In this episode of the Dangerous History Podcast, we take a look at another film set in the American Civil War:  the 2016 film Free State of Jones, directed by Gary Ross and starring Matthew McConaughey. This film tells the story of Confederate deserter Newton Knight, who led an insurgent force composed of escaped slaves and Confederate deserters against the Confederacy in his area of Mississippi.

Join CJ as he discusses:

• A synopsis of the film
• Some discussion of its themes and historicity
• CJ’s take on the film, compared and contrasted with the professional critics’ take

Support the Dangerous History Podcast via Patreon

CJ’s official DHP Amazon Wish List

Internal Links

• DHP Ep. 0136: Shenandoah: A Dangerous History Movie Review

External Links

• Episode 100 of Clandestime, which has a very thought-provoking discussion about violence in film
• Newton Knight’s Wikipedia page, which is well-footnoted & sourced
• Erin Whitney’s review of the film on Screencrush
• Bob Dylan’s “Only a Pawn in Their Game” (in CJ’s opinion, one of the most powerful depictions of divide & conquer in regard poor whites & blacks in the South)

In the spirit of the season, in this episode CJ reviews the 1999 film Ravenous, a horror movie about cannibalism on the American frontier in the heyday of Manifest Destiny in the mid-nineteenth century.  This film was directed by Antonia Bird and stars Guy Pearce, Robert Carlyle, and Jeffrey Jones.

Join CJ as he discusses:

• A few words about his recent experience of Hurricane Matthew
• A synopsis of the movie, CJ’s take on it, and some of the deeper themes in the film

Support the Dangerous History Podcast via Patreon

The official DHP Amazon Wish List