Ride with the Devil
Encyclopedia
Ride with the Devil is a 1999 Revisionist Western
film directed by Ang Lee
. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by James Schamus
, based on a book entitled Woe to Live On, by author Daniel Woodrell
. The events portrayed in the novel and movie take place in Missouri
, amidst escalating guerrilla warfare
at the onset of the American Civil War
. Within the film, a loose dramatization of the Lawrence Massacre is depicted. Incorporated in the plot is the character of Jake Roedel, played by actor Tobey Maguire
. Roedel, a Southern militiaman, joins a group of marauders known as the Bushwackers. The gang attempt to disrupt and marginalize the political activities of Northern Jayhawkers
allied with Union
soldiers. An ensemble cast featuring Skeet Ulrich
, Jeffrey Wright, Jonathan Brandis
, James Caviezel
and musician Jewel
, star in principal supporting roles.
The film was a co-production between the motion picture studios of Universal Pictures
and Good Machine
. Theatrically, it was commercially distributed by the USA Films division of Universal Pictures. In 2010, The Criterion Collection
released a restored high-definition digital transfer of the film for the home media market. Ride with Devil explores politics, violence and war. Following its limited release in theaters, the film failed to garner any award nominations for its acting or production merits from accredited film organizations. On November 23, 1999, the original motion picture soundtrack was released by the Atlantic Records
label. The film score was composed and orchestrated by Mychael Danna
, Nicholas Dodd. Singer songwriter Jewel
also contributed a musical track to the score from her Spirit
album.
Ride with the Devil premiered in theaters nationwide in the United States on November 26, 1999 grossing $635,096 in domestic ticket receipts. Taking into account its $38 million budget costs, the film was considered a major box office flop
. However, preceding its initial screening in cinemas, the film was generally met with positive critical reviews. The widescreen DVD edition of the film featuring the theatrical trailer, scene selections, and production notes, among other highlights was released in the United States on July 18, 2000.
) and Jack Bull Chiles (Skeet Ulrich
) are friends in Missouri when the American Civil War
breaks out. During the mayhem, Chiles's father is murdered by Kansas Union Jayhawkers. The two men join the First Kansas Irregulars, also known as the Bushwhackers; informal units loyal to Missouri in 1861. They later meet George Clyde (Simon Baker
) and former slave Daniel Holt (Jeffrey Wright), whose freedom Clyde has previously granted. They battle Jayhawkers using guerrilla warfare while evading capture. Chiles and Sue Lee Shelley (Jewel
), the widowed daughter-in-law of the couple who are hiding them, become lovers. When Chiles dies of gangrenous wounds received during a skirmish, Roedel escorts Shelley south to a safe farm. Following the deaths of a number of female relatives and wives of the guerrillas in the collapse of a make-shift prison where they were being held by Union forces, the Bushwhackers, led by William Quantrill
(John Ales
), raid Lawrence, Kansas.
In the midst of the offense, a quarrel arises between Roedel and fellow Bushwacker Pitt Mackeson (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers
). Roedel, a German American
, was born in Germany but raised by his immigrant father in Missouri. He suffers from periodical anti-German suspicion from other Southerners, because the German population in the state is largely sympathetic to the Union. In an episode of hostility, Mackeson shoots Roedel in the leg shortly after the raid on Lawrence, while retreating from a counter-attack from Union forces. The perceived prejudice makes Roedel somewhat sympathetic to the plight faced by Holt, an African American dealing with slavery. Meanwhile, Shelley gives birth to Chiles's daughter. Holt and Roedel, both wounded, recover at the same home that took in Shelley. Under pressure from the family who mistakenly thinks Roedel is the child's father, he marries Shelley in an abrupt wedding. Roedel gives up being a Bushwacker and takes his new family to California, while Holt leaves for Texas to find his long lost mother.
