Ride With the Devil

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Ride With the Devil

R

1999

2h 18m

History

Drama

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Popcornmeter

65%

Tomatometer

68 Reviews

66%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

On the fringes of the Civil War, Missouri Bushwackers engage in guerrilla warfare with Union Jayhawkers. Bushwackers Jake Roedel (Tobey Maguire) and Jack Chiles (Skeet Ulrich), out to avenge the murder of Jack's father, are joined by George Clyde (Simon Baker) and his former slave, Daniel (Jeffrey Wright). Hiding out for the winter, Jack has a short romance with a war widow (Jewel) before dying. Jake steps in to take care of her and her newborn before joining Quantrill's famous Kansas raid.

Critics Consensus

A well-acted, eccentric Civil War film, Ang Lee's Ride With the Devil is often more visually striking than it is emotionally engaging.

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Jeff Strickler

Minneapolis Star Tribune

11/06/2002

1/4

Lee appears to have been torn between making a character study and an action movie, so both elements get short shrift.

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Rick Groen

Globe and Mail

03/22/2002

3/4

The intriguing (if not always successful) result is an oddly contemplative picture about a horribly bellicose time.

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Peter Matthews

Sight & Sound

04/17/2001

While the movie intermittently revs up for some showy combat scenes, its real mtier is a texture of fine-grained observation that brings history to life on the molecular level.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

05/28/2025

3/4

Lee may have chosen to relate a tale about the Civil War from the POV of the South (always an irksome angle), but it’s made clear that his loyalties rest not with either side of the cause.

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David Lamble

Bay Area Reporter

06/12/2020

The acting gem in this two-and-a-half-hour epic is the hair-raising rivalry between Maguire and a feral young killer.

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Joe Leydon

The Moving Picture Show

07/19/2014

Like too many other young men in too many other wars, Maguire's Jake Roedel sees too much, and grows up too fast.

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Thomas D

@Thom1967 Dec 20

My favourite film about the American Civil War ! Far away from the huge battles opposing thousands of people, watch the life, the survival and the combats of smaller groups opposed in their vision of the world, their way of life. See those who try to live their life while their world is falling apart. FEELS LIKE HISTORY IS UNRAVELING IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES ! Sometimes it seems a bit slow, and violence and death comes out of nowhere, just like the real life. In my opinion: BRILLIANT

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Sep 19

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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Russell C

@RT77910216 Aug 10

I can see why this movie was shunned by Hollywood and the political establishment. It was too honest by half. The reality of the war of Northern aggression is much different than the fairytales in the victors history books.

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Victoria T

@RT15457324 Jul 8

I really liked this movie. Being a southerner and having family ancestors that fought in the Civil War, it portrays the people of a border state, I think, very well and their struggle with the side they choose to fight for. They were not traitors - most were fighting for their homes, their families and to try and live their lives without so much northern interference. I thought the story was a good mix of the hard times of war and the romance people attempted to have during those difficult times. I am no professional critic, I just know what I like and this was a movie I enjoy and watch every time chance I get.

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Johannes S

@RT64416087 01/23/2024

Acting and cinematography are solid. It is overly long and sometimes slow though.

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Carolyn O

@Caro99700 07/18/2023

Good historical movie with a compelling cast. Sympathetic to all victims of the war and aftermath.

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Ang Lee

Director

Skeet Ulrich

Jack Bull Chiles

Tobey Maguire

Jake Roedel

Jewel

Sue Lee Shelley

Jeffrey Wright

Daniel Holt

Simon Baker

George Clyde

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Synopsis

On the fringes of the Civil War, Missouri Bushwackers engage in guerrilla warfare with Union Jayhawkers. Bushwackers Jake Roedel (Tobey Maguire) and Jack Chiles (Skeet Ulrich), out to avenge the murder of Jack's father, are joined by George Clyde (Simon Baker) and his former slave, Daniel (Jeffrey Wright). Hiding out for the winter, Jack has a short romance with a war widow (Jewel) before dying. Jake steps in to take care of her and her newborn before joining Quantrill's famous Kansas raid.

Director: Ang Lee
Producer: Ted Hope, Robert F. Colesberry, James Schamus
Screenwriter: James Schamus
Production Co: Good Machine
Rating: R
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 18, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $630.8K
Runtime: 2h 18m
Sound Mix: Surround