Copperhead

source: Copperhead

It's certainly not a movie I'd recommend if it's your first Civil War movie. Start with a crowd pleaser like Glory instead. The movie has a lot to say about war and peace, but it's hardly a good introduction to anti-war movies. Start with a winner like Hacksaw Ridge instead. This movie isn't in the same league with either of those great war movies. About the only other valid criticisms you could make are: 1) The first 3/4 of the movie is a bit slow moving, and could have been more dramatic. 2) The quality of the sound was a bit lacking, which is unfortunate when the use of dialect already makes the words a bit hard to follow. As other reviewers have said, it's great especially because it's different from most Civil War movies, showing the way a war can tear a country apart almost as much on the home front as it does on the battlefield. But part of the reason I loved it so much is that I find myself in agreement with the film's disparaged "Copperhead." While slavery is unbelievably cruel and inhumane, ending slavery in 1865 just wasn't worth the terribly high cost in blood. Brazil was the last country where slavery was legal in the Western Hemisphere, and they ended it in 1888. So even if the Civil War had never been fought, slavery in the South would almost certainly have ended by then anyway. If America had split into two countries, why would this have been so wrong? This is a controversial point of view -- then and now -- but I was pleased to see it argued with such conviction in a very watchable movie.

To my recollection, this is the only Civil War movie I've seen to deal with the friction between Northern Union citizens with opposite views of the conflict. 'Copperheads' were Northerners who didn't support Abraham Lincoln's view of going to war to free the slaves. Technically, they WERE opposed to slavery, but were against war for any reason, while upholding a state's right to determine it's status for themselves. Additionally, the Copperheads felt that using force to prevent Southern states from seceding was unconstitutional. It seems kind of conflicted to me, since the idea of states seceding itself sounds unconstitutional, so I had to bring my focus back to those ideas whenever Abner Beech (Billy Campbell) found himself in opposition to his neighbors. Considering this is nominally a Civil War era movie, there's really no battle action at all, the story revolves primarily around the tension between neighbors with a sub-plot involving a romance between Abner Beech's son, Thomas Jefferson (Casey Thomas Brown), and Esther Hagadorn (Lucy Boynton), daughter of the town's firebrand abolitionist leader and supporter of Lincoln's policies. For a brief period, Tom goes missing following the battle of Antietam, having joined the Northern cause in opposition to his father. As the citizens anxiously await word on the fate of other boys who joined the War, Esther agonizes over her fiance's fate, while attempting to reconcile her position with the Beech family as well as her own father. The tenor of the story gives it a Hallmark, made for TV film, with the attendant focus on family values and trying to do the right thing. The film's resolution offers the feel good sensation that comes with Esther's brother Ni (Augustus Prew) admonishing the town folk from the pulpit for their bitterness toward each other. It all ties together rather neatly, except for the fact that at that point in time, the War still had two more years to go, with the same tensions that would have to be dealt with once this story was over.

Brothers fight, and sometimes they kill. That is the sad comment on the civil war that had more than just slavery as an agenda. For a young country with only 70 years of presidents behind them, much drama and unrest had grown in a short period of time, and many different ideals were being fought for. This wasn't just through war. This was in individual communities, among family members, and within families, between fathers and sons. There are many ironies in the arguments being made within communities, within families, and between fathers and sons. It's a community at war, those who support Abraham Lincoln's fight to emancipate the slaves and those opposed to his methods. Democrats argue against the Republicans, and vice versa, making statements quite timely today. The beauty of the land long before highways and huge cities destroyed much of it is breathtaking, and the countryside of upstate New York state is breathtaking. Copoerheads, the phrase for anti-war believers, describes several of the main characters, passionate about their beliefs, feeling betrayed by their own families, yet considered traitors by their neighbors. It makes for great war drama, and turns this into another war between northerners living together, yet torn apart against the right of free speech and basic constitutional rights. Many of these issues are potent today as the land of the free finds itself divided once again.

The average rating for this film on IMDb is 5.5. I find it to be worthy of a much higher ranking. An astute film critic might quibble with some of the acting and occasionally the direction. But overall, in my humble opinion, this is a very good film. I'll start with the finish. The ending of this movie makes a powerful statement in our divided times. Try if you can, to imagine just how divided the country might have been during the civil war. This is the only film I recall addressing that question at all and now that the filmmakers have broached that subject, I can see how some might say it could have been done better. But boy is it a good story. A great story in fact featuring tremendous performances by Billy Campbell as Abner Beech, a contrarian in the North and Augustus Prew as Ni Hagadorn, the peacemaker in a divided town. If the ending doesn't move you, nothing will. Despite a slow start, this film moves along well and had both a great finish and worthy message. I enjoyed it very much.

Most civil war movies come with the Southern respective, and the South suffered more than the North as almost all battles happened on Southern turf (ok Gettysburg was in Pennsylvania). The South really gets most of the attention. There is so coverage of riots in The larger Northern cities against the war and conscription, riots and the like, Lincoln's suspension of habeas orpus(sp). To have a film of people off the beaten trail like upstate New York, and their different views of such things as slavery. They did not understand that it was just an economic necessity in the agrian South to have labor that no one else would do to be economicly feasible. I believe that most slave holders hated the practice, but to not have it meant not being able to make a go of it. I n the North things were much different and a man and his family could make a go of it. The residents still found things to scrapple about but life went better. This film explores these people's differences.

Copperhead gives a look into the life of a small town in the North during the time of the civil war. The town is bitterly divided into political parties, the Republicans who are pro-war and the Democrats, or Copperheads, who are Northerners against the war. In a Romeo and Juliet inspired scenario, the daughter of a Republican falls in love with the son of a Democrat. To gain the blessing of her father, the boy goes off to fight in the war, against the will of his own father. Though the story is historical fiction, many aspects of the time and of the war are portrayed accurately, with an abundance of historical details. Whether you're a history lover, a student, or just bored, you'll love this romantic yet heart-wrenching film.

The trouble with this film is that Ron Maxwell uses the historical narrative approach of "Gettysburg" and "Gods and Generals" and it doesn't work with a novel, which is plot and character driven. I'm willing to bet that was part of the "creative differences" between he and Jason Patric, although Billy Campbell does a fine job as Abner Beech. All in all, a movie worth seeing if for no reason than its novelty in challenging the historical narrative of "North Good/South Bad," and for a number of powerful scenes. Angus Macfadyen's comments to his daughter following the Battle of Antietam being one. Campbell's discussion of slavery with his ward is another.

Anyone who has ever studied TRUE history or taken the time to actually research how party lines voted will barely be able to make it through this plodding, sad, farce of a movie. The only valid point it might make is it's actual, current reflection of tensions existing right now. What I hope might be gleaned is that history unfortunately tends to repeat itself. Civil war was a horrible solution then as it would be now.

"Copperhead" is a very thoughtful film, lovingly photographed in the lush upper New York countryside with an authenticity that is worthy of a documentary. It is a story too often ignored--that of those in the North who opposed the Civil War and the effect it had on their communities. Slow paced and deliberate, to some it may seem too lacking in action or drama for a film about the American Civil War. If you want sentimentality, see "Gone With the Wind" and if you want action see "Glory," both fine films. But if you want a sincere look at the Union home front and a look at those who opposed the war and why, see "Copperhead." Now we need a good film about the Southerners who opposed the war, for there were many of them, my ancestors included.