The premise of Ride with the Devil is based on the true story of pro-Confederate
guerrillas who fought against Union troops under the leadership of William Clarke Quantrill. Quantrill gained infamy during the American Civil War for his atrocities against citizens and Union soldiers. He served the Confederacy and perhaps hoped to secure high rank and recognition from its leaders. But Quantrill's activities indicated that he fought for plunder and personal revenge. In 1863, Quantrill undertook the raids that made his name famous in the region. On August 21 of that year, his followers torched Lawrence, Kansas, and murdered over 150 civilians. In addition, Quantrill's Raiders burned and looted the town. In the North, this event became known as the Lawrence Massacre and was vilified as one of the worst events of the war. Quantrill and his partisans
staged numerous raids into Kansas during the early part of the Civil War. He was quickly labeled as an outlaw by the Union for his attacks. He was involved in several skirmishes with Jayhawkers and eventually was made a Captain in the Confederate Army. Quantrill's men regularly yelled out the phrase 'Osceola'. This referred to an event in Osceola, Missouri where Federal Officer James Henry Lane, had his men burn and loot both Loyal and Confederate sympathizers indiscriminately. Quantrill was later shot on May 10, 1865 during a raid in Kentucky, and died in a Louisville prison on June 6. However, he quickly became an admired figure of the Civil War from a southern perspective. He was a hero to his supporters in Missouri, and his fame actually assisted several other outlaw figures of the old west. As such, in August 1864, an action occurred by Fort Gibson between Federal troops and remnants of Quantrill's gang. During this skirmish, American outlaw Jesse James
was wounded and initiated his criminal career. Between 1888 and 1929, members of his Raiders gathered to recount their war efforts. Today, there is the "William Clarke Quantrill Society" which was established to dedicate the study of Quantrill, his followers, and their involvement in the civil-era border wars.
. Pattonsburg was flooded during the Great Flood of 1993
, and the town was relocated. This left its empty buildings and homes available for filming. The events depicted in the film aroused controversy as being different from the history of guerrilla warfare in Missouri during the Civil War. Some critics thought a free black Confederate guerrilla, as played by Jeffrey Wright, was unlikely, but his character is based on John Noland
, a free black slave who rode with Quantrill.
music label on November 23, 1999. The score for the film was orchestrated by Mychael Danna
and Nicholas Dodd. Musical artist Jewel contributed vocals to the score with her song What's Simple Is True, from her 1998 album Spirit
.
titled Ride with the Devil, was released on November 1, 1999. The book dramatizes the events of the American Civil War during the 1860s, as depicted in the film. It expands on the inner-fighting between rebel Bushwhackers and Union Jayhawkers, with civilians caught in the crossfire. The story relates a coming of age experience for Roedel as he emotionally comprehends the losses of his best friend, father and comrades. On a separate front, Roedel expresses love for his best friend's widow, and learns about tolerance from his contact with a reserved black Irregular.
, Kansas City, Missouri
and Los Angeles
. For most of its limited release, the film fluctuated between 11 and 60 theater screening counts. At its most competitive showing, the filmed ranked in 37th place for the December 17-19 weekend in 1999.
widescreen
edition of the film was released on DVD
in the United States on July 18, 2000. Special features for the DVD include; Jewel music video: "What's Simple Is True", the Theatrical Trailer, Production notes, Cast and filmmakers extra, and a Universal web link. Additionally, a Special Edition DVD was also released by The Criterion Collection
on April 27, 2010. Special features include; Two audio commentaries one featuring Lee and producer-screenwriter James Schamus and one featuring Elmes, sound designer Drew Kunin, and production designer Mark Friedberg; a new video interview with star Jeffrey Wright, and a booklet featuring essays by critic Godfrey Cheshire and Edward E. Leslie, author of The Devil Knows How to Ride: the true story of William Clarke Quantrill and his Confederate Raiders.
A restored widescreen hi-definition Blu-ray Disc
version of the film was released by The Criterion Collection on April 27, 2010. Special features include; Two audio commentaries, one featuring Lee and producer-screenwriter James Schamus, and one featuring Elmes, sound designer Drew Kunin, and production designer Mark Friedberg; a new video interview with star Jeffrey Wright; and a booklet featuring essays by the critic Godfrey Cheshire and Edward E Leslie, author of The devil knows how to ride: the true story of William Clarke Quantrill and his confederate raiders. A supplemental viewing option for the film in the media format of Video on demand
is available as well.
reported that 63% of 65 sampled critics gave the film a positive review, with an average score of 6.2 out of 10. At Metacritic
, which assigns a weighted average
out of 100 to critics' reviews, Ride with the Devil received a score of 69 based on 29 reviews. The film however, failed to receive any honor nominations for its dramatics or visual aspects.
