The movie Free State of Jones is a different look at the Confederacy from the point of view of a man that grew tired of the army just taking what they wanted and possibly needed for taxes. Lighting out with a band of slaves and soldiers that thought as he did Newton eventually came to found the Free State of Jones through great hardship and a great deal of loss. Throughout the movie it’s shown that while he is a Confederate soldier his beliefs aren’t on par with those his fellow soldiers at all times. It’s a great work of fiction but the film din’t seem to have the staying power it needed.
It was still an interesting story however.
10. The Free State of Jones was not the only area that tried to break away from the Confederacy.
Several others broke away as well and had varying degrees of success in doing so. A lot of people grew very disillusioned with the war and the reason they were fighting.
9. The author of the book makes a cameo.
She’s in the hospital tent at one point reading passages from the bible to a wounded soldier.
8. In 2016 a letter was found stating that Newton Knight had tried to join the Union Army.
He’d tried to petition for his group to join the Union as he’d grown tired of what the Confederacy was standing for.
7. The movie features a few descendants of Newton Knight.
Some of them were extras and could trace their family line all the way back to Newton.
6. The battlefield scenes were shot in Louisiana.
The tax incentives were far greater in Louisiana but the director and McConaughey still managed to spend time in Jones County to soak in the atmosphere and history.
5. Water was typically added to the fake blood in the tent scenes so as to make it appear more slick.
The only problem was that it would dilute the mixture and make it seep into the wooden boards quicker so filming had to be done quickly.
4. The moment Matthew McConaughey came on board the financing snapped into place and the movie was on.
For a while no one wanted to touch this movie, but then McConaughey got a hold of it and people started getting interested. Eventually everything just started falling in line as it needed to.
3. There are varying opinions about how important the story of Jones County was.
It really depends on who you talk to, who their ancestors are, and what role they played in the forming of Jones County. It might have seemed trivial to some but it was of great importance to others.
2. The audience doesn’t get to see the title until the very end.
This is kind of unconventional but it does get the audience into the movie as they wait and wait to see the title but eventually focus just on the movie.
1. The nephew that was shot in the film is fictional.
Newton Knight was simply tired of the fighting and had grown weary of the Confederacy.
It bears watching if you want to be entertained by a bit of history.
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