Movie: Free State of Jones

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The film Free State of Jones stars Matthew McConaughey as Newton Knight, Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Rachel and Mahershala Ali as Moses. The film was released in 2016 and is Rated R. It was released to mixed reviews and was not a box office hit. At the box office it earned about half of its $50 million production budget. The story is based on the history of Jones County, Mississippi, during and right after the Civil War. As you all know I love films based on real life stories and must look into how true the film is to real life. It seems depending on who you want to believe is how much of this film is true. From what I can gather, if you want to side with Newton knight and his kin, this is true. How ever if you want to believe those that sided with the Confederates and their supporters the story is missing out on a lot of the truth. The story tells of the man Newton Knight, a farmer, former blacksmith, and confederate soldier who deserted the Army and ends up forming and leading a mixed-race militia in Jones County, Mississippi. The film boarders on being just another white savior film and a man trying to survive and helping others survive regardless of their color. Does the film over glorify some of the story? I’m sure that it might be for the sake of the film, but I believe for the most part it tells a true story. Personally, I like that it points out that not everyone who lived in or fought for the Confederacy was a racist, just as in the north men were conscripted (drafted) into the Army. Overall, the film is entertaining and tells a story of an interesting time in our history. The acting is good, and the filming is also very well done, however some of the script could have been better. If you are interested in history, war, or true stories I believe you will like this movie. I would give it 3.5 to 4 stars out of 5.