The American Civil War is once again coming to the big screen, this time with another true story that sheds light on an often forgotten chapter in U.S. history.
Poor farmer Newton Knight (Matthew McConaughey) is a confederate solider who becomes disillusioned after the horrid loses at the Battle of Corinth and flees from his service and then leads a rebellion against the army, defending the rights of blacks and building a mixed raced community in Jones County, a ‘Free State’ that lasts through Reconstruction. He marries a slave and becomes colorful figure after the war was over.
Written and directed by Gary Ross who wrote Big, Pleasantville, and The Hunger Games, he is also no stranger to historical adaptations, penning 2003’s Seabiscuit. McConaughey joins Keri Russell and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who will play Rachel, Knight’s wife. Mbatha-Raw, who was mostly recently seen in Concussion (our review) is a relative new-comber with a rising star.
This first trailer serves an instruction and reveals much about the story elements, clearly establishing Knight’s position in the war and the conflict his actions eventually cause. The film looks to provide a lot of battle sequences as well as the personal struggle Knight and his followers face. This early glimpse seems promising and McConaughey looks well cast.
What do you think? Fan of Civil War films? Let us know in the comments below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_38WdArR20?rel=0&controls=0&showinfo=0&w=920&h=460]