Film Snail

Ride with the Devil
Ride with the Devil

6.3

Ride with the Devil

R·1999·138m

Summary

Ride with the Devil follows four people who are fighting for truth and justice amidst the turmoil of the American Civil War. Director Ang Lee takes us to a no man's land on the Missouri/Kansas border where a staunch loyalist, an immigrant's son, a freed slave, and a young widow form an unlikely friendship as they learn how to survive in an uncertain time. In a place without rules and redefine the meaning of bravery and honor.

Cast

Skeet Ulrich

Skeet Ulrich

Jack Bull Chiles

Tobey Maguire

Tobey Maguire

Jake Roedel

Jewel

Jewel

Sue Lee Shelley

Jeffrey Wright

Jeffrey Wright

Daniel Holt

Simon Baker

Simon Baker

George Clyde

Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Pitt Mackeson

Tom Wilkinson

Tom Wilkinson

Orton Brown

Jim Caviezel

Jim Caviezel

Black John

Tom Guiry

Tom Guiry

Riley Crawford

Jonathan Brandis

Jonathan Brandis

Cave Wyatt

Matthew Faber

Matthew Faber

Turner Rawls

Stephen Mailer

Stephen Mailer

Babe Hudspeth

John Ales

John Ales

Quantrill

Zach Grenier

Zach Grenier

Mr. Evans

Margo Martindale

Margo Martindale

Wilma Brown

Mark Ruffalo

Mark Ruffalo

Alf Bowden

Celia Weston

Celia Weston

Mrs. Clark

Jeremy W. Auman

Guard

Scott Sener

Guard

Glenn Q. Pierce

Minister

Kathleen Warfel

Mrs. Chiles

David Darlow

David Darlow

Asa Chiles

Zan McLeod

Wedding Musician - Guitar

John Whelan

Wedding Musician - Accordian

Roger Landes

Wedding Musician - Mandolin

Jeffrey Dover

Wedding Musician - Drummer

Tyler Johnson

Wedding Musician - Drummer

Kelly Werts

Wedding Musician - Fiddle

Michael W. Nash

Horton Lee, Sr.

John Judd

John Judd

Otto Roedel

Don Shanks

George

Jay Thorson

Ted

Dean Vivian

Storekeeper

Cheryl Weaver

Storekeeper's Wife

Amber Griffith

Clark Girl

Ric Averill

Federal at Farm

Buck Baker

Federal at Farm

Donna Thomason

Mrs. Evans

Cassie Mae Sears

Mary Evans

Martin E. Liebschner, Jr.

Encampment Singer

Marvin Schroeder

Encampment Musician

Steve Price

Encampment Musician

David L. Asher

Encampment Musician

James Urbaniak

James Urbaniak

Poker Player

David Rees Snell

David Rees Snell

Poker Player

Dave Wilson

Quantrill's Lieutenant

Larry Greer

Federal Captain

Kevin Fewell

Federal Lieutenant

John Durbin

John Durbin

Skaggs

Michael Owen

Federal Recruits Captain

Jim Shelby

Southern Gentleman

Addison Myers

Southern Gentleman

Michael Linsley Rapport

Drunk Raider

Joseph Moynihan

Mr. Riggs

Jennie Nauman

Mrs. Riggs

Christine Brandt

Pleading Woman

Bill Grivna

Dulinski

Nora Denney

Nora Denney

Elderly Woman

Harry Gibbs

Old Man

Clayton Vest

Young Boy

Roger Denesha

Lawrence Raider

Jacob Kozlowski

Lawrence Raider

David Lee Burnos, Jr.

Lawrence Raider

Jennifer Ackland

Grace Shelley Chiles

T. Max Graham

Reverend Wright

Sean Whalen

Sean Whalen

Clark Boy

Crew

Director

Ang Lee

Novel

Daniel Woodrell

Screenplay

James Schamus

Reviews

John Chard

John Chard

November 6, 2013

10

I'd be bad meat – pretty well rotted to a glob.

