C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America

Had one failed diplomatic initiative during the Civil War succeeded, could it have changed all of history? Perhaps. Kevin Willmott's chilling and somewhat plausible alternate history of America was so well produced that even its exceedingly unlikely and prejudiced retelling of the 20th century passes with a bit of artistic license. It assumes, wrongly, that America is a country completely without any virtue, a view to be rejected outright. Assumptions about a Confederate Empire, chattel slavery spread unimpeded and unchallenged throughout the Americas, a ridiculous notion of a "Cotton Curtain" cold war with Canada just don't add up. It could not have evolved that way. Nonetheless, the alternate 19th century history is utterly fascinating. Had Confederate Secretary of State Judah P. Benjamin succeeded in getting European powers to fight for the Confederacy, what would America look like today?

Even with its terribly cynical and often unfair view of America, I admit I couldn't stop thinking about this film.

This is an extremely thought-provoking, humorous and sometimes disturbing movie. The performances of some of the actors could be better and the low budget sometimes shows through, but it is such a unique idea and the discussions it causes are so enlightening, that the filmmaker should be given an award just for bravery. I don't know what the nay-sayers were thinking when they wrote some of these comments. They must have seen a different film, this is not Saturday night live satire, it is much darker. Think Dr. Strangelove in blackface!

The fact that it is all based on real plans of the confederacy and real products that have existed in the united states makes it even more frightening. I strongly recommend it.

-Peter

In the faux documentary "CSA," we learn what the twentieth century would have been like if the South had won the Civil War. The Confederate States of America became a nation teeming with racism and misogyny.

As a Southerner, I found the film pretty offensive. It perpetuates the myth that racism is a uniquely Southern commodity and that the South is the birth place of ignorance. A Southern victory, apparently, would have permanently snuffed out any progressive movement in the United States. This would lead to wives being encouraged to let their husbands beat them and televised executions. The South's barbarism and ignorance would have overcome the goodwill and progressive impulses of the enlightened North.

I ain't buying it. It's a simplistic view of history and a damaging caricature of the South that still persists. I have been greeted by a great deal of ignorance outside of the South by folks who still believe today's South is that of "Eyes on the Prize." The LA riots, reaction to the OJ verdict, the Matthew Shepherd murder, etc. reveal that ignorance, hatred, and racism are national problems.

The movie was impressively put together, especially considering its limited budget. It's very compelling, but I found its vision of the South to be ignorant.

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A welcome addition to the Spike Lee family of films and the growing number of films that don't pander to the lowest common denominator for African-Americans: Daughters of the Dust/ Native Son/ Magic Love/The Spook who sat by the Door.

No stunt casting like P.Diddy in Raisin in the Sun.

The concept of alternate universe storytelling is radical for black filmmakers. That they found so much material to support the imaginary world they were creating was astonishing. My only real complaint is the level of acting on display. Some of it is passable but much of it was amateurish, community theater level. Ultimately, the audience for this film will grow over the years and will be discovered by all kinds of movie fans and film buffs.

This reminded me of Pink Flamingos. Some people thought it was ridiculous, obnoxious and tawdry. Others thought it was brilliant and wickedly hilarious. The people you considered your friends tended to think like you did--they either hated it or loved it. CSA is that same kind of movie. It's brilliantly insightful to some and tediously vindictive to others. I know that my friends will love it. There is an enormous amount of historical and social introspection that went into it, and its underlying message is that tendencies in societies don't evaporate simply because one group of advocates wins a war or an election. The dialectic of how we see each other as souls on this planet is the search for God itself, and a journey we spend a lifetime on. If my comments make sense to you, you will love the film. If it all seems like old hippie mumbo jumbo, you will probably hate it. In any case, it will help you sort out your friends.