Rating of
2.5/4
The Downtrodden Will Rise Again
Chris Kavan - wrote on 09/14/16
Free State of Jones imparts some powerful messages on the viewer. As much about class warfare as race, Jones shows us what happens when the have-nots and the persecuted have been pushed too far and how easy it is to start a rebellion when the system is so broken. Surprisingly, that sounds awfully familiar, something I'm sure Gary Ross was all too aware of.
The story of Newt Knight may be a bit streamlined in this version (and like all "based on true story" films - not an exact history lesson) but star Matthew McConaughey is invested in bringing the Civil War deserter, and rebel leader, to life. Stirring speeches, heartfelt emotion and calls to action - this is what you want in a leader. He's powerful but at the same time I get a sense that McConaughey has also become almost too comfortable this time around as some scenes that could have been powerful almost fall flat. Luckily, he has some good supporting actors along including Gugu Mbatha-Raw as a house slave looking to improve her lot in life and Mahershala Ali as a runaway slave who only wants to bring hope where there seemingly is none to be found. Keri Russell isn't given nearly enough screen time as Newt's wife. Christopher Berry, Sean Bridgers, Jacob Lofland and Thomas Francis Murphy round out the cast.
The film opens with battle and has some of the most impressive action sequences while also conveying the horrors of the war with the deplorable conditions wounded soldiers faces. When a relative is killed on the battlefield, Newt returns home to bury him, knowing full well he will be considered a deserter. But upon returning home he also learns that while the wealthy (those owning a certain amount of slaves) have been exempt from war, his fellow farmers are being conscripted while soldiers take most of their crops, clothes and livestock for the war effort - leaving the women and children starving or worse.
Thus begins Knight's rebellion - starting off with a handful of runaway slaves in the swamp and growing as the South loses more battles and more and more men begin to desert the army. The film doesn't focuse as much on race as you would think, but instead seems to focus more on how the rich get away with everything while the poor much clean up the mess.
The film loses a bit of steam once the Civil War ends (approximately at the halfway point). There are still plenty of powerful moments to go around, but it tends to drag a bit as it goes on. There is also a storyline involving Newt's great-great grandson during the Civil Rights era that, while also conveying a message, seems a bit disjointed with the rest of the film.
I wish Free State of Jones had taken more chances. It seems to play it too safe at times and never quite reaches its full potential. That being said, for a historical drama, the film managed to keep me invested throughout and though it might have under performed in theaters, it's still worth checking out for another perspective on one of the darkest times in history that resonates well in our present.
