Free State of Jones
Starring Matthew McConaughey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Directed by Gary Ross
As far as history lessons go, Free State of Jones isn’t textbook material but does chronicle a fascinating chapter in American Civil War history.
Based on the true story, Matthew McConaughey plays Newton Knight, a poor Mississippi farmer who becomes fed up with the Confederacy and bands together with a group of slaves and deserters to lead an uprising that led Jones County to secede. Along the way he strikes up a romantic relationship with a slave, portrayed effectively by Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Their connection actually has consequences that affect an eventual offspring of Knight’s in courtroom scenes played out 85 years later.
This time-hop storyline, although it brings context to the seemingly unending culture of racial prejudice in the Deep South, slows the main narrative down and points to a larger problem with the film – there is just too much material crammed into it. With a runtime over two hours, Free State of Jones gets bogged down with a lot of politicizing and inspirational speeches and the movie often resembles more of a pastiche of related scenes rather than a coherent whole.
Amazingly, these issues can be forgiven as McConaughey’s limitless charisma and commendable work from the supporting cast including Mbatha-Raw, House of Cards’ Mahershala Ali, and Bill Tangradi help make Jones ultimately watchable. The production is also quite handsome; location shooting gives the setting an authentic feel, while cinematographer Benoît Delhomme beautifully captures the contrast of lush green surroundings with the drab, muted colour palette of the period wardrobe.
