Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Free State of Jones Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 19, 2016

The American Civil War stands as, arguably, the most widely studied period of U.S. history, but it's also one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted. It's also more than just its political overtones, major battles, and key moments. It's significantly bigger than slavery, states rights, Fort Sumter, Gettysburg, the Emancipation Proclamation, and Appomattox Courthouse. Its history is filled with fascinating tales, underreported and under appreciated through the rightful front and center details, but it's here, in the less widely publicized events, the smaller venues, the more obscure ideas, and the less significant figures where many of the historical treasures lie. One such person, place, idea, and event that, until now, didn't garner the wider recognition outside of Civil War buffs and highly detailed courses of study was the story of Newton Knight, the leader of a mixed race Southern rebellion against the Confederacy and founder of a declared-free territory in Mississippi during the war. Based on historical events and their tellings in the books The State of Jones by Sally Jenkins and John Stauffer and The Free State of Jones by Victoria E. Bynum, Director Gary Ross' (Seabiscuit) Free State of Jones performed poorly at the box office but stands as one of the finer Civil War films and a strong narrative telling of one of the war's most fascinatingly unfamiliar stories.

Newton Knight (Matthew McConaughey) is a disgruntled Confederate army medic who, after his nephew is killed in battle, deserts his post to return the body home. He comes to learn that, away from the front lines, the Confederate army is seizing civilian property, taking food and material and leaving the people with little, if anything, to survive or show for their labor. Newton leads a small resistance -- initially only a few girls, a handful of guns, and broomsticks that, from a distance, look enough like the barrel of a rifle -- to stave off army raids. Little by little, his movement against the Confederacy grows, attracting both escaped slaves and disenchanted whites alike. As the size of his army swells and their rebellion against the Confederacy gains traction, the movement leads to a declaration of independence from the Confederacy based on equality and human rights for all.

Free State of Jones has a lot of history to share, plenty of political overtones to sort through, and several intimate character qualities to explore. It's a large task for a movie and one that Director Gary Ross generally handles admirably, juggling the movie's greater era scope with its more personal qualities at the center. It doesn't always quite work -- even at over two hours, it sometimes feels like it's suffocating on the screen, unable to dig deeper than it would like -- but it ultimately plays out agreeably, blending enough visceral excitement alongside its more contemplative themes and dramatic developments to satisfy. The movie is rich in detail, finding not just period authenticity but an honest recount of its tale, saying much about its people, place, and time. The high value, larger scope storylines mesh well with the smaller setting and intimate focus on several key characters on both sides. Grander ideas are finely intermeshed in the more personal plights of men that are central to the film. That necessary characteristic of whittling down big ideas into several key players is the movie's finest storytelling aid, and even when it feels as if the movie could have stretched itself further, it usually transitions from one scene to the next feeling satisfied in exploration both necessary to advancing the plot and crucial in shaping the finer points around it.

The film savors its setting, presenting a convincing and detailed recreation of its time. The movie easily absorbs its audience with story and in-depth production design, which often requires little beyond the relative simplicity of recreated attire and structures, but it's well done and certainly an aid in pulling the viewer deeper into the story. Performances are strong, with several standouts amongst the leads. McConaughey is excellent as the primary, embracing the role beyond the necessary physical and verbal cadence and finding a soulful center that allows him to believably, and with an obvious air of integrity and well meaning around him, carry out his revolution from its beginnings as a battlefield medic to post war leadership. He's strongest in his most intimate moments with new friends and relationships, revealing a side of the character that drives the story beyond the cruder confrontations at the barrel of a rifle, scenes which he also carries to satisfaction. Mahershala Ali delivers a powerhouse performance as Moses Washington, one of Knight's freemen and a pivotal figure throughout, particularly in the third act during the precarious reconstruction era sequences.

Free State of Jones Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Free State of Jones was digitally photographed but presents on Blu-ray with more of a filmic veneer. Details are finely revealing, particularly on the period attire that reveals some of the heavier fabric construction and some frays along the edges. Faces showcase clumpy beards, pores, blood, and caked-on grime with ease. Natural environments are sharp. Wooden textures in buildings and burned rubble in the wake of fires are tangible. Even scuffs and scratches on wooden gun stocks are easy to spot in close-up. Colors are excellent, even if the palette does favor a very mild washed-out appearance that occasionally renders flesh tones a little pale. Natural greens are fairly punchy, red blood is vibrant, and colors on flags stand apart. The image goes a bit sloppy at night, where blacks struggle to maintain consistency and noise spikes exponentially, but otherwise this image is attractive through-and-through.

Free State of Jones Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Free State of Jones' DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack engages the entire stage and brings various battles and shootouts to startling life. The larger-scale battles feature heavy marching footfalls accompanied by a healthy allotment of balanced bass. The environment further springs to life with zipping cannonballs, cracking rifle fire, splashing and flying debris, screaming men, and other examples of battlefield din. The entire stage becomes fully saturated to excellent effect. Smaller scale skirmishes are equally intense, particularly as gunfire pops from every speaker and seemingly in between; imaging is fantastic and the sense of immersion, coinciding with the on-screen action, is very impressive. Lighter atmospheric details, whether in swamps or wooded areas, is seamlessly integrated and surrounding. Dialogue delivery is clear and detailed with natural center placement and expert prioritization.

Free State of Jones Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Free State of Jones contains one supplement. The History of Jones County (1080p, 18:01) features real Jones County residents discussing the history, intercut with numerous clips from the film. A DVD copy of the film and a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy are also included with purchase.

Free State of Jones Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Free State of Jones blends narrative depth, quality characterization, well constructed action, strong production values, and capable storytelling into one of the finer Civil War films out there. Though a poor performer at the box office, the film is a success that deserves a wider audience than it found in theaters. Universal's Blu-ray is disappointingly absent much in the way of special features, though the one included featurette proves interesting. Video and audio are top-class. Recommended.