Field of Lost Shoes (2015)

Best movie of this year hands down!

To me, this movie is perfection.

the audience applauded

Admirable film.

This movie was a good depiction of the events of the civil war, but I personally didn't agree with the tendencies of the directors during the movie. I somewhat liked the fact that love is expressed even in the middle of the bloodiest war in American history. It reminds us that we are all human; we are allowed to feel emotions of love, joy and happiness even during times of despair, death, and loss. Yes, people did have loved ones and families that they thought about when they went off to war, so it was an interesting movie to watch next to loved ones because it springs that thought of "what would I think if i were in that situation" into your head.

The movie focused on Confederate cadets which was an interesting way to view the civil war. The characters were young and close to my age. This gave a sense of reality to me, that people around my age lost their lives. What was more intriguing was how an effect on the deaths of the cadets was so severe to people around them. They were all friends with each other, it is impossible for me to imagine losing my friends, especially in such a traumatic way. The storyline between Libby and Sam gave the audience more to think about with soldiers personally, how their loved ones are effected and the heartbreak of losing a loved one. Another very interesting concept shown was how compassionate the cadets were towards African Americans, especially being Confederate soldiers. The scene where the boys snuck out of line to save a black woman was very surprising. The overall the movie was very interesting and easy to follow, and it gave me lots more to think about with the war.

Some actors stood out for being very dull and stiff in the movie, which given that most of them are very young, it's almost expected. I recognized Most of the main actors/actresses from other movies and their performance was good but far from anything memorable, besides the younger actors performances the movie seemed to do a fair job of explaining the story and expressing the battles. I give it 6 out of 10 because it was fine to watch the first time,but i probably wouldn't want to watch it again. If you want to watch this movie solely because its a civil war movie , you'd most likely be better off watching Glory or other well known civil War movies.

Despite the lack of actual 'punch' within the plot, the portrayal of wartime and issues with regards to slavery during and after the war was interesting and well-represented. It provides a new perspective for viewers, as the Confederate Army is often demonized in many Civil war movies; the Field of Lost Shoes, instead focuses on the morality and humanity of many young soldiers and cadets. Robert, as portrayed by Nolan Gould, even mentions in the beginning that his father was opposed to slavery and took him to see a slave auction as a 'lesson in life', to which he witnesses a black family being separated. In fact, many of the young cadet boys held anti-slavery sentiments, scenes such as the Old Judge and slave lady who got stuck under a cart really illustrates the notion that not all soldiers enlisted or reserved to fight with the confederate army all held the same values with regards to slavery. Many of the boy's motivation to fight was to defend their land, seek 'revenge' for the fallen and uphold honor- many in which are disregarded in many Civil War movies and the Field of Lost Shoes does a great job at providing another perspective. There is a somber contrast between the cadets and the old soldiers, many of which are portrayed to be rude old men who jeered at the cadets. In a turn of events, during the actual fighting, it was the cadets that marched in order and upheld their bravery and honor, even suggesting they should charge through union fire. All in all, the movie, although a little lacking in plot, provided a great and entertaining representation of the Civil War and specifically the Battle of Newmarket.