Big fan of American Civil War era films here, and this one is close to perfect. It's brutal, riveting, horrifying, and enlightening all at the same time. That it's actual history instead of speculative makes it that much more shocking to watch, and is only topped by the story of Nat Turner as told in Birth Of A Nation (not the original version which supported the Ku Klux Klan and was responsible for their revival). This is the "Nazi concentration camp" story of the American Civil War. Be ready for lots of sadness at the utter inhumanity displayed.