Ride with the Devil
dir. Ang Lee · 1999
In the face of conflict and chaos, the true meaning of honor and loyalty is tested, revealing the complexities of human relationships and the struggle for identity.
"Ride with the Devil" intricately weaves themes of honor, friendship, and the harrowing realities of war, challenging viewers to grapple with the moral ambiguities of conflict while exploring the depths of human connection. Ang Lee's masterful direction brings a visceral authenticity to the Civil War backdrop, making it a profound meditation on what it means to fight for one's beliefs.
Friends Jake and Jack Bull join up with Civil War guerrilla fighters, yet after the realities of war set in, they must decide what honor truly means.
Full synopsisspoilers
Jake Roedel and Jack Bull Chiles are friends in Missouri when the Civil War starts. Women and Blacks have few rights. Jack Bull's dad is killed by Union soldiers, so the young men join the Bushwhackers, irregulars loyal to the South. One is a Black man, Daniel Holt, beholden to the man who bought his freedom.
They skirmish then spend long hours hiding. Sue Lee, a young widow, brings them food. She and Jack Bull become lovers, and when he's grievously wounded, Jake escorts her south to a safe farm. The Bushwhackers, led by men set on revenge, make a raid into Kansas.
At nineteen, Jake is ill at ease with war. As his friends die one after another, he must decide where honor lies.
