C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America (2004)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Kevin Willmott

Writer:

Kevin Willmott (writer)

Release Date:

24 June 2005 (Spain)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

What if the South had won the War?

Plot:

Through the eyes of a british "documentary", this film takes a satirically humorous, and sometimes frightening, look at the history of an America where the South won the Civil War.

Plot Keywords:

American Civil War | Civil War | Fake Documentary | What If | Journalist

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Greg Kirsch	...	Confederate Family Dad
Renee Patrick	...	Confederate Family Mom
Molly Graham	...	Confederate Family Child
William Willmott	...	Confederate Family Slave / Frederick Douglas (voice) (as Will Willmott)
Rupert Pate	...	Sherman Hoyle
Evamarii Johnson	...	Patricia Johnson
Greg Hurd	...	Mr. Johnson
Ryan L. Carroll	...	Bobby
Don Carlton	...	Colonel Bloodhound
Kevin McKinney	...	Blackface Abraham Lincoln
Will Averill	...	Blackface Harriet Tubman
Arlo Kasper	...	Old Abraham Lincoln
Joe Bugni	...	Car Guy No. 1
Troy Moore	...	Car Guy No. 2
Jennifer Coville	...	Daisie

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color | Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:Unrated | USA:TV-MA (cable rating) | UK:12A

Filming Locations:

Lawrence, Kansas, USA

Company:

Hodcarrier Films

Trivia:

The reason San Francisco was chosen as the place the audience watches the "documentary" was because the filmmakers wanted the irony of portraying a traditionally ultra-liberal city in the ultra-conservative Confederacy.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Every time a CSA flag is shown, it is the Confederate Battle Flag. This flag was only used by CSA military units. The actual flag of the CSA consisted of a white field with a red bar, and the Battle Flag as a union (similar to the stars on the current US flag). *** Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Since this film compares the C.S.A. indirectly to the U.S.A. the use of the battle flag is correct, the U.S. Civil Flag is rarely flown. ***

Quotes:

[first lines]
[commercial for Confederate Family Insurance]
Confederate Family Insurance Speaker: A man fills many roles in his lifetime: provider, protector, master of the house. As a father you have a vital role in your family's life. They depend on you to be there. We help to make sure you can fulfill that promise, because
[pause]
Confederate Family Insurance Speaker: no matter what they call you
[pause]
Confederate Family Insurance Speaker: at the end of the day
[pause]
Confederate Family Insurance Speaker: you know you're just
[pause]
[...]

Movie Connections:

References Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970)

Funny, satirical look at parallel US

I was able to catch CSA at the TRUE/FALSE Film Festival in Columbia, MO (great fest, kudos to all involved). The Producer and Director of CSA were there to briefly discuss the film. Sadly, it was held at the Blue Note, which is a fantastic venue for watching bands, but not for screening films. Anyway, on to the review.

Told like a Ken Burns Civil War documentary, CSA really gives a great look at what "might have been." From Jefferson Davis as the President of the United States and his exile of Abraham Lincoln to Canada, to The President meeting with Chancellor Hitler to discuss enslaving the Jewish race as opposed to destroying it to JFK's assasination because of his wanting to end slavery, the film touched on many of the United States' milestone moments told through this alternate universe. The span of American history is so vast that, unfortunately the film raises more questions than could possibly be answered.

The director spoke after the film and said he made this film to bring the subject of race to the forfront and to open discussion about it. As far as a spark for discussion, it works well. I just wish it could have delved deeper into the social, economical and political issues it raises (would there be protests toward slavery as now there are protests against the Bush administration's unilateral attack on Iraq? Interesting topic...).

The one thing that completely blew me away was that all the products advertised in the "commercial breaks" were real. I knew of one or two, but not all of them. That was a very interesting twist that stood out in a film filled with interesting and satirical twists.