susan-george-1 Great story and great acting. This movie shows the civil war from an angle that I have not seen in any other movie.

wittmann_todd I have friend in Utah who is a direct descendant of Newton Knight and my friend contributed directly to some of the character of Newton Knight as a result of my friend's ancestry research. Until recently there has been a coddling of the confederate era as a noble cause to assert state's rights. There have been statues of confederate soldiers and "heroes". Historical markers throughout the south emulating the southern sacrifice. This movie touches a nerve that many confederate sympathizers fail to admit. The southern rebellion was simply about money...and the rich plantation owners...to the sacrifice of human rights and the common white man who fought the battles whilst the plantation owners and their family was exempted for military service. This is a point where the epic war movie, "Gettysburg" failed to address. "Gettysburg" was defending both philosophical sides, therefore, avoiding controversy and making everyone a hero. Newton Knight saw the war as what it was really about...the rich plantation owners. And it was this hypocrisy for which he rebelled against. I would have given a "10", however, the movie became a little too preachy towards the end as it portrayed the Free State of Jones a Union State. There has been no evidence that Newton Knight created a Union State within the confederacy. Newton Knight created an independent state from the Confederacy and the Union. I am sorry this movie lost tens of millions of dollars at the box office. It did not deserve a loss. This was the fault of STX Entertainment which was obsessed with being a big screen competitor with the big boys. When STX started bullying its way around Hollywood to be a main player, I am sure (unsubstantiated) the competitors did whatever they could to make sure STX did not interfere with the status quo. Otherwise, I just plain could not see why this movie was not a success at the box office.

Michael Ledo This is a bitter-sweet tale of Newton Knight (Matthew McConaughey) who led a rebellion and established an area free from Confederate or Union control. The tale follows through the reconstruction period as defeated Confederates return to make lives miserable for those recently liberated.At over two hours, the film felt rushed, or pushed at the end, while they seemed to have spent too much time in the beginning. Great acting. There is some small juxtaposition to the 1940's (?) when an ancestor is challenged in court.Good acting. Good drama. Class warfare message.Guide: No searing sex or nudity. Some intense scenes.

davideo-2 STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning As the American civil war draws to a close, Commander Newton Knight (Matthew McConaughey) defects from the Confederacy, his soul and spirit battered by the horrors and atrocities he has witnessed, fighting for a cause he doesn't believe in and has no stake in. He returns home to his family a broken man, but finds salvation by heading out and joining a group of freed slaves, headed by the charismatic Moses (Mahershala Ali) who are fighting for their rights, and they rise up and form an army against their oppressors, while Newton has an affair with Rachel (Gugu Mbatha-Raw.) Eighty five years later, their grandchild sits in a courtroom battling his right to marry a white woman in the State of Louisiana...In a time where various film academies are being cajoled into recognising the talent of black performers more than they have, and black rights activists are using historical injustices to highlight present culture (the recent Detroit being probably the most brazen example!), a film like Free State of Jones finds a nice little bubble to fall comfortably in to. But, unlike much of the hysterical, exaggerated hand wringing and hyperbole that has surfaced in the midst of it all, Gary Ross has crafted a smooth, subtle, balanced piece, that avoids sensationalism and paints a genuinely rattling, highly absorbing film, that covers every inch of the ground it explores, and keeps you engrossed until the end.Performances wise, in the lead role, McConaughey is probably better than he has ever been, carrying the film superbly and delivering a broader range as an actor than he ever has before. He portrays a man who discovers his own character and is unable to let it go, at a time in American history where most others are blindly following along like sheep. But he still has an amazing supporting cast, most notably Ali as Moses, a man who has suffered tremendous indignity, but refuses to let go of his own dignity, as he goes on his noble quest, only to be met with an emotionally shattering conclusion. The performances and the writing are both perfectly balanced, and they compliment each other just fine.At a time when diversity is taking an arguably more aggressive means of instilling itself, here's a project that has the integrity to stand on it's own. How surprising, then, that it got such less attention. ****