray yet.

[Tom Hagen]

On the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, a reminder of the myths we need.

[AnamorphicWidescreen]

Recently watched Ang Lee's Ride with the Devil (1999) for the first time in years, and for the very first time on Blu.

Wow - what a truly amazing film. I remember very little about this after I first saw this on DVD years ago, but this Blu is the director's cut & I'm fairly certain it's a longer film. And, I'm extremely impressed by how truly incredible the PQ is here - the outdoor scenes especially are truly incredible, especially the Fall & winter scenes.

This is extremely poignant & heartfelt movie, and in all honesty may be my favorite Ang Lee film. This is not just a movie about the civil war, but about the importance of family, being more true to yourself than to a cause you may be fighting for, forgiveness, and friendship.

Though all of the acting was amazing, I was extremely impressed by J. Wright as Holt; he really brought an understated gravitas to the character that was amazing.

Spoiler

One of my favorite parts in the film was when he told Roedel (Maguire) that instead of being sad, he felt "free" after the guy who had looked after him had died in that horrible battle....

Also thought that the singer Jewel did a great job in the film as well; it was a nice touch having one of her songs play over the credits.

Probably my favorite scene in the film was when

Spoiler

Pitt & his friend rode up to Roedel's (Magurie's) camp near the end; obviously Roedel wanted revenge against Pitt who had tried to kill him earlier; He and Holt definitely got the drop on both of them at that point. However, Roedel decided to spare them..and probably not just because he knew Pitt & the other guy were riding to certain death in Newport....Very good scene.

Side note: RWTD was completely under my radar when it came out in Fall 1999 - I don't even remember hearing about it anywhere. It may have gotten critically acclaimed, but I'm not sure it was playing in that many theaters...

[Dr Amicus]

It got a wide release in the UK - I'm sure it even made it to Guernsey - but did very badly. I saw it in Brighton and absolutely loved it, and I remember it making a few best of lists at year end.

[CSM126]

Ride With The Devil is the subject of the latest episode of The Unloved at rogerebert.com.