Ride with the Devil is directed by Ang Lee and adapted to screenplay by James Schamus (also producer) from the novel "Woe to Live On" written by Daniel Woodrell. It stars Tobey Maguire, Skeet Ulrich, Jeffrey Wright, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Simon Baker, James Caviezel and Jewel. Music is by Mychael Danna and cinematography by Frederick Elmes.

"On the Western Frontier of Missouri, the American Civil War was fought not by armies, but by neighbours. Informal gangs of local Southern Bushwhackers fought a bloody and desperate Guerrilla war against the occupying Union Army and pro-Union Jayhawkers. Allegiance to either side was dangerous. But it was more dangerous still to find oneself caught in the middle"

Made for $38 million and intended to be a sweeping epic for the summer blockbuster crowd, Ride with the Devil was a considerable financial flop. With a limited release both in America and abroad, the financial figures are hardly surprising. More so considering it was given next to no promotion by the distributors. Factor in a little controversy about the events featured in the story, some cuts made by the studio (Lee didn't have final cut) and a delay in home release formats because the distributor incredibly wanted Jeffrey Wright's presence removed from the cover art! Well you would be forgiven for thinking that the film has to be something of a stinker. Not so say I.

Part rites of passage drama, part reflective war movie, Ang Lee's film is a grand film viewing experience. Dealing as it does with the often forgotten part of the war down on the Missouri/Kansas border, where Lee also shoots on location, film manages to be both savage and lyrical in equal measure. The savagery comes with the fights, bloody, frenetic and high on potency, while the lyricism comes with the human relationships, internal conflicts and the political awareness of the men (boys) fighting for their cause. All given deft treatment by Schamus, whose screenplay contains crisp period dialogue and a narrative correctly showing that this part of the war was not just driven by racist Dixie's hell bent on revenge, violent lust and political allegiance, but often for family, land and rights. Picture is at pains to let us know the youth of the main characters, ramming home the point of boys forced to become men, killing machines, very quickly. Case in point, the culmination of the violence in the film that comes by way of the Lawrence Massacre, a tragic and upsetting slaughter that saw 180 people murdered under the leadership of a vengeful William Quantrill (John Ales). Lee and Schamus aren't interested in showing heroism in this particular war, they show it as futile, nasty and it leaves the taste of bile in the throat.

From here the film slows considerably, as the lead characters withdraw from the action of war, to awakenings and friendships forming. It's here where Lee is at his best. No great director of action, as evidenced by the previously mentioned Lawrence Massacre; which lacks the cutting edge to really grab us by the throat and never let go, but for human interest aspects and bucolic scenes with characters framed within, Lee owes film fans absolutely nothing. The latter of which he is aided considerably by Elmes' widescreen photography. Ulrich and pop star Jewel nicely handle their parts, he puts a confident swagger into Jack Bull Chiles, she is tender and unassuming in the pivotal female role of Sue Lee Shelley. Caviezel gives Black John Ambrose a brooding menace, while Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is on overdrive as sadistic loony Pitt Mackeson. But it's with Maguire and Wright that the acting plaudits go. Maguire has arguably never been better, he gives Jake Roedel an effective sensitivity as a virginal boy receives a violent initiation into manhood. Wright is sublime, said to be one of his favourite performances, Wright as freed slave Daniel Holt is the heart beat of the film. Conveying most of the good traits available to man, Holt fights not just out of loyalty to his friend George Clyde (Baker), but to gain ultimate catharsis in is life. It's a beautiful measured turn from Wright, and it deserves more appreciative attention.

The last third of it may be too talky for some, and a couple of dangling narrative threads left unanswered stop it from being a masterpiece. But it's close to being just that, a savage, beautiful and lyrical movie. The stupid studio execs had no idea: Putz's. 9/10

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$35,000,000.00

Revenue:

$635,096.00

Keywords

civil war
friends
bush whacker
raid
american civil war