The War between the States

I had a chance to see Ang Lee's film, "Ride with the Devil". It tells the story of a friends who join the fighting unit known as the Bushwackers, fighting on the side of the Confederacy. The Civil War as fought in this area of the country was a much different struggle than that fought in the eastern portion of the country, It involved mainly guerilla tactics, and it was a much more protracted affair, in which the seperate groups frequently inflicted heavy suffering on civilian populations. This was in large part due to the irregular nature of this fighting, which involved struggles against large segments of the populace who harbored the rebel bands.

The story, however, remains much the same when it comes to warfare. We have long cherished the ideals of the Union side and the valor of Lincoln, but in this film, political ideals do not assume center stage. Instead, we have several groups of friends who struggle to survive and endure. The Toby Maguire character is named Jake, and he comes from the immigrant German population that was sympathetic to the Union. He,however, fights to defend the Confederacy, a fight that is impelled more by friendship than any other consideration. His friend, needless to say, will be killed midway through the film, leaving him to struggle with his own ideals and find the motivation to continue.

Jake is befriended by a black man who, incongruously enough, is also fighting with the Bushwackers. This man is a study in contradictions, but he is also a steady and stalwart person who also fights out of loyalty to a friend. As stated before, ideals do not seem uppermost in their minds, and Jake seems to shrug off the entrenched and vicious racial attitudes he encounters on the part of his band of guerillas.

The countryside, with flowing plains interspersed with forests, offers a seductive landscape. It is far from my memories of Missouri, as I travelled from west to east along Highway 70 in the early part of the last decade. The sight of open terrain seems to provide a vast scope for the expression of human sentiment, and in this case, loyalty comes to the fore.

Jake slowly comes to an understanding with regards to the futility of his cause, and this movement of reevaluation is instigated by the famous Quantrill raid on the city of Lawrence, Kansas, in which a defenceless civilian population suffered heavy casualties. It was a depraved episode among many that were committed by both sides, and it was meant to suggest the way in which warfare assumes its own unstoppable momentum, one that leads to a casual disregards for life.

Jake is wounded, and is sent to convalesce with a family sympathetic to the rebel cause. He meets once again with a female character, played by Jewel, who has been twice widowed, and has given birth to a daughter. There is an aura of inevitability in their approach and their growing intimacy, and when forced to marry each other, Jake finally comes to an awareness of the precious quality of life. He gives up his intention to rejoin the irregulars.

This is a straightforward film, and it shows the transformation in the character of Jake, who slowly becomes more humanized as he reflects on his losses and on the opportunities for redemption. His marriage to the widow is an opportunity that signals an end to adolescent yearnings, and it is almost comical to see how he grows to understand his responsabilities. He will now be the father to the child that was fathered by his dead friend, and the cause will come to seem like an adolescent venture that is tragically mistaken.

I lived in Lawrence for several years, and was aware of the resonance of the Quantrill raid. Yes, the Jayhawkers harbor deep memories, and this period was one that resonates deeply still, as does the Southern defeat for many in that region.

I enjoyed this film. It didn't have the emotional resonance of Ang Lee's "The Ice Storm", but it showed a director who was comfortable with spectacle, as evident in the sprawling nature of this period piece, as well as with basic stories of human interaction. As with the fundamental stories that underlie our Western civilization, we have, as with the saga of Gilgamesh, a story of friendship and loss. And what is most refreshing, no glamorization of lost political causes.