Representation of Black: Ride with the Devil (1999)

    This piece of adaptation from the book entitled Woe to Live On is a kind of Revisionist Western movie which revolves around a certain number of characters,namely Jake Roedel (Tobey Maguire),Jack Bull Chiles (Skeet Ulrich),George Clyde (Simon Baker) and former slave Daniel Holt (Jeffrey Wright),whom we find amidst escalating guerrilla warfare at the onset of the American Civil War.They join a group of marauders known as the Bushwhackers- a loose organization of gangsters - in order to to disrupt and marginalize the political activities of Northern Jayhawkers allied with Union soldiers.The film is perfectly casted so the level of performance is magnificently matches the needs of Western-hungry audiences.

From the left: Jake Roedel (Tobey Maguire) and Jack Bull Chiles (Skeet Ulrich)

George Clyde (Simon Baker)

Jack,Miss Chiles,Jake and Daniel Holt (Jeffrey Wright)

From our point of view,however,the depiction of African-American characters is important.In this particular case,our black character is Daniel Holt (Jeffrey Wright),a former slave whose freedom Clyde has previously granted.They actually grew up together which creates a kind of brotherly bond between them.Once Clyde dies Jake takes over his place as best friend to Holt.Characterization of Holt here is quiet different.He,known as a former but now free slave,both imitates acceptance and neglection.During the early phases,Jake -as a southerner- looks down on him for being too talkative when it comes to personal matters -as well as because of him being inferior to him - but then slowly starts to see the person in him.The romanticized picture of the South is constantly there throughout the movie and actually,all the aspects the movie has to tell is shown from a Southern perspective.Everything is the Northerner's fault for they are the intruders and so forth.

It was a very exciting experience to see this move for it featured many contemporary stars from whom many started their career around the creation of this very production;Characters such as the stars of Spiderman Skeet Ulrich and Tobey Maguire,or the star of a very famous Tv show,The Mentalist Simon Baker.

Sources:

1. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0134154/

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ride_with_the_Devil_%28film%29