By Forris Day Jr.
During the 1864 battle of the Wilderness, three Union soldiers and three Confederate Soldiers get separated from their units as twilight engulfs the ravaged battlefield. The men wander alone through the dangerous woods, separate of each other, until they meet by chance on the banks of a quiet creek. The men meet and spend the night around a campfire, not realizing they are enemies until the next morning when the sun rises and a new day of battle begins (IMDB-This plot summary written by Kevin R. Hershberger)
The Civil War is a dark spot on American history and when you think that is was only just over 150 years ago it kind of brings into perspective how young our country is. Brother fighting brother, American citizens killing each other over a difference in perceived values, yet we are all, for practical purposes the same. A “Wicked Spring” shows this quite well as the six lost soldiers, three Confederate and three Union, camp together for the night after fighting a vicious battle. They are all husbands, fathers, brothers and friends fighting for two different sides, yet under the cloak of darkness they are blinded to the fact that they are opposing forces. Throughout the night they discuss and realize they all have the same wants and dreams.
A particularly touching scene is one in which one of the Union soldiers (Brian Merrick) reads the letters to a Confederate soldier (DJ Perry) who has saved dozens of them from his girlfriend at home ,but because he is illiterate he is unable to read them himself. The letters are a peak inside the life of this soldier as his girlfriend wonders why he doesn’t respond to her and shares her fears that he may be dead. In my opinion Merrik and Perry shine in this scene.
As I watched this film I could see the passion that went into making it. This is a work of fiction but who is to say this story hasn’t played out many times during the war. A nicely done period piece “Wicked Spring” is a movie I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys stories of the American Civil War.
Scared Stiff Rating: 7.5/10 – … “Hey…you got Union Chocolate in my Confederate peanut butter…”…
