Very disappointed :(

Such a frustrating disappointment

best movie i've ever seen.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

At the end of the Civil War, after marching columns of uniformed Confederate soldiers had ceased to exist, there was general fear among Union leaders that a long period of guerilla warfare and civil disobedience might follow. Ex-General Lee, for one, made a speech discouraging this option. This film, in part, deals with this issue. It also deals with the problem in some areas of a lack of food, clothing, shelter and infrastructure, due to the depredations of Union forces. It further dramatizes the plight of Union Loyalists in Confederate territory, with the belated lynching of one. As others have abundantly pointed out, it does not deal with the attitudes and problems of former slaves. I'm sure this omission was intentional, as it would have diluted the emphasis on the perceived antagonistic relationships between many southern whites and their Union military overlords. The main point of the film is the difficulty in convincing southerners of the good intentions of many military governors imposed upon them. I agree with the opinion of some that the screenplay is generally too dark to be a pleasant viewing experience. It might have helped if it had been shot in color. Two women are featured, on opposite extremes of the political spectrum. Joanne Dru plays the daughter of the Union loyalist who was lynched. She is in a difficult position, as she must have been during the war, as she harbors the same attitude toward secession. After a period of hating Major Drango, for failing to protect her father, she gradually warms up to him, and they share a passionate kiss, although it's not clear whether they were destined to go farther. In contrast, Julie London plays a wealthy plantation heiress, apparently spared by the Union army. Her boyfriend, Clay Allen, is the leader of the elements that want to continue the war at the local level by sabotage and raids on Union supply depots. Initially, I though I was looking at and hearing Leslie Howard as Clay, but that couldn't be, as he was killed during WWII. His son, Ronald, played Clay. The easily recognizable Donald Crisp played Judge Allen, Clay's father and critic of his attitude. He comes into prominence late in the film, when he foils Clay's attempt to assassinate Drango, and gives an impressive pro-Drango speech. We have another conflict in the clashing attitudes of Major Drango and his superior: Colonel Bracken. Major Drango represents the conciliatory attitude toward the defeated, espoused by Lincoln. Bracken represents the harsher attitude of the radical Republicans, whose representative will soon replace Drango. In the end, Drango convinced most of the population of this northwest Georgia town that he was more their friend than enemy, despite his conspicuous role in laying waste to this region during Sherman's march to the sea, However, I'm not sure that Drango's last important act: of leading the unarmed populace in a march on the Union fort to beg for more food rations and clothes, will be successful, given Bracken's attitude.See it at YouTube.

Somber account of a Union soldier attempting to right the wrongs of war that left a community broken and sore, wrought with hate and anger towards "them dirty, rotten Yanks." The setting is Kinnesaw, Georgia, not long after the Civil War as malevolent feelings remain towards the North, with Major Clint Drango(Chandler)placed over the town, a type of military governing the citizens, but he desires for the people to start over, re-building their lives. This noble effort is constantly defeated by Clay Allen(Ronald Howard), Confederacy sympathizer and father to Kinnesaw Judge Allen(Donald Crisp), who wants "the South to rise again" and is secretly motivating his township to form a mob, thwarting everything good Drango wishes for them. The despicable lengths, such as burning a newspaper which kills the child of the father who runs it, and murdering Drango's fellow officer, and best friend, Captain Marc Banning(John Lupton)for which Clay will go prove that he will cause nothing but terrible repercussions to those he feels deserve to have won the war the Confederacy lost. Prices are paid for this mad goal, such as food rations stole, and in this the shooting of town physician, Doc Blair(Walter Sande), but no matter the obstacle he faces, Drango's will and resolve remains strong, as he continually runs up against it, this man simply wishes for the people of Kinnesaw to have a chance to begin again, without killing and death.Anchored by the strong central performance of Jeff Chandler(..who I'm not familiar with, which is a shame really), I really liked the thought-provoking script from Hall Bartlett, and while it does seem a bit one-sided at times, I think the themes of bringing divided groups together after a war left scars never to be fully healed and the attempt to reconcile with those you have hurt by helping the community start over are powerful enough. Really rock solid cast of no-names and the material is provocative enough, even if the ending is a bit too easy in it's resolution as Clay has the town in his grip and prepared to storm a Union base for supplies Kinnesaw needs, only to be impeded by the very man who has always loved him, realizing that his son has become a monster willing to lead people into a certain massacre. The "lynch mob" theme is again explored(..this material has a recurring use during this time)as Clay Allen is able to pull men together, exploiting their yearning for revenge, the deep-rooted, seething feelings of intense disgust for those who defeated them, killing their relatives, burning their crops, destroying their homes.What really adds a unique spin to this material is Drango's notorious past, how he led an army who actually caused the destruction across Georgia, how guilt and the sobering account of his part in a regrettable war have left him ashamed, fueling his goals to help those he caused such harm, lends a great deal to the film, I think. Chandler provides the anguish and regret, and it's etched clearly on his face throughout, and I think it's quite a performance deserved of praise. Joanne Dru is excellent as Kate Calder, a Kinnesaw citizen, opposed to the Civil War, whose father was lynched by Allen and others for his bold stance against the Confederacy. Dru becomes Drango's support system, at first bitter with him for how he talked her father out of leaving the town for the nearest fort. Julie London is Shelby Ransom, Clay's lover, knowing that he's responsible for the lynching and other devious activities in and around Kinnesaw, agreeing to seduce Banning for him. Crisp, Sande, Morris Ankrum(..as the lynched Henry Calder), and Twilight Zone veteran Barney Philips(..as the town reverend) head a strong cast putting faces and voices on those who all suffer for their eventual allegiance to Drango, understanding how he wishes to help, not destroy. I think the film effectively conveys the rift between both sides, how a war left those still alive wounded, and we are witness to the aftermath, with director Bartlett and Bricken choosing this specific location to speak about issues of that time. While maybe the ending is asking us to take a leap of faith that a people can put aside their feelings, embracing someone they find out had led the raid that positioned them for great misery and strife, hunger and suffering, believing that they can, in fact, overcome what ails them, I admire the filmmakers for the message they want to get across.

This is a notch or two above the usual "good guys vs bad guys" Western movie,being at its core about the need to bring about reconciliation after conflict ,in this instance the American Civil war . Major Drango is appointed US military governor to a small Georgia community where tensions are running high after the defeat of the Confederacy .Drango himself participated in Sherman's march through the state and saw the devastation at first hand .Neither Drango or his men are welcomed in the community except by the small coterie of Union sympathisersOpposition is lead by Ronald Howard (son of Leslie Howard ,in his first US Movie) the son of the local judge(Donald Crisp).The father -while in sympathy with the aims of his son -is less than impressed by the violent methods he employs.A confederate sympathiser is lynched and arson is also deployed as a terrorist weapon by the unregenerate Southerners.Drango -in addition to his professional problems -finds himself drawn to the daughter of the lynched sympathiser -winningly played by Joanne DruChandler is a bit wooden in the title role -perhaps worn down by his production duties as his company produced the picture-but the rest of the acting is fine especially from John Lupton as an embittered Confederate Captain .The direction ,jointly undertaken by Hall Bartlett and Jules Bricken (who also scripted)is lumpen but the fluid and inventive monochrome photography by James Wong Howe is superb The movie is more intriguing than exciting but it is a striking and worthwhile movie with something interesting to say

This film reveals a lot about the reconstruction era in the U. S. after the Civil War. It is amazing to see this era explained without an agenda or politically correct spins that Americans are fed now. The post Civil War era in the South shows the hardships the people faced and how one honorable Yankee military governor attempts to handle it.