Ride with the Devil (1999/I)

Director:

Ang Lee

Writers (WGA):

Daniel Woodrell (novel)
James Schamus (screenplay)

Release Date:

5 November 1999 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War | Western

Plot:

Jake Roedel and Jack Bull Chiles are friends in Missouri when the Civil War starts. Women and Blacks have few rights...

Plot Keywords:

Farm | Union | Missouri | Civil War | Widow

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Tobey Maguire	...	Jake Roedel
Jeremy W. Auman	...	Guard
Scott Sener	...	Guard (as Scott C. Sener)
Skeet Ulrich	...	Jack Bull Chiles
Glenn Q. Pierce	...	Minister
Kathleen Warfel	...	Mrs. Chiles
David Darlow	...	Asa Chiles
Zan McLeod	...	Wedding Musician - Guitar
John Whelan	...	Wedding Musician - Accordion
Roger Landes	...	Wedding Musician - Mandolin
Jeffrey Dover	...	Wedding Musician - Drums
Tyler Johnson	...	Wedding Musician - Drums
Kelly Werts	...	Wedding Musician - Fiddle
Michael W. Nash	...	Horton Lee, Sr.
John Judd	...	Otto Roedel

Also Known As:

Civil War (USA) (working title)
To Live On (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for graphic war violence.

Runtime:

138 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

Australia:MA | Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | Germany:12 (f) | USA:TV-MA (cable rating) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Hong Kong:IIB | Norway:15 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Doniphan, Kansas, USA

Company:

Good Machine

Trivia:

The scenes of the Quantrill's Raid on Lawrence, Kansas were filmed in Pattonsburg, Missouri. Pattonsburg was flooded out during the great flood of 1993 and the town was relocated leaving many empty buildings and homes available.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Civil-war era skirts did not have even one in-seam pocket, let alone two. Fancy Chatelaines were used to hold purses and other items by the wealthier women, and the poorer classes made do with cloth pockets suspended from a strap that was pinned to the waistband. Flat surface pockets came in after the closing of the civil war.

Quotes:

[Camping out, Jack Bull Chiles and Jake Roedel discuss Jake's finger, which was shot off in a skirmish]
Jack Bull: My father's under the dirt to stay. Like that's gone to stay, too.
Jake: My finger?
Jack Bull: Mmm-hmm.
Jake: Well, so it is. And it makes me notable by the loss.
Jack Bull: You sound pleased... as if that finger'd been pesterin' you for rings.
Jake: No. It was a fine finger and I'd rather have it still, but... it was took from me and it's been et by chickens for sure. And I say, what is the good side to this amputation? And there is one.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 100 Greatest War Films (2005) (TV)

Great Movie, Excellent History Lesson!

The American Civil War was marked with horrible battles that exacted a toll on humanity that numbered into the thousands; however, there were other aspects of this war that took an equally horrendous toll. The border states in this war were completely divided and often the inhabitants of these states were caught up in desperate struggles for their lives and homes.

Certainly "Ride with the Devil" does not feature the epic battle scenes that "Gettysburg" brought to the screen, but it does give an excellent insight as to how everyday people dealt with the total destruction of their lives.

"Ride with the Devil" certainly gives a fresh and unique perspective of the Civil War. It is to the movies credit that it fully explores the tedium of life experienced by the common combatant who faced moments of tremendous anxiety while in combat and the long dull periods of no action.

Furthermore, I am really tired of movie critics harping on the dialects and language used in the movie. Well folks I hate to tell you, but in the 19th Century people generally spoke in the manner that this film depicts. I believe that the language in the film is one of its finest points.

Ang Lee went to great pains in making this one of the finest period pieces that I have encountered. Mr. Lee used hundreds of Civil War re-enactors and took great care in making sure that his principle actors, sets, and scenery looked the part. The movie was filmed in Missouri and Kansas and captures the scenic beauty of this area.

The actors are of a fine calibre and should be recognized for their outstanding performances. Considerable kudos should go to Tobey Maguire and Geoffrey Wright. They both were believable in their mannerisms and dialect. Tobey Maguire is outstanding in his use of period language.

All in all the movie is great. Since it wasn't on the big screen long we can only hope that the video will arrive soon. Sometimes it is refreshing to go and see a movie that is about real people and events that really happened.