Ride With The Devil (film)
Ride with the Devil is a 1999 Revisionist Western film directed by Ang Lee. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by James Schamus, based on a book entitled Woe to Live On, by author Daniel Woodrell. The events portrayed in the novel and movie take place in Missouri, amidst escalating guerrilla warfare at the onset of the American Civil War. Within the film, a loose dramatization of the Lawrence Massacre is depicted. Incorporated in the plot is the character of Jake Roedel, played by actor Tobey Maguire. Roedel, a Southern militiaman, joins a group of marauders known as the Bushwhackers. The gang attempt to disrupt and marginalize the political activities of Northern Jayhawkers allied with Union soldiers. The ensemble cast also features Skeet Ulrich, Jeffrey Wright, Jonathan Brandis, Jim Caviezel and musician Jewel.
The film was a co-production between the motion picture studios of Universal Pictures and Good Machine. Theatrically, it was commercially distributed by the USA Films division of Universal Pictures. In 2010, The Criterion Collection released a restored high-definition digital transfer of the film for the home media market. Ride with the Devil explores politics, violence and war. Following its limited release in theaters, the film failed to garner any award nominations for its acting or production merits from accredited film organizations. On November 23, 1999, the original motion picture soundtrack was released by the Atlantic Records label. The film score was composed and orchestrated by Mychael Danna and Nicholas Dodd. Singer songwriter Jewel also contributed a musical track to the score from her second studio album Spirit.
Principal photography for the film project began on March 25, 1998. Ride with the Devil premiered in theaters nationwide in the United States on November 26, 1999 grossing $635,096 in domestic ticket receipts. Taking into account its $38 million budget costs, the film was considered a major box office flop. However, preceding its initial screening in cinemas, the film was generally met with positive critical reviews. With its initial foray into the home video rental market; the widescreen DVD edition of the film featuring the theatrical trailer, scene selections, and production notes, among other highlights, was released in the United States on July 18, 2000.