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Wounded soldiers rest outside a Fredericksburg building that still stands today.
Filmmakers (from left) Vafeer Mobishar, Scott Eyestone, Mark Eyestone and Thomas Van Winkle shoot actor Robert Duvall at Ellwood Manor for his scene in 'Civil War Fredericksburg: Then & Now.' |
BY CLINT SCHEMMER
Not since Ron Maxwell's "Gods and Generals" or Ken Burns' PBS "The Civil War" series has there been such hubbub over a film featuring Fredericksburg.
The latest effort is a home-grown one, but has the polish of a professional production.
"Civil War Fredericksburg: Then & Now," set for its public debut Thursday, appears to already be a hit with students of history.
The feature-length film, a joint venture of the Fredericksburg Civil War Round Table and the nonprofit Central Virginia Battlefields Trust, has something for everyone, its initial viewers have said.
For those just getting interested in the War Between the States, as well as hard-core history buffs, it provides a thorough treatment of the Battle of Fredericksburg and local historic sites.
From the comfort of their living room, people can tour the battlefield from Falmouth through the city to Spotsylvania County's Slaughter Pen Farm, walk with the descendants of four soldiers who took part in the December 1862 fight, and travel back in time through "then-and-now" scenes mixing modern cinematography and historic images.
The result lets the audience see the region and its most pivotal period in a way offered by no other film, according to some of the people who attended its premiere last week at a sold-out special meeting of the sponsoring groups.
"I think it's an outstanding effort to take the Fredericksburg story to a national audience, and I applaud the filmmakers for all of the energy and effort they have put into the film," said Russ Smith, superintendent of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park.
"I hope residents of the local area will also take advantage of this film in order to see its battlefields in a new light."
The project began humbly, as a DVD of historic photos that could be used by teachers and groups across the country. But once educator Bill Huber teamed up with videographer Scott Eyestone, on-camera host Scott Walker and preservationist Thomas Van Winkle, it really took off.
"This was completely an all-volunteer, community effort," Eyestone said. "It grew organically, with the abilities of all of the people who became involved in it."
The resulting high-definition DVD set includes scenes from Stafford County, long occupied by the Union Army; Slaughter Pen Farm, where hand-to-hand fighting and a Union break-through occurred; streetscapes and rooftop panoramas of Old Town Fredericksburg; aerial footage of different portions of the miles-long battlefield; and artillery demonstrations by the gun crew at the military park.
Some of the most moving scenes feature the soldiers' four local descendants--Mike Burns, Scott C. Boyd, Will Thornton, and Huber.
Two Virginia-based re-enactment units, the 47th Virginia Regiment and the 28th Massachusetts Regiment, re-created fighting at Slaughter Pen. They make clear how deceptive and difficult that battlefield terrain was for the troops.
The film even has a real movie star, Academy Award-winner Robert Duvall, who urges saving the Wilderness battlefield from encroaching development.
Viewers are greeted by House Speaker Bill Howell, R-Stafford; state Sen. Edd Houck, D-Spotsylvania; Ferry Farm archaeologist David Muraca; Civil War author and historian Gordon Rhea; and park superintendent Smith.
Van Winkle and Fredericksburg's Dr. Michael Stevens give moving testimony on the threats facing the area's battlefields, and why it is important to preserve them for future generations.
The film, intended for a wide audience, is being advertised in national Civil War publications.
A generous donation by a CVBT member and a grant from the Fredericksburg Regional Hospitality Council financed an initial production run of 5,000 copies.
"Then & Now" is available in two versions: a single $14.95 disc with the film, and a special, $19.95 two-disc Educator's Edition that adds period photos, images and primary-source documents for teachers and their students to use in the classroom. The proceeds benefit CVBT's preservation work.
"After last week's unveiling, and the recognition of how many people have contributed to this, the piece becomes more than just a statement about history or preservation, and becomes an expression of a community and a generation toward its past," said Civil War historian John Hennessy, who was among the 150 people attending last week's premiere.
"The fact is, it's one of those 'thousand-hands' pieces of work, and you get that feeling. It is a collective effort."
cvbt.org civilwarroundtablefredericksburg .org librarypoint.org visitfred.com Clint Schemmer: 540/368-5029
Email: cschemmer@freelancestar.com
To see a short trailer of "Fredericksburg: Then and Now" or to order your copy, visit cvbt.org. The DVDs will also be available at local National Park Service bookstores. E-mail execdirector@cvbt.com, call 540/374-0900 or write CVBT, Box 3417, Fredericksburg, Va. 22402.
TO WATCH ITThe public can see the movie and meet its producers, director and writers at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Central Rappahannock Regional Library's headquarters theater at 1201 Caroline St. Event is free.
