Unnecessary graphic violence and a sell-out ending with lots of great performances.

Rating: 2/10 (3 January 2004)

The Civil War was a horror, but this movie seems to take prurient delight in blood, body parts and lots of grisly bits of gore. What makes this even more irritating is the fact that the acting is so strong, that the audience would have understood the horrors of war so much better if the director had allowed the actors to do their work. I can't blame the director for the ending, that's the author's contrivance, but that's what it is, utterly predictable, hokey and contrived. The script at best is an excuse to allow a whole bunch of fine actors do some thankless, but brilliant character work.