Peter Stack, writing in the San Francisco Chronicle
, said in outward positive sentiment, "Lee's approach mixes an unsettling grittiness with an appealing, often luminous elegance (thanks to Frederick Elmes' cinematography) in picturing a patch of America at war with itself." Left impressed, Stephen Hunter in The Washington Post
, wrote that the film was "terrific" and that it contained the "most terrifying kind of close-in gunplay, with big, pulsing holes blown into human beings for a variety of reasons ranging from the political to the nonsensical." In a mixed to positive review, Stephen Holden of The New York Times
, described the film's production aspects as being of "meditative quality and its attention to detail and the rough-hewn textures of 19th-century life are also what keep the story at a distance and make "Ride with the Devil" dramatically skimpy, even though the movie stirs together themes of love, sex, death and war." Wesley Morris of The San Francisco Examiner
, commented that Ride with the Devil was "downright hot-blooded in the nameless violence going on west of marquee Civil War battles. Never has this war been filmed with such ragged glory. The boys grasping their rifles look like trigger-happy rock stars of the prairies, so much so that they threaten to transform the film into a great hair movie." In a slightly upbeat conviction, Andrew O'Hehir of Salon.com
asserted that "for all its clumsy dialogue and loose plotting, this is historical filmmaking of a high order, both visually and thematically ambitious." Todd McCarthy of Variety
, added to the exuberant tone by declaring, "Impressing once again with the diversity of his choices of subject matter and milieu, director Ang Lee has made a brutal but sensitively observed film about the fringes of the Civil War".
The film however, was not without its detractors. Writing for the Chicago Sun-Times
, Roger Ebert
bluntly noted that the motion picture "does not have conventional rewards or payoffs, does not simplify a complex situation, doesn't punch up the action or the romance simply to entertain. But it is, sad to say, not a very entertaining movie; it's a long slog unless you're fascinated by the undercurrents." In a primarily negative review, Lisa Schwarzbaum writing for Entertainment Weekly
, called the film "an oddly unengaging one, not because of any weak performances (even crooning poetess Jewel acquits herself pleasantly in her film debut), but because the waxy yellow buildup of earnest tastefulness (the curse of the Burns school of history) seals off every character from our access." Describing a favorable opinion, Russell Smith of The Austin Chronicle professed the film as exhibiting "unostentatious originality, psychological insight, and stark beauty". While following up, he stressed "There's an odd blend of stylization and extreme realism to this film. The dialogue is stilted, full of archaic $20-words and dime-novel flamboyance — all the more jarring when delivered by these teenaged bumpkin characters."
James Berardinelli
of ReelViews proclaimed, Ride with the Devil "takes us away from the big battles of the East and to a place where things are less cleanly defined." He also stated that "As was true almost everywhere else, idealogical gulfs often divided families. This is the terrain into which Lee has ventured, and the resulting motion picture offers yet another effective and affecting portrait of the United States' most important and difficult conflict." In consummate verbiage, David Sterritt
writing for The Christian Science Monitor
reasoned, "The movie is longer and slower than necessary, but it explores interesting questions of wartime violence, personal integrity, and what it means to come of age in a society ripping apart at the seams." Film critic Steve Simels of TV Guide
was consumed with the nature of the subject matter exclaiming, "A nicely ambiguous ending and terrific acting by the mostly young cast mostly makes up for the longeurs, however, and for the record, Jewel acquits herself well in a not particularly demanding role."
opened in 1st place during that weekend with $57,388,839 in revenue. The film's revenue dropped by almost 20% in its second week of release, earning $51,600. For that particular weekend, the film fell to 53rd place although with an increased theater count showing at 15 theaters. Toy Story 2 remained unchallenged in 1st place with $18,249,880 in box office business. During its final week in release, Ride with the Devil opened in 57th place grossing $39,806. For that weekend period, Stuart Little
starring Geena Davis
opened in 1st place with $11,214,503 in revenue. Ride with the Devil went on to top out domestically at $635,096 in total ticket sales through an 6-week theatrical run. For 1999 as a whole, the film would cumulatively rank at a box office performance position of 219.
Revisionist Western
The Revisionist Western, Modern Western or Anti-Western traces to the mid 1960s and early 1970s as a sub-genre of the Western movie....
film directed by Ang Lee
Ang Lee
Ang Lee is a Taiwanese film director. Lee has directed a diverse set of films such as Eat Drink Man Woman , Sense and Sensibility , Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon , Hulk , and Brokeback Mountain , for which he won an Academy...
. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by James Schamus
James Schamus
James Schamus is an award-winning screenwriter The Ice Storm and producer Brokeback Mountain, and is CEO of Focus Features, the motion picture production, financing, and worldwide distribution company whose films have included Lost in Translation, Milk, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The...
, based on a book entitled Woe to Live On, by author Daniel Woodrell
Daniel Woodrell
Daniel Woodrell is an American writer of fiction. He has written eight novels, most of them set in the Missouri Ozarks. Woodrell coined the phrase "country noir" to describe his 1996 novel Give Us a Kiss...
. The events portrayed in the novel and movie take place in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, amidst escalating guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
at the onset of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Within the film, a loose dramatization of the Lawrence Massacre is depicted. Incorporated in the plot is the character of Jake Roedel, played by actor Tobey Maguire
Tobey Maguire
Tobias Vincent "Tobey" Maguire is an American actor and producer. He began his career in the 1980s, and has achieved his greatest fame for his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films.-Early life:...
. Roedel, a Southern militiaman, joins a group of marauders known as the Bushwackers. The gang attempt to disrupt and marginalize the political activities of Northern Jayhawkers
Jayhawker
Jayhawkers is a term that came to prominence just before the American Civil War in Bleeding Kansas, where it was adopted by militant bands affiliated with the free-state cause. These bands, known as "Jayhawkers", were guerrilla fighters who often clashed with pro-slavery groups from Missouri known...
allied with Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
soldiers. An ensemble cast featuring Skeet Ulrich
Skeet Ulrich
Bryan Ray Trout , best known as Skeet Ulrich, is an American actor best known for starring in the CBS drama Jericho as Jake Green and for portraying Billy Loomis in Scream...
, Jeffrey Wright, Jonathan Brandis
Jonathan Brandis
Jonathan Gregory Brandis was an American actor, director, and screenwriter.-Early life and career:Brandis was born in Danbury, Connecticut, the only child of Mary, a teacher and personal manager, and Gregory Brandis, a food distributor and firefighter. He began his career as a child model and...
, James Caviezel
James Caviezel
James Patrick Caviezel, Jr. is an American film actor, usually credited as Jim Caviezel. He is known for the roles of Jesus Christ in the 2004 film The Passion of the Christ, Bobby Jones in Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius, Detective John Sullivan in Frequency, Edmond Dantès in The Count of Monte...
and musician Jewel
Jewel (singer)
Jewel Kilcher , professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet...
, star in principal supporting roles.
The film was a co-production between the motion picture studios of Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
and Good Machine
Good Machine
Good Machine was an independent film production, film distribution, and foreign sales company started in the early 1990s by its co-founders and producers, Ted Hope and James Schamus. David Linde joined in the late 90s to start the international sales company...
. Theatrically, it was commercially distributed by the USA Films division of Universal Pictures. In 2010, The Criterion Collection
The Criterion Collection
The Criterion Collection is a video-distribution company selling "important classic and contemporary films" to film aficionados. The Criterion series is noted for helping to standardize the letterbox format for home video, bonus features, and special editions...
released a restored high-definition digital transfer of the film for the home media market. Ride with Devil explores politics, violence and war. Following its limited release in theaters, the film failed to garner any award nominations for its acting or production merits from accredited film organizations. On November 23, 1999, the original motion picture soundtrack was released by the Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
label. The film score was composed and orchestrated by Mychael Danna
Mychael Danna
Mychael Danna is a Canadian film composer.-Life and career:Mychael Danna is the brother of fellow composer Jeff Danna. He has been scoring films since his 1987 feature debut for Atom Egoyan's Family Viewing, a score which earned Danna the first of his thirteen Genie Award nominations. He has won...
, Nicholas Dodd. Singer songwriter Jewel
Jewel (singer)
Jewel Kilcher , professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet...
also contributed a musical track to the score from her Spirit
Spirit (Jewel album)
Spirit is the second album by singer/songwriter Jewel, released in 1998 by Atlantic. Singles include "Hands", "Down So Long," and a newly recorded version of "Jupiter," followed by a remix of "What's Simple Is True" to promote Jewel's debut film Ride with the Devil...
album.
