Recommended reading: Godfrey Cheshire on Ride with the Devil

On the occasion of the Criterion Collection release of Ang Lee's chronically under-rated Civil War drama, critic/historian Godfrey Cheshire offers some insightful commentary about Ride with the Devil, a film that deserved a much more enthusiastic response from critics and audiences when released more than a decade ago. As I wrote in my original 1999 review: "Once you get past Glory, Gone with the Wind and, arguably, Gettysburg, it’s difficult to think of many first-rate movies about the Civil War. Ride with the Devil may not rank as truly great cinema... but it’s an ambitious and intelligent effort that is altogether worthy of inclusion on a very short list." After reading Cheshire's comments, I'm very eager to give Lee's film another look -- especially since the Criterion edition reportedly contains some 13 minutes of newly restored footage.