By
Brendan Raleigh
Foregoing the cinematic palette of rifle barrages, violent
cannonades and sweeping infantry charges which characterized Gettysburg and Gods and Generals, film director Ron Maxwell is revisiting the American
Civil War for a third time. But he’s focusing this time on the domestic issues associated
with the conflict in his upcoming film, Copperhead,
which is set to premiere on Thursday, June 27 at the Majestic Theater in
downtown Gettysburg.
While Maxwell’s previous Civil War films have depicted
the bloody battles and inter-officer disputes, his latest historical epic takes
a drastically different philosophical perspective. He stresses that the movie emphasizes
the conflict and suffering on the home front, rather than the battlefield, as one
of the major features differentiating Copperhead
from other Civil War movies.
“If the first two movies were taken together as cinematic
meditation on why good men, ethical men, choose to go to war,” Maxwell says. “then
Copperhead is the story of why good
men, ethical men, choose not to go to
war.”
Based on the 19th-century novella by
Harold Frederic, Copperhead tells the
story of Abner Beech, a member of the Northern anti-war group known as the Copperheads.
The film also focuses on the community that attempted to silence his political outcries
and the enormous strains the country’s division places on the lives of a Civil
War-era family.
Although Maxwell says he took care to keep the film
firmly planted in 1862, Maxwell noted that contemporary audiences will be able
to relate to the movie and understand its themes.
“The fact that families are divided. The fact that
fathers and sons are not communicating. The fact that communities are
exercising peer pressure against a person who disagrees and is the dissenter. I
think all societies can understand that. […] Audiences, depending on their
point of view […] will certainly make connections to the modern world.”
Billy Campbell, portraying Abner Beech, has appeared
in each of Maxwell’s Civil War movies, climbing his way up the cast list with
each title. With only a single line in Gettysburg
and a supporting role in Gods and
Generals, Campbell has reached the top tier of the dramatis personae with
his starring role in Copperhead.
Maxwell credits the deliverance of his vision for
the movie to Campbell and the rest of the cast, saying the success of the final
product is “entirely depending on the actors” and their ability to embody their
characters.
“I enjoyed working with all of them all. It’s just a
dream cast right across the board,” states Maxwell. “We have a range of first-timers
to accomplished professionals, but when you watch the film, it’s seamless. They
all just inhabit their roles.”
In spite of the film’s setting in the war-torn
United States, Maxwell does not consider Copperhead
to be part of a trilogy with Gettysburg
and Gods and Generals. Rather, he
is reserving that role for a title which would return to the battlefield as the
Civil War comes to an end, yet he remains unsure whether he will get around to
making the concluding film.
Even though Copperhead
is not set in Gettysburg, Maxwell will return for its premiere nearly 20 years
after Gettysburg’s initial release.
“We talked about opening up the movie in Washington
or L.A., but to me, it seemed most appropriate to open the movie in Gettysburg
because of my affection for the place […] When we started thinking the whole
thing through, it was the perfect place to have our premiere.”
After nine months in the post-production process, Copperhead has been screened on several
advanced dates, receiving an ovation from the audiences in each venue.
"The proceedings
from each showing will go toward “The Journey Through Hallowed Ground
Partnership,” the non-profit organization tasked with hosting the Gettysburg
premiere. More information about Copperhead can be found on their
website at www.hallowedground.org/copperhead."
