Field of Lost Shoes (2015)

the audience applauded

Pretty Good

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

Excellent but underrated film

You would expect the typical Civil War movie to be centered around Union soldiers, or what history makes one believe are the "good guys". This movie focuses on Confederate cadets, southern military school boys who have to enter combat when situations are dire.The story humanizes Confederate soldiers and provides an awareness that Confederate soldiers may have had motives with just as good of intentions as Union soldiers.

A "Field of Lost Shoes" takes a insight of the Cadets at the Virginia Military Institute and their contribution to the Confederate victory of the Battle of New Market. The viewer can take a view into some views and beliefs of the Civil War from eyes of a Confederate soldiers. Some do it to protect their family and homeland, while others fight for slavery and to protect their southern heritage. While the battle scene in this movie is really cheap, "they used other film battle scenes" the interim fight scenes is ok. The ending shows the aftermath of losing friends and families. Due to the cadets acts of valor newly trained cadets at the Virginia Military Institute must remember their acts and the ones that lost their life.

Who directed this movie? Grapeshot after grapeshot were exploding inches from the attacking Confederates yet no one was falling. It's clear that this is an obvious attempt to glorify elitist Confederates. It also seems very low budget, as the battle scenes are what I'd expect from a pre-CGI time period. Tom Skerrit is the best part of the movie.

I believe that this movie was sufficiently accurate to support the events of history during the civil war. Throughout this movie, the viewer was clearly able to see how the lives of the cadets were at the time. It showed their struggles at the young age, along with their sacrifices for their people. In addition, the movie provided the fact that not all southerners supported slavery. There were some who were willing to fight for their family, but wanted a change if they were victorious. However, "Field of Lost Shoes" became a bit cliché. The love story that began in the film was too focused on. I felt as though the story of slavery and the stress and efforts of the cadets and soldiers did not get the attention that was expected given the current situation of the story. Overall, I thought that the movie provided good facts regarding the locations, uniforms of both sides, weaponry, women's clothing and responsibilities, and the tactics used. It is a movie that could have focused more on effects and the main plot, but the details and information were accurate.