Andersonville

Andersonville
Poster
Directed by	John Frankenheimer
Written by	David W. Rintels
Starring	Jarrod Emick Frederic Forrest Ted Marcoux
Cinematography	Ric Waite[1]
Distributed by	Turner Pictures
Release date(s)	March 3, 1996
Running time	167 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Andersonville is a film directed by John Frankenheimer about a group of Union soldiers during the American Civil War who are captured by the Confederates and sent to an infamous Confederate prison camp.

The film is loosely based on the diary of John Ransom, a Union soldier imprisoned there. Although certain points of the plot are fabricated, the general conditions of the camp accurately match Ransom's descriptions, particularly references to the administration of the camp by Captain Henry Wirz. His line on escaping prisoners is very similar to the book, "The Flying Dutchman [Wirz] offers to give two at a time twelve hours the start".^[2]

Plot

The film begins with a group of Union soldiers being captured and forced to surrender. They are marched to Camp Sumter, near Andersonville, Georgia. When they enter, they discover a former comrade, named Dick Potter, who explains the grim realities of daily existence in the camp - primarily the lack of shelter, clean water, and regular food supplies. He also states the danger of a rogue group of Union soldiers, called the "Raiders", who hoard the camp's meager rations, go around in search of "fresh fish", newly captured soldiers, to victimize and rob.

With Rebel forces depleted, young teenagers and old men are often used as guards. At one watch tower, manned by two young guards, a Union soldier offers money for some corn. He is then instructed to step over the fence into the "no go" area and approach the watchtower to trade, which contradicts the rules of the camp. But reluctantly, compelled by need, the soldier steps over the line, and (in a macabre type of game) the young rebel soldiers shoot him dead.

As the story unfolds, the band captured at the beginning of the film ally with some inmates, and help them by working on their tunnel under the wall. Eventually it is complete, but one man tries to inform the Rebel guards, in hope of receiving a reward. He is captured and TT (for tunnel traitor) is cut into his face as a warning. The escape is attempted one night, and all goes well until the last man is spotted and shot, and the dogs are unleashed. In a very short time, most escapees are back in the camp - and punished in the standing stocks.

The situation with the Raiders eventually becomes unbearable, as group after group of 'fresh fish' are victimised. After a banjo is stolen one man fights to get it back but is badly beaten. Things progressively get worse until finally one man named Jim decides he has seen enough of the "vultures out to rob and murder the new boys.". He rallies support from the disparate groups, and within minutes hundreds of his fellow comrades are charging the Raider's camp. A massive and deadly fight ensues.

In the end the Raiders are caught, and many want them all hanged out right. But upon the insistence of a few, a request for a trial is made to Captain Wirz, the Confederate commander of the prison camp. A military 'trial' then ensues, with a jury of new internees, which ultimately results in the ring leaders being found guilty and sentenced to hanging. After the executions, life becomes relatively peaceful, but the cold reality of starvation began to set in. As the film ends, an announcement is made that all the soldiers are free. They are offered transport via a train to wherever they wish.^[3] The movie's end coda reads:

In 1864-5, more than 45,000 Union soldiers were imprisoned in Andersonville. 12,912 died there. The prisoner exchange never happened. The men who walked to the trains were taken to other prisons, where they remained until the war ended.

Cast

• Jarrod Emick - Josiah Day
• Frederic Forrest - Sgt. McSpadden
• Ted Marcoux - Martin Blackburn
• Carmen Argenziano - Hopkins
• Jayce Bartok - Billy
• Frederick Coffin - Collins
• Cliff DeYoung - Sgt. John Gleason
• Denis Forest - Mad Matthew
• Justin Henry - Tyce
• Tony Higgins - Tucker
• Andrew Kavovit - Tobias
• Olek Krupa - Olek Wisnovsky
• William H. Macy - Col. Chandler
• Matt McGrath - Ethan
• Peter Murnik - Limber Jim
• Gabriel Olds - Bob Reese
• William Sanderson - Munn
• Gregory Sporleder - Dick Potter
• Jan Tříska - Capt. Henry Wirz
• Bruce Evers - Lt. Barrett
• Robert David Hall - Samson

Reception

Andersonville is a rather depressing tale, all things considered. It is also a little overlong and somewhat predictable. It does have its good moments, particularly the trial of the ringleaders running the band of raiders inside the camp, an interesting chapter in the evolution of humanitarian law and military law. However, overall it is just a little too long, dragging out moments that could have been dealt with much better had they been a little more concise. ^[4]

Awards

The program won a 1996 Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing for a Miniseries or a Special for director John Frankenheimer. It was nominated in six other categories as well, including a nomination for cinematographer, Ric Waite.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Cinematographer Ric Waite dies, Shot 'Footloose,' '48 Hrs.,' won Emmy". Variety Magazine. 2012-02-21. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118050540?refCatId=13. Retrieved 2012-02-29. 
2. ^ Ransom, John L.; Catton, Bruce (May 1994). Andersonville Diary: Life Inside the Civil War's Most Infamous Prison. Berkley Trade. p. 71. ISBN 0-425-14146-2. 
3. ^ http://www.movieprop.com/tvandmovie/reviews/andersonville.htm
4. ^ http://www.michaeldvd.com.au/Reviews/Reviews.asp?ID=3608 Andersonville (1996)

External links

• Andersonville at the Internet Movie Database
• Andersonville at Rotten Tomatoes