Ride with the Devil premiered in theaters nationwide in the United States on November 26, 1999 grossing $635,096 in domestic ticket receipts. Taking into account its $38 million budget costs, the film was considered a major box office flop
Box office bomb
The phrase box office bomb refers to a film for which the production and marketing costs greatly exceeded the revenue regained by the movie studio. This should not be confused with Hollywood accounting when official figures show large losses, yet the movie is a financial success.A film's financial...
. However, preceding its initial screening in cinemas, the film was generally met with positive critical reviews. The widescreen DVD edition of the film featuring the theatrical trailer, scene selections, and production notes, among other highlights was released in the United States on July 18, 2000.
Plot
Jake Roedel (Tobey MaguireTobey Maguire
Tobias Vincent "Tobey" Maguire is an American actor and producer. He began his career in the 1980s, and has achieved his greatest fame for his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films.-Early life:...
) and Jack Bull Chiles (Skeet Ulrich
Skeet Ulrich
Bryan Ray Trout , best known as Skeet Ulrich, is an American actor best known for starring in the CBS drama Jericho as Jake Green and for portraying Billy Loomis in Scream...
) are friends in Missouri when the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
breaks out. During the mayhem, Chiles's father is murdered by Kansas Union Jayhawkers. The two men join the First Kansas Irregulars, also known as the Bushwhackers; informal units loyal to Missouri in 1861. They later meet George Clyde (Simon Baker
Simon Baker
Simon Baker is an Australian actor. Since 2008, he has starred in the CBS television series The Mentalist.-Early life:...
) and former slave Daniel Holt (Jeffrey Wright), whose freedom Clyde has previously granted. They battle Jayhawkers using guerrilla warfare while evading capture. Chiles and Sue Lee Shelley (Jewel
Jewel (singer)
Jewel Kilcher , professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet...
), the widowed daughter-in-law of the couple who are hiding them, become lovers. When Chiles dies of gangrenous wounds received during a skirmish, Roedel escorts Shelley south to a safe farm. Following the deaths of a number of female relatives and wives of the guerrillas in the collapse of a make-shift prison where they were being held by Union forces, the Bushwhackers, led by William Quantrill
William Quantrill
William Clarke Quantrill was a Confederate guerrilla leader during the American Civil War. After leading a Confederate bushwhacker unit along the Missouri-Kansas border in the early 1860s, which included the infamous raid and sacking of Lawrence, Kansas in 1863, Quantrill eventually ended up in...
(John Ales
John Ales
John Ales is an American actor best known for appearing in Spy Hard, The Nutty Professor, You Wish, and more.-Film:*Crime Killer ... Kids*Spy Hard ... Kabul*The Nutty Professor ... Jason...
), raid Lawrence, Kansas.
In the midst of the offense, a quarrel arises between Roedel and fellow Bushwacker Pitt Mackeson (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers
Jonathan Rhys-Meyers
Jonathan Rhys Meyers is an Irish actor and model.He is best known for his roles in the films Velvet Goldmine, Mission Impossible III, Bend It Like Beckham, Match Point and his television roles as Elvis Presley in the biographical miniseries Elvis, which earned him a Golden Globe for Best Actor,...
). Roedel, a German American
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
, was born in Germany but raised by his immigrant father in Missouri. He suffers from periodical anti-German suspicion from other Southerners, because the German population in the state is largely sympathetic to the Union. In an episode of hostility, Mackeson shoots Roedel in the leg shortly after the raid on Lawrence, while retreating from a counter-attack from Union forces. The perceived prejudice makes Roedel somewhat sympathetic to the plight faced by Holt, an African American dealing with slavery. Meanwhile, Shelley gives birth to Chiles's daughter. Holt and Roedel, both wounded, recover at the same home that took in Shelley. Under pressure from the family who mistakenly thinks Roedel is the child's father, he marries Shelley in an abrupt wedding. Roedel gives up being a Bushwacker and takes his new family to California, while Holt leaves for Texas to find his long lost mother.
