The Last Confederate: The Story of Robert Adams

Strike the Tent is a beautifully shot film that captures the external and internal conflict of the civil war and a families history of the period. Julian Adams shows strong acting ability in portraying the story of his family and the tough choices that have to be made for love and country.

I enjoyed the pace of the movie and have to comment again on the impressive cinematography. I can't tell but if this was shot digitally and transfered kudos to the production team in the final print. The story tells how true love overcomes all obstacles in its way. The film effectively captures a country split ideologically, socially and geographically and the plight of South Carolinians protecting their home and lands from the onslaught of war, illness and tyranny. It depicts the weary soldiers seeking not only victory but revenge and the plunders of war. Tragic in its honest depiction of the sacrifices both armies and families had to endure. In the end, the love that is all but impossible is the only thing that will never die in this historical memoir. Thanks again for sharing this remarkable story of your family. I look forward to seeing the film again once it is released on DVD. I enjoyed this first effort and look forward to other projects from these promising film makers.

When I sat down to watch the 2005 movie "The Last Confederate: The Story of Robert Adams" (aka "Strike the Tent"), I must admit that I was expecting a bit more of a war drama. Sure, I wasn't familiar with the story upon which the movie is based, so I didn't know what I was in for here. But I was expecting a tad more than what directors A. Blaine Miller and Julian Adams delivered here.

Sure, "The Last Confederate: The Story of Robert Adams" was watchable, and it provided adequate enough entertaining for a single viewing. But this was hardly an outstanding or memorable movie set in the time period of the American Civil War.

The acting performances in the movie were actually good, but it was just a shame that the characters in the movie were a bit too bland and generic. They were simply lacking more spark and more dimensions for me, in order to feel like wholehearted and complete characters in the story.

I will say that the sets, props and atmosphere in "The Last Confederate: The Story of Robert Adams" definitely felt like it took place during the American Civil War, and that was something that added to the overall enjoyment of the movie.

I am sure that this 2005 movie will provide adequate entertainment for viewers familiar with the story, or for viewers looking for a love story set within the American Civil War. However, I was expecting a bit more warfare and action, so I was somewhat disappointed with this movie.

My rating of "The Last Confederate: The Story of Robert Adams" lands on a mediocre five out of ten stars. This is not a movie that I will be returning to watch for a second time.

A noble cause in wanting to make this film by the family of John Adams, but uh boy, there are serious script flaws, lack of believability in some of the characters due to sub-par acting (by Julian Adams, mainly), continuity problems, and a wardrobe that at times looks like it came out of a cracker-jacks box. This film is billed as being filled with passion and being "explosive", according to one IMDb reviewer. I think dead people are more passionate and explosive! I don't know why this film is getting so many positive reviews, it's really not good at all. I'm only giving it 3 stars myself out of consideration for the family's desire to tell the story of their heritage (assuming it is all true, but I've found nothing on the history of Robert Adams anywhere else but in this film, so who knows how much of the movie is historically accurate).

Even if you're a civil war history buff, this film will likely barely hold your interest (if at all).

Sorry, Adams family. Nothing personal, I'm just calling it like I see it.

Very well done, especially considering the budget. I liked the independent, realistic feel to it, vs manufactured or contrived Hollywoodism.

I read somewhere a reviewer saying that this was "revisionist history" wrt this movie's depiction of how the slave owners treated their slaves so nicely. Absolutely untrue... there really wasn't that much depiction of slave owners with slaves to begin with, and to see one white gentleman actually talk nicely to a few slaves was totally believable.

That same reviewer also said this movie was about "nostalgia" for the pre-war south. But I think it was more about southerners protecting their tradition, and then finally knowing when to surrender (hence the title "Strike the Tent"). Otoh, the extra featurette on the DVD about how the film was conceived did show that Julian's intention was to proudly depict his much beloved, land-owning family history.

The film depicts pre-war southern life favorably, yet doesn't demonize the north (much), even after it's clear that the south had lost the war and had to free their slaves. It was a good depiction of one side "protecting their own", but pretty much intentionally blind to the issue of slavery itself. An interesting "real life" depiction of real history--at least from a southern, white-man's point of view.

Because of my sympathy for the Cause, and a glowing review I had read elsewhere, I was prepared to love this movie, but I can't. I can recommend it, but with the following qualifications: It is a good story, but not well told. The principal problem is the story is chopped up into numerous flashbacks, to the point where the "unity of time" is lost. Not only is this mildly confusing at times, but it prevents the full power of the story from developing.

The acting is average at best. The script, surprisingly, does not seem to have much room for a wide range of emotions, but rather most scenes are executed with the same solemn sincerity. I wasn't yawning, but I was surprised by the lack of vitality in some scenes that really called for it.

The cinematography was very fine. The story was not greatly partisan; it could have made much more of Union Army atrocities against Southern civilians, but took the high road and chose to illustrate, but not dwell on them. It leaves me with a strong sense of the tragedy that was the War, and I think and hope that was one of the makers' main intentions. So it is successful on some levels.