Portrayal of Civil Actions in A Civil Action

Synopsis: The making of this movie was based on Jones County, Mississippi during the Civil War. The aim for this film is to show what one man can do during a hard time in history. The era of the Civil War shaped a big part of history because, all people no matter the color, race, heritage are equal. One-man Newton Knight left the war because he believed he was fighting for the rich and the government was only letting the poor die. The soldiers would go to houses and take 10% of civilians’ belongings to fund the war, but instead they would leave them with 10%. Knight would fight back against the soldiers and help farmers keep their belongings, as he would help, he would also be a very wanted man. Knight had an insight of all men shall be equal, no man shall belong to another man. After the war segregation would still be big in the south and he fought to help colored people have their equal rights.

Historicity: The portrayed accuracy of hiding out in the swamps and attacking confederates with guerrilla is too much to the accurate point. “In spring of 1864, The Knight Company overthrew the Confederate authorities in Jones County and raised the United States flag over the county courthouse in Ellisville” (William Widmer). In April 1886 law is passed no slavery and no involuntary servitude approved. In June of 1865 the war is over, freedman cultivate and own their own land for the first time. The first freedmen’s school was established by the federal government in 1865. The portrayed inaccuracy of this film is that Newton and his second wife only have 1 kid by the time they move to Soso in their own land. This film impacts our view over the Civil War time period by its overview of how soldiers that deserted the war were killed and those who weren’t had to hid out the rest of the war in swamps. The racial view of the movie gives us an insight of how colored people were treated and why they ran and hid in very unsafe places to survive. People that would help colored or deserters believed that all men shall be equal, and no one should have to suffer. Women and children had to stay in their farms and look after them after their husbands or man of the household would go out to war. During the war the Conscription Act was passed which meant, the soldiers that would own 20 negroes got to go home, as well if your plantation equaled 40 negroes the eldest and second eldest shall be exempt from military service. The period after the Civil War colored people start being killed by a group called the KKK. They were hung and embarrassed and no one can do anything about it.

Historical Value: The historical value of Free State of Jones is a 4 out of 5 rating, however, was still a great history lesson overall. The movie portrays a larger value over how the Civil War impacted colored and segregation all over the nation. Free State of Jones does not lose its historical value because, as the story goes on it continues to detail year by year what is going on during the war and after the war. The movie shows how this country was before and after the war, and how much hatred there still was towards colored people. Free State of Jones loses a point in its rating due to its poor drama fixture it portrays! Comparable Films: Glory (1989) Django (2012) Cold Mountain (2004) these films are all similar because they all take part before, during, and after the Civil War and portray how segregation was back then. The Civil War helped shape how we see others today with the same opportunities and that everyone is equal.