Cast
Themes and analysis
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
guerrillas who fought against Union troops under the leadership of William Clarke Quantrill. Quantrill gained infamy during the American Civil War for his atrocities against citizens and Union soldiers. He served the Confederacy and perhaps hoped to secure high rank and recognition from its leaders. But Quantrill's activities indicated that he fought for plunder and personal revenge. In 1863, Quantrill undertook the raids that made his name famous in the region. On August 21 of that year, his followers torched Lawrence, Kansas, and murdered over 150 civilians. In addition, Quantrill's Raiders burned and looted the town. In the North, this event became known as the Lawrence Massacre and was vilified as one of the worst events of the war. Quantrill and his partisans
Quantrill's Raiders
Quantrill's Raiders were a loosely organized force of pro-Confederate Partisan rangers, "bushwhackers", who fought in the American Civil War under the leadership of William Clarke Quantrill...
staged numerous raids into Kansas during the early part of the Civil War. He was quickly labeled as an outlaw by the Union for his attacks. He was involved in several skirmishes with Jayhawkers and eventually was made a Captain in the Confederate Army. Quantrill's men regularly yelled out the phrase 'Osceola'. This referred to an event in Osceola, Missouri where Federal Officer James Henry Lane, had his men burn and loot both Loyal and Confederate sympathizers indiscriminately. Quantrill was later shot on May 10, 1865 during a raid in Kentucky, and died in a Louisville prison on June 6. However, he quickly became an admired figure of the Civil War from a southern perspective. He was a hero to his supporters in Missouri, and his fame actually assisted several other outlaw figures of the old west. As such, in August 1864, an action occurred by Fort Gibson between Federal troops and remnants of Quantrill's gang. During this skirmish, American outlaw Jesse James
Jesse James
Jesse Woodson James was an American outlaw, gang leader, bank robber, train robber, and murderer from the state of Missouri and the most famous member of the James-Younger Gang. He also faked his own death and was known as J.M James. Already a celebrity when he was alive, he became a legendary...
was wounded and initiated his criminal career. Between 1888 and 1929, members of his Raiders gathered to recount their war efforts. Today, there is the "William Clarke Quantrill Society" which was established to dedicate the study of Quantrill, his followers, and their involvement in the civil-era border wars.
Filming
Principal filming took place primarily on location in Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri. The scenes of Quantrill's Raid on Lawrence, Kansas were filmed in Pattonsburg, MissouriPattonsburg, Missouri
Pattonsburg is a city in Daviess County, Missouri, United States. The population was 261 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Pattonsburg is located at ....
. Pattonsburg was flooded during the Great Flood of 1993
Great Flood of 1993
The Great Mississippi and Missouri Rivers Flood of 1993 occurred in the American Midwest, along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and their tributaries, from April to October 1993. The flood was among the most costly and devastating to ever occur in the United States, with $15 billion in damages...
, and the town was relocated. This left its empty buildings and homes available for filming. The events depicted in the film aroused controversy as being different from the history of guerrilla warfare in Missouri during the Civil War. Some critics thought a free black Confederate guerrilla, as played by Jeffrey Wright, was unlikely, but his character is based on John Noland
John Noland
John Noland was a black man who fought for the Confederate States of America with William Quantrill, and helped scout Lawrence, Kansas, before the raid by Quantrill's men in 1863. Noland may have claimed the Lawrence raid began before he returned from scouting the town.Post-war pictures show him...
, a free black slave who rode with Quantrill.
Music
The original motion picture music for Ride with the Devil, was released by the Atlantic RecordsAtlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
music label on November 23, 1999. The score for the film was orchestrated by Mychael Danna
Mychael Danna
Mychael Danna is a Canadian film composer.-Life and career:Mychael Danna is the brother of fellow composer Jeff Danna. He has been scoring films since his 1987 feature debut for Atom Egoyan's Family Viewing, a score which earned Danna the first of his thirteen Genie Award nominations. He has won...
and Nicholas Dodd. Musical artist Jewel contributed vocals to the score with her song What's Simple Is True, from her 1998 album Spirit
Spirit (Jewel album)
Spirit is the second album by singer/songwriter Jewel, released in 1998 by Atlantic. Singles include "Hands", "Down So Long," and a newly recorded version of "Jupiter," followed by a remix of "What's Simple Is True" to promote Jewel's debut film Ride with the Devil...
.
Novel
A paperback novel published by Pocket BooksPocket Books
Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books.- History :Pocket produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in America in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing industry...
titled Ride with the Devil, was released on November 1, 1999. The book dramatizes the events of the American Civil War during the 1860s, as depicted in the film. It expands on the inner-fighting between rebel Bushwhackers and Union Jayhawkers, with civilians caught in the crossfire. The story relates a coming of age experience for Roedel as he emotionally comprehends the losses of his best friend, father and comrades. On a separate front, Roedel expresses love for his best friend's widow, and learns about tolerance from his contact with a reserved black Irregular.
