Skip to content
- Cert:
- Cat.no: EDV 9060
- Running time: 88 minutes
- Year: 1999
- Pressing: 2000
- Region(s): 2, PAL
- Chapters: 12 plus extras
- Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
- Languages: English
- Subtitles: None
- Widescreen: 2.35:1
- 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
- Macrovision: Yes
- Disc Format: DVD 9
- Price: £19.99
- Extras: Trailer, Behind-the-scene, Featurette
Director:
- Ang Lee
(Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, The Ice Storm, Ride with the Devil)
Producers:
- Ted Hope, Robert Ecolesberry and James Schamus
Screenplay:
- James Schamus
Music :
- Mychael Danna
Cast :
- Jake Roedel: Tobey Maguire
Jack Bull: Skeet Ulrich
Sue Lee: Jewel
Daniel Holt: Jeffrey Wright
The scene is set in 1861near the Kansas/Missouri border. Jake Roedel (Toby Maguire) and Jack Bull(Skeet Ulrich) are best friends. Eventually, when the war reaches theirtown, Jack’s father is brutally killed. Jake and Jack have no other choice butto join the Bushwackers of the South.
While fighting the war Jake and Jack become friends with George and hisslave friend Holt (Jeffrey Wright) who ride along side them. They stowaway in a hidey-hole near a Southern sympathiser’s home. His daughter,a widow at 18, had only been married 3 weeks when her husband was killed.Sue Lee (Jewel) is beautiful and soon Jack falls in love with her.As the War goes on, they end up fighting for their lives.
Ang Lee(The Ice Storm andCrouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) creates the senses of the CivilWar tremendously with style and grace but there was something missing, whetherit was a big name actor or the fact I am a big fan of the old seriesNorth and South, I don’t know.
The character of Roedel was played very well and no one comes to mind who could of played him better. The character was only 19 and fighting in the warmade him grow up very fast. Jewel (don’t quit your day job!) on the other hadgot paid for doing absolutely nothing except for wapping her tit out to breastfeed every two seconds which made Roedel’s jaw drop.
For a two hour film it didn’t cover much and finished where I started to get interested, this film is no Gone with the Wind, maybe Gone with theRubbish.
Overall, the picture quality is excellent and the only fault I found was atiny bit of buzziness when gunshots where heard. The soundtrack is in DolbyDigital 5.1.
I felt that I learnt more about the film from its extras has there was aBehind the Scenes section and a Trailer, plus Interviewswith some of the cast that had them talking about their characters.
What I can’t understand is why do this movie in the first place? It has been done before and what a waste of money. Ang Lee is a great director anddeserves the recognition, but if he wants to teach history write a book!
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
OVERALLEmail Clare Dootson
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.