Brothers: A Civil War Story
It's 1864. The Battle of the Wilderness pits Confederate troops led by Robert E. Lee against a Union force led by Ulysses S. Grant. The showdown between two well-matched armies takes place in the woods, where the chaos of battle is intensified by the difficult terrain. After years of suffering defeat after defeat against Lee, the Union army is the aggressor and their general is a seasoned fighter who means business.
The battles and campaigns of this pivotal time in U.S. history were brutal affairs, and much has been made of them in cinema. But other stories existed within the melee, and these smaller bits of history shed great insight into the tragedy of a nation at war with itself. In the film, two brothers bitterly split over issues of ideas as the war develops. Now facing each other in battle, their sworn duty is contrasted with their sibling bond, however obscured the bond may be at this time.
Writer and Director Casey Schaffer does an excellent job of orchestrating the battle scene and recreating the 19th century. At the same time, he acknowledges the humanity of the people who served and died, which begs the question of whether the disputes around this horrible war could have been resolved in a better way.
You can watch the trailer here: Brothers: A Civil War Story Trailer
5