Log in / Sign up
 
    Share this page

    The Free State of Jones

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

    WARNING: This review is hidden because it reveals the content of the film.
    Click here to show this review.
    The bar has been raised when dealing with slavery and African American civil rights in film. Both “12 Years a Slave” and “Selma” rocked their audiences with powerful stories, compelling characters, and sublime performances. “Free State of Jones” is not a bad film, but it suffers by being compared to those superior pictures. I still enjoyed it and if you’re interested in the story it’s hard not to get moved so I recommend it nonetheless.

    Based on true events, the title refers to Jones County, Mississippi during the Civil War and the years immediately following. Newton Knight (Matthew McConaughey) deserts the Confederate Army after witnessing first hand how many poor soldiers die gruesome, pointless deaths while rich plantation owners sit idly by. Infuriated, he, fellow deserters and runaway slaves begin fighting back against the Confederates.

    I didn’t know anything about Jones County or Newton Knight before this film. For this reason, no matter what shortcomings are present in the film, I found it interesting. The events portrayed here, the dates, the facts brought forward, the “testimonies” of the different people are all fascinating. Even better, it’s entertaining. The period of time during which the U. S. A. allowed slavery, the Civil War and the years that followed make for great cinema. The war sequences are ripe with drama and excitement. You’ve got a lot of well-orchestrated action sequences both on the battlefront and in smaller, more intimate scenes as Newton runs for his life, dodging the authorities, or fighting back when Jones County begins establishing itself as a “Free State”. There are small moments of joy as the rebellion starts gaining ground and when you see a slave owner or a soldier who lives and breathes the values of the south get their brains blown out, you feel like standing up and cheering. Those lowest excuses for human beings, those bottom-feeding bags of skin filled with writhing vipers who force their will upon others - when they get what’s coming to them, it never, ever gets old.

    Matthew McConaughey gives a good performance here and I have to applaud the casting director as well. He’s absolutely perfect in the part. Even before seeing a comparison of the two men, you know that they have not glamorized the actor to make him look like a handsome white savior. The picture looks very authentic in its sets, costumes, and casting.

    I know what you’ve been thinking. Yes, technically the way this story is written, it’s about a white man coming in and helping a group of “helpless” black men and women find their freedom, but I wouldn’t consider it a “white savior film”. It makes a point to say that to many (though not all) of the citizens of the Free State, everyone is on equal footing, happy to stick it to the real enemy. Furthermore, there are many well developed former slaves throughout the film, with particular attention given to Gugu Mbatha-Raw as an intelligent and resourceful house slave named Rachel, and Mahershala Ali as Moses Washington, a man who fights for his people and his family’s rights in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. With a subplot concerning Knight’s descendant also being persecuted, numerous scenes showing black men and women being resourceful, capable and intelligent, I don’t think there’s anything to be offended about. What was writer/director Gary Ross supposed to do anyway, change historical facts?

    There are a lot of good things about this film, particularly when it gets very emotional. With all that said, “Free State of Jones” is not nearly as good as I was hoping it would be. It almost feels too historical, too accurate to real-life events. You have big climactic battles at the beginning, powerful emotions in the middle, and then it just sputters to a halt by the end. Let’s face it; some lives just aren’t very cinematic. You take a look at Abraham Lincoln and you’ve got one heck of an ending. A victory in the office with the Emancipation, followed by an assassination?! Wow. Newton Knight? Not so much. It’s not a boring life, there are plenty of exciting events, but this film is missing a last act that contains the same level of energy as the beginning and middle. To compensate, there’s an added subplot that flashes forward and tells the story of Knight’s great-great-great grandson, how the ripples of past decisions can still be felt 85 years later in a decidedly racist Mississippi. It’s an ok story, but ok isn’t enough.

    Maybe the film needed to focus on a different character or a different part of this lifetime instead of such a wide range of years. The film loses focus and misses out on a lot of opportunities by only briefly touching on a romance between Newton Knight and Rachel or skipping over large periods of time to get to the “good stuff”. I also found some of the developments to be predictable. Yeah, I understand these might have been facts that couldn’t be changed, but some of what is coming you can foresee just in the way that shots are set up.

    “Free State of Jones” is an imperfect film, but it’d be a shame to toss away everything it does well because of the flaws present. It is emotionally effective, exciting, and well-acted. I learned quite a bit watching it and enjoyed the experience overall. I have reservations about the film itself, but I don’t hesitate when I recommend that you see “Free State of Jones”. (Theatrical version on the big screen, July 5, 2016)

    6
    HelpfulNot helpful  Reply
    adamwatchesmovies@  7.7.2016 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

    Show all reviews for this movie
    Note: The movie review posted on this page reflects a personal opinion of one user. We are not responsible for its content.

    Did you see ''The Free State of Jones''?

    There is a problem with your e-mail address and we are unable to communicate with you. Please go to My Account to update your email.

    How do you rate this movie?

    Select stars from 1 to 10.
    10 - A masterpiece, go, see it now
    9 - Excellent movie, a must see
    8 - Great movie, don't miss it
    7 - Good movie, worth seeing
    6 - Not bad, could be much better
    5 - So so, okay if you don't pay
    4 - Not good, even if you don't pay
    3 - Poor movie, not recommended
    2 - Very bad, forget about it
    1 - Worst ever, avoid at all costs

    Please explain. Write your comment here:

    Please choose a username to sign your comments. Only letters, digits, dash - or period. Minimum 4 characters.

    Your age and sex:

    We publish all comments, except abusive, at our discretion.