Review of Ride With The Devil

Introduction

Ride With The Devil is set throughout the American civil war, and tells the tale of a family of young men as their world is slowly ripped apart around them.

Unlike other civil war epics, such as the excellent Glory, Ride With The Devil does not concentrate on the cause of the conflict between the North and the South, but instead directs our view towards the struggles that people were forced to endure as the war came to their part of the country. That`s not to say that the film does not exploit it`s setting to show us some action. There are a number of well crafted and extremely well shot battle sequences in this movie. Again, you`ll find them different, possibly more realistic than other films that you will have seen on this topic.

The film focuses around the central character of Jake Rodell, who was born in Germany, but raised by his parents in the deep South of America. Traditionally the immigrant Germans sided with the North in the conflict, but Jake is a Southerner through and through at the beginning of the film. He and and his friends fight to defend their families against attack from groups of men just like them, but who happen to be fighting for the other side. The group of friends decides not to join the official ranks of the army, but instead to fight as outlaws, or jayhawkers as they were known, defending their territory for all they are worth.

The internal struggles that Jake goes through after he becomes friends with a freed slave are a welcome addition to this type of film. As with most historical dramas, a general understanding of the period in which the film is set, and the events that surround it, will be beneficial when you watch this film, but not essential. Most people will know enough about what the American civil war was all for to enjoy the film - those that are highly interested in the subject will simply get that little bit more.

Video

This DVD has excellent picture quality - there were no flaws that I could detect. The lighting has been created perfectly. Brilliant sunshine beams across the wonderful hills and valleys of America, and the night scenes around the campfire are lit just right - dark, but not so dark you can`t see anything. I saw no glitches or pauses throughout the two hour film at layer changes.

Audio

The soundtrack is also good. Due to the nature of this film you`re not constantly surrounded by effects. There are a number of times when the technology is used to the films advantage, with the sound of gunshots, horses hooves and rain making guest appearances from all five speakers.

Features

For extras we`re treated to a five minute documentary about the movie, and how it was made. Unfortunately, like all two many featurettes, this is just too short. We get brief conversations with the principle cast members and the directors, but just when you`re getting in to it, it ends.

The behind the scenes look shows us a number of sections of the film being made. This footage was shot on a camcorder at the actual time of recording, so you get a feel for being on set. It would be nice if we had a commentary over these shots from the director, or someone else involved in the production, so that you have more of an idea about what happened during filming. A theatrical trailer is also included.

Conclusion

All in all, a good disc, just let down slightly by the lack of extras, although this disc does have more than some others available. This type of film really only appeals to a minority of the number of people that will go to the cinema, but it will probably do better with the home audience. Anyone with even a remote interest in the American civil war should definately watch it, and anyone else who wants to see an intelligent take on the human side of the conflict should also check it out.