“Every man is a man … it’s as simple as that.” Those were the words of Civil War rebel Newt Knight (Matthew McConaughey), a man who developed a small group of slaves and deserters into a full-fledged company that time and again defeated Confederate soldiers and eventually declared themselves their own nation. Based on a true story, the film, written and directed by Gary Ross, follows Knight from the time he deserted the Confederacy to return home to Jones County, Mississippi, to help his family and others defend their farms and their livelihood. He deemed the war one of needless deaths and destruction to “protect the rich” and one that went against what he knew to be right: Every man should be a free man, and whatever you grow and harvest should be yours to keep. The end of the war was a short-lived celebration for the group, as Jim Crow laws and other civil rights infractions made the victory feel empty. The film relays the constant violence and entitlement that continued after the war, and the issues that even 155 years out from the start of the conflict, we are still facing today.
Should You See It? Yes. —K.M.
Viewed at Des Peres Cine 14