Theatrical run
Ride with the Devil made an initial screening on November 24, 1999 in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. For most of its limited release, the film fluctuated between 11 and 60 theater screening counts. At its most competitive showing, the filmed ranked in 37th place for the December 17-19 weekend in 1999.
Home media
Following its cinematic release in theaters, the Region 1 CodeDVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
widescreen
Widescreen
Widescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
edition of the film was released on DVD
DVD-Video
DVD-Video is a consumer video format used to store digital video on DVD discs, and is currently the dominant consumer video format in Asia, North America, Europe, and Australia. Discs using the DVD-Video specification require a DVD drive and a MPEG-2 decoder...
in the United States on July 18, 2000. Special features for the DVD include; Jewel music video: "What's Simple Is True", the Theatrical Trailer, Production notes, Cast and filmmakers extra, and a Universal web link. Additionally, a Special Edition DVD was also released by The Criterion Collection
The Criterion Collection
The Criterion Collection is a video-distribution company selling "important classic and contemporary films" to film aficionados. The Criterion series is noted for helping to standardize the letterbox format for home video, bonus features, and special editions...
on April 27, 2010. Special features include; Two audio commentaries one featuring Lee and producer-screenwriter James Schamus and one featuring Elmes, sound designer Drew Kunin, and production designer Mark Friedberg; a new video interview with star Jeffrey Wright, and a booklet featuring essays by critic Godfrey Cheshire and Edward E. Leslie, author of The Devil Knows How to Ride: the true story of William Clarke Quantrill and his Confederate Raiders.
A restored widescreen hi-definition Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
version of the film was released by The Criterion Collection on April 27, 2010. Special features include; Two audio commentaries, one featuring Lee and producer-screenwriter James Schamus, and one featuring Elmes, sound designer Drew Kunin, and production designer Mark Friedberg; a new video interview with star Jeffrey Wright; and a booklet featuring essays by the critic Godfrey Cheshire and Edward E Leslie, author of The devil knows how to ride: the true story of William Clarke Quantrill and his confederate raiders. A supplemental viewing option for the film in the media format of Video on demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
is available as well.
Critical response
Among mainstream critics in the U.S., the film received generally mixed to positive reviews. Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 63% of 65 sampled critics gave the film a positive review, with an average score of 6.2 out of 10. At Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a weighted average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
out of 100 to critics' reviews, Ride with the Devil received a score of 69 based on 29 reviews. The film however, failed to receive any honor nominations for its dramatics or visual aspects.
| "From a technical perspective, Ride with the Devil is nearly perfect. The attention to detail invested by Lee and his crew shows. From costumes to props, everything has the unmistakable hallmark of authenticity. The only Civil War drama able to boast an equal level of historical accuracy is Gettysburg." |
| —James Berardinelli, writing in ReelViews |
Peter Stack, writing in the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
, said in outward positive sentiment, "Lee's approach mixes an unsettling grittiness with an appealing, often luminous elegance (thanks to Frederick Elmes' cinematography) in picturing a patch of America at war with itself." Left impressed, Stephen Hunter in The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, wrote that the film was "terrific" and that it contained the "most terrifying kind of close-in gunplay, with big, pulsing holes blown into human beings for a variety of reasons ranging from the political to the nonsensical." In a mixed to positive review, Stephen Holden of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, described the film's production aspects as being of "meditative quality and its attention to detail and the rough-hewn textures of 19th-century life are also what keep the story at a distance and make "Ride with the Devil" dramatically skimpy, even though the movie stirs together themes of love, sex, death and war." Wesley Morris of The San Francisco Examiner
The San Francisco Examiner
The San Francisco Examiner is a U.S. daily newspaper. It has been published continuously in San Francisco, California, since the late 19th century.-19th century:...
, commented that Ride with the Devil was "downright hot-blooded in the nameless violence going on west of marquee Civil War battles. Never has this war been filmed with such ragged glory. The boys grasping their rifles look like trigger-happy rock stars of the prairies, so much so that they threaten to transform the film into a great hair movie." In a slightly upbeat conviction, Andrew O'Hehir of Salon.com
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
asserted that "for all its clumsy dialogue and loose plotting, this is historical filmmaking of a high order, both visually and thematically ambitious." Todd McCarthy of Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
, added to the exuberant tone by declaring, "Impressing once again with the diversity of his choices of subject matter and milieu, director Ang Lee has made a brutal but sensitively observed film about the fringes of the Civil War".
