In this episode of the Dangerous History Podcast, we take a look at another film set in the American Civil War: the 2016 film Free State of Jones, directed by Gary Ross and starring Matthew McConaughey. This film tells the story of Confederate deserter Newton Knight, who led an insurgent force composed of escaped slaves and Confederate deserters against the Confederacy in his area of Mississippi.
Join CJ as he discusses:
- A synopsis of the film
- Some discussion of its themes and historicity
- CJ’s take on the film, compared and contrasted with the professional critics’ take
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Internal Links
External Links
- Episode 100 of Clandestime, which has a very thought-provoking discussion about violence in film
- Newton Knight’s Wikipedia page, which is well-footnoted & sourced
- Erin Whitney’s review of the film on Screencrush
- Bob Dylan’s “Only a Pawn in Their Game” (in CJ’s opinion, one of the most powerful depictions of divide & conquer in regard poor whites & blacks in the South)
CJ’s Picks (Amazon affiliate links)