Review of Ride with the Devil (1999) by Private U — 28 May 2007

Ride with the Devil turned out to be an immensely entertaining and compelling surprise. It portrays a rarely-seen side of the American Civil War, one that proves to possess equally fertile narrative ground as its counterparts.

Versatile screenwriter James Schamus' dialogue, if a bit embellished, is flavorful and engaging. I wasn't aware this was based on a novel until having watched it. I'll have to read and compare.

Great performances saturate the film. It's none too surprising to see that several of the actors have since gained increased notoriety. Even Jewel, who I was at first apprehensive of, does a nice job here.

Tobey Maguire as the lead and Skeet Ulrich in a supporting bow stand above the rest. Intimate dramatic moments make up the core of the film as exemplified in the friendship between Tobey Maguire and the talented Jeffrey Wright in a deftly restrained performance.

Director Ang Lee doesn't simply skimp on action in favor of drama, however. He crafts a number of entertaining gun battles along with several other high points of action and violence. It's a shame this movie wasn't given a wider push upon its theatrical release.

Ride with the Devil is a true gem of a movie I'm very happy to have seen.