Potus Geeks Movie Review: Copperhead
Copperhead was a little-noticed independent film that came out in 2013. Why it did so poorly in theaters, and especially why it got such poor reviews from film critics is beyond me. It is an excellent portrayal of an often untold story of the Civil War: those northerners (or "Copperheads" as they were pejoratively called) who were opposed to the war, and whose voices of dissent were gradually and violently stifled as the war raged on.
Billy Campbell plays Abner Beech, a principled pacifist Democrat living in upstate New York in 1862. Though he dislikes slavery, he is a staunch defender of the Constitution. As the war rages on, local abolitionist preacher Taggart and local abolitionist Jee Hagadorn (Angus McFadyen) convince the community to support President Lincoln and the war effort, which marginalizes those who oppose the war, like Abner Beech. Abner's son Thomas Jefferson Beech (played by Casey Brown) is smitten with Hagadorn's pretty daughter Esther (Lucy Boynton) and she convinces the younger Beech to call himself Tom instead of Jeff (the name he's been known as) because Jeff is the name of the president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis. She also influences Jeff (or Tom) to join the Union Army, alienating him from his pacifist father.
As the war continues and a number of the young men of the community are off fighting in it, the community turns on the local "Copperheads" like Abner, especially after the 1864 election, in which Abner and his family support Democratic candidates including George McLellan, further angering the locals.
Copperhead presents a good message about tolerance (or lack thereof) of dissent in wartime, and how even churches and supposed "men of God" quickly abandon the message of "love thy neighbor" as they get swept up in wartime fervor. Just under two hours in length, this is an excellent history lesson with a powerful message. It's one of the best movies I've seen in a long time, and certainly one of the most overlooked. Copperhead became available on DVD earlier this month on April 15th. It sells for the ridiculously low price of $6.96 on Amazon.com. I highly recommend this film.
Here is a video of the trailer for this film:
Billy Campbell plays Abner Beech, a principled pacifist Democrat living in upstate New York in 1862. Though he dislikes slavery, he is a staunch defender of the Constitution. As the war rages on, local abolitionist preacher Taggart and local abolitionist Jee Hagadorn (Angus McFadyen) convince the community to support President Lincoln and the war effort, which marginalizes those who oppose the war, like Abner Beech. Abner's son Thomas Jefferson Beech (played by Casey Brown) is smitten with Hagadorn's pretty daughter Esther (Lucy Boynton) and she convinces the younger Beech to call himself Tom instead of Jeff (the name he's been known as) because Jeff is the name of the president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis. She also influences Jeff (or Tom) to join the Union Army, alienating him from his pacifist father.
As the war continues and a number of the young men of the community are off fighting in it, the community turns on the local "Copperheads" like Abner, especially after the 1864 election, in which Abner and his family support Democratic candidates including George McLellan, further angering the locals.
Copperhead presents a good message about tolerance (or lack thereof) of dissent in wartime, and how even churches and supposed "men of God" quickly abandon the message of "love thy neighbor" as they get swept up in wartime fervor. Just under two hours in length, this is an excellent history lesson with a powerful message. It's one of the best movies I've seen in a long time, and certainly one of the most overlooked. Copperhead became available on DVD earlier this month on April 15th. It sells for the ridiculously low price of $6.96 on Amazon.com. I highly recommend this film.
Here is a video of the trailer for this film:
Click to view