Free State of Jones – Blu-Ray Movie Review

Captain Newton Knight is a field medic during the Civil War. After a young relative is killed in his arms during battle, he decides to desert in hopes of protecting his farm and local community from Confederate soldiers who are raiding people’s homes taking food and forcing young men to fight in the war. When pursued by military police, he hides out in a swamp with the aid of a local businesswoman. He soon builds a community in the swamp of other deserters, local farmers and runaway slaves. When the Confederates try to arrest him, he fights back in kind and declares the local county to be the “Free State of Jones.” He and his supporters want no part of a war that is taking so many innocent lives and leaving farmers with no interest in the outcome penniless and starving.

Most wars have more than two sides and Civil War was no exception. Knight and his supporters, along with freed slaves, established a mixed-race community in Jones County, Mississippi at the height of racial tensions during Reconstruction. They faced constant harassment from the Confederate Army during the war and groups like the KKK afterwards. It was Knight’s contention that he and other yeoman farmers should not have to contribute their lives and property to a war whose outcome did not affect them.

The film follows the true story of Newton Knight and Jones County pretty closely. He fought tirelessly for the freedoms of everyone regardless of race or upbringing. The story is well-adapted to movie form, though its violence will keep it from being family fare. There are many lessons to be learned from Knight’s accomplishments and even today, opinions on him are sharply divided. Some herald him as a hero while others believe he was a traitor. Director Gary Ross is obviously in the former category as he paints Knight in an extremely positive light. His leadership and bravery broke down many racial barriers and his actions could be considered one of the precursors to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.

For fans of historical drama, Free State of Jones is a must-see. There is a lot of fascinating material here both during and after the war itself. Matthew McConaughey is ideally cast in the part of Newton Knight. Frankly, after seeing him in the role, I can’t imagine another actor pulling it off as effectively. His supporting cast is equally talented, namely Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Rachel, Knight’s second wife. You’ll also recognize Mahershala Ali (Remy from House of Cards) as Moses, one of Knight’s lieutenants. If you can stomach the violence, this is a film worth watching more than once. It’s an excellent story, expertly told and beautifully presented.

The film is shot almost entirely outdoors on location, using mostly practical effects, so there is some softness here and there; mostly due to camera focus errors. Color is generally well-saturated in rich natural greens and browns but occasionally the picture looks flat. Highlight and shadow detail are rendered well and contrast remains deep with plenty of dynamic range to challenge even the best displays. I also appreciated the use of a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. In a home theater setting, this taller format is more expansive than the more-common 2.40:1 Cinemascope.

Though the sound is merely DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, the use of surround effects is almost on the level of a good Dolby Atmos track. Ambient sounds happen all around the viewer and your surround channels will have plenty to do. The sub gets into the action as well during battle scenes and pretty much any time a gun is fired. The mix level is high but never harsh. Dialog is always clean and clear though some characters accents make them hard to understand.

There is only one 18-minute featurette included in this release. It’s a series of brief interviews with local historians who talk about Jones County and Newton Knight’s accomplishments. We also hear from a few of his descendants who are keeping his legacy alive to this day.