I'm a huge fan of Westerns. I thought this one was unique in that the setting was the deep South, about 10 years after the Civil War and Reconstruction, just after the Bluecoats returned to the North. The racism that existed at that time was just brutal. Apparently, blacks were not even considered human. It was truly amazing to see how the former Confederates at that time actually considered themselves to be civilized, and Christian at that! The blacks went on strike after their request for improved working conditions were refused. (They asked that they not have to work more than 12 hours a day, and have Sundays off.) The whites were outraged, saying "What'll they want next, Christmas in July?" One of the blacks was hung out of spite, and when Reese Paxton asks for justice, the local yokels railroad him instead, sending him off to prison, as he watches his wife and son being murdered and thrown down a well. Their crime? Being "n****r lovers."
This movie is quite violent. Be forewarned. I had to FF through several scenes, as it was a bit too much. Eric Braeden wouldn't have been my first choice to play the role of Reese Paxton, former stealth assassin for the Confederacy, some 10 years removed. But for the most part, it was believable.
I had 2 complaints with his character however. First, he seems to mumble at times, when he speaks, and I can barely hear what he's saying. To say that he's "soft-spoken" would be an understatement. Second, during the inevitable face-off with the vicious Billy Duke near the end, he agrees to a fist-fight, laying down his gun. How could anyone trust Duke after all the unspeakable evil he's engaged in? That just seems implausible to me. And sure enough, when the fight is about to begin, Duke pulls out a whip and begins whipping away. And then he pulls out a derringer and gets a shot off. I was not at all happy with that final scene.
Still, the movie got the point across... it was to be a whopping 70 years before the Blacks ever dared go on strike again, due to the brutal massacre that took place.
This could have been much better, don't get me wrong. But, it's nowhere near as bad as some are saying. The cinematography is decent. I felt a strong sense of realism being depicted about the way of life in that particular era of the deep South. Apparently the setting is intended to be in Louisiana, although I believe most of the filming was done in Texas, according to the closing credits.
This movie is quite violent. Be forewarned. I had to FF through several scenes, as it was a bit too much. Eric Braeden wouldn't have been my first choice to play the role of Reese Paxton, former stealth assassin for the Confederacy, some 10 years removed. But for the most part, it was believable.
I had 2 complaints with his character however. First, he seems to mumble at times, when he speaks, and I can barely hear what he's saying. To say that he's "soft-spoken" would be an understatement. Second, during the inevitable face-off with the vicious Billy Duke near the end, he agrees to a fist-fight, laying down his gun. How could anyone trust Duke after all the unspeakable evil he's engaged in? That just seems implausible to me. And sure enough, when the fight is about to begin, Duke pulls out a whip and begins whipping away. And then he pulls out a derringer and gets a shot off. I was not at all happy with that final scene.
Still, the movie got the point across... it was to be a whopping 70 years before the Blacks ever dared go on strike again, due to the brutal massacre that took place.
This could have been much better, don't get me wrong. But, it's nowhere near as bad as some are saying. The cinematography is decent. I felt a strong sense of realism being depicted about the way of life in that particular era of the deep South. Apparently the setting is intended to be in Louisiana, although I believe most of the filming was done in Texas, according to the closing credits.