Ride with the Devil (I) (1999)

Jake Roedel and Jack Bull Chiles are friends in Missouri when the Civil War starts. Women and Blacks have few rights. Jack Bull's dad is killed by Union soldiers, so the young men join the ... See full summary »

Director:

Ang Lee

Writers:

Daniel Woodrell (novel), James Schamus (screenplay)

Stars:

Tobey Maguire, Jeremy W. Auman, Skeet Ulrich

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Jake Roedel and Jack Bull Chiles are friends in Missouri when the Civil War starts. Women and Blacks have few rights. Jack Bull's dad is killed by Union soldiers, so the young men join the Bushwhackers, irregulars loyal to the South. One is a Black man, Daniel Holt, beholden to the man who bought his freedom. They skirmish then spend long hours hiding. Sue Lee, a young widow, brings them food. She and Jack Bull become lovers, and when he's grievously wounded, Jake escorts her south to a safe farm. The Bushwhackers, led by men set on revenge, make a raid into Kansas. At 19, Jake is ill at ease with war. As his friends die one after another, he must decide where honor lies.

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Plot Keywords:

friend | bushwhacker | farm | union | civil war | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | War | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for graphic war violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 November 1999 (UK)

Also Known As:

Civil War

Filming Locations:

Doniphan, Kansas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$64,159 (USA) (26 November 1999)

Gross:

SGD 9,103 (Singapore) (4 August 2000)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Good Machine, Hollywood International Multimedia Group Inc., Maplewood Productions Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

138 min 148 min (director's cut)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The looting and burning of Lawrence, Kansas actually occurred on 21 August 1863.

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Goofs

After German boy is told his father was killed, there is a brief scene of a woman standing in a doorway. The door has modern day machine-made lace.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Title Card: On the western frontier of Missouri, the American Civil War was fought not by armies, but by neighbors. Informal gangs of local southern Bushwhackers fought a bloody and desperate guerrilla war against the occupying Union Army and pro-Union Jayhawkers.
Title Card: Allegiance to either side was dangerous. But it was more dangerous still to find oneself caught in the middle.

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Connections

Featured in The 100 Greatest War Films (2005)

User Reviews

A good honest film about the brutal history of America

For those who commented on The Patriot as being accurate, (Which basically satanised the English), it was interesting to see this film. By all accounts this was the bloodiest war that Americans have ever been involved in, and they were the only nationality present. It was therefore very refreshing to see something resembling historical accuracy coming from that side of the Atlantic that did not paint America as either martyrs or saviours. All in all though what this film did bring home was the true horrors of any conflict, and how how whatever acts are committed in war only breed worse acts, often culminating in the suffering of the innocent. This was not a film where you cheered anybody on but both pitied and loathed all.