The film however, was not without its detractors. Writing for the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
, Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
bluntly noted that the motion picture "does not have conventional rewards or payoffs, does not simplify a complex situation, doesn't punch up the action or the romance simply to entertain. But it is, sad to say, not a very entertaining movie; it's a long slog unless you're fascinated by the undercurrents." In a primarily negative review, Lisa Schwarzbaum writing for Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, called the film "an oddly unengaging one, not because of any weak performances (even crooning poetess Jewel acquits herself pleasantly in her film debut), but because the waxy yellow buildup of earnest tastefulness (the curse of the Burns school of history) seals off every character from our access." Describing a favorable opinion, Russell Smith of The Austin Chronicle professed the film as exhibiting "unostentatious originality, psychological insight, and stark beauty". While following up, he stressed "There's an odd blend of stylization and extreme realism to this film. The dialogue is stilted, full of archaic $20-words and dime-novel flamboyance — all the more jarring when delivered by these teenaged bumpkin characters."
| "It's a film that would inspire useful discussion in a history class, but for ordinary moviegoers, it's slow and forbidding." |
| —Roger Ebert, writing for the Chicago Sun-Times |
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli is an American online film critic.-Personal life:Berardinelli was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey and spent his early childhood in Morristown, New Jersey. At the age of nine years, he relocated to the township of Cherry Hill, New Jersey...
of ReelViews proclaimed, Ride with the Devil "takes us away from the big battles of the East and to a place where things are less cleanly defined." He also stated that "As was true almost everywhere else, idealogical gulfs often divided families. This is the terrain into which Lee has ventured, and the resulting motion picture offers yet another effective and affecting portrait of the United States' most important and difficult conflict." In consummate verbiage, David Sterritt
David Sterritt
David Sterritt is a film critic, author and scholar. He is most notable for his work on Alfred Hitchcock and Jean-Luc Godard, and his many years as the Film Critic for The Christian Science Monitor, where, from 1968 until his retirement in 2005, he championed avant garde cinema, theater and music...
writing for The Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor is an international newspaper published daily online, Monday to Friday, and weekly in print. It was started in 1908 by Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist. As of 2009, the print circulation was 67,703.The CSM is a newspaper that covers...
reasoned, "The movie is longer and slower than necessary, but it explores interesting questions of wartime violence, personal integrity, and what it means to come of age in a society ripping apart at the seams." Film critic Steve Simels of TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
was consumed with the nature of the subject matter exclaiming, "A nicely ambiguous ending and terrific acting by the mostly young cast mostly makes up for the longeurs, however, and for the record, Jewel acquits herself well in a not particularly demanding role."
Box office
Ride with Devil premiered in cinemas on November 26, 1999 in limited release throughout the United States. During that weekend, the film opened in 50th place grossing $64,159 in business showing at 11 locations. The film Toy Story 2Toy Story 2
Toy Story 2 is a 1999 American computer animated film directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Lee Unkrich and Ash Brannon. It is the sequel to the 1995 film Toy Story, released by Walt Disney Pictures and the third film to be produced by Pixar...
opened in 1st place during that weekend with $57,388,839 in revenue. The film's revenue dropped by almost 20% in its second week of release, earning $51,600. For that particular weekend, the film fell to 53rd place although with an increased theater count showing at 15 theaters. Toy Story 2 remained unchallenged in 1st place with $18,249,880 in box office business. During its final week in release, Ride with the Devil opened in 57th place grossing $39,806. For that weekend period, Stuart Little
Stuart Little (film)
Stuart Little is a 1999 family film. It is loosely based on the novel of the same name by E. B. White. It combines live-action and computer animation. The screenplay was co-written by M. Night Shyamalan and Greg Brooker, with uncredited script doctoring by David O. Russell and Billy Ray...
starring Geena Davis
Geena Davis
Virginia Elizabeth "Geena" Davis is an American actress, film producer, writer, former fashion model, and a women's Olympics archery team semi-finalist...
opened in 1st place with $11,214,503 in revenue. Ride with the Devil went on to top out domestically at $635,096 in total ticket sales through an 6-week theatrical run. For 1999 as a whole, the film would cumulatively rank at a box office performance position of 219.