Field Of Lost Shoes

In the heart of the Shenandoah Valley lies a little town called New Market. It is a peaceful, quiet little village. But on May 15th, 1864, the peaceful hills would be witness to the horrors of war, as Confederate and Union forces clashed. The battle has never had the fame of Gettysburg, Antietam, or Shiloh. But for the men who fought this horrific battle, the impact would be no less horrific. Perhaps no more so than for the 274 Cadets from the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia, who marched 80 miles to serve as relief troops for General John C. Breckenridge’s Confederates, only to be ordered to take position in the center of their lines. For the only time in American History, an entire student body would come under enemy fire, and prove their mettle in a dramatic charge that turned the tide of battle. The story of those cadets from VMI, and the impact it had on the battle, is the subject of the film Field of Lost Shoes. Directed by Sean McNamara (Soul Surfer), and featuring a mixed cast of fresh faces and well-knowns, Field of Lost Shoes won the Best Dramatic Feature Award at the GI Film Festival. Sadly, the film came in under the radar, when it received mixed reviews, and an all too brief theatrical release in September of 2014, following a release on DVD and Video on Demand earlier this month. However, after viewing the film, I cannot help but feel that this movie deserved a better release strategy. For this is, in my humble opinion, the finest film yet made on the events of the American Civil War. From the very beginning of the film, to its closing moments, the movie serves as a moving tribute to the Virginia Military Institute, and the cadets who served at the Battle of New Market. While the film does cover some of the strategic, political and social aspects of the war, the film keeps most of its focus, and rightfully so, on seven members of the Corps of Cadets from the Virginia Military Institute; seven young boys and men who would go on to fight in a battle that would change their lives. Six of these men are based on actual cadets who fought at the battle. It is through these boys that we get to see the affects of war on the men who fought it, and how these young lads, men who had never before been in battle, showed true bravery in the face of an enemy. Making their story the main story, showing the hopes, dreams and beliefs of every single one, gives the story its soul, and creates a very powerful, dramatic, and tragic film. From an historical standpoint, the film is definitely one of the more historically accurate films made on the war. Like the film Glory, the actual story of the VMI Cadets at New Market is dramatic in itself, and needs little embellishment. The attention to detail in terms of drill, uniforms and equipment is truly remarkable. The Battle of New Market is dramatically recreated, showing the horrors and tragedy of armed conflict without becoming too graphic, making it a film that children over the age of 10 could be shown. Casting wise, the film does a great job. All of the young actors who portray the Cadets focused on in the film doe a great job in their roles, making us understand who they were, what they believed in. The believability of the actors in their roles makes us care for them, so when the battle comes, and they come under fire, we actually worry about their fate. Of the supporting roles, all are good. But the standout of the cast is Jason Isaacs (The Patriot, the Harry Potter series) as Confederate General John C. Breckenridge. His portrayal of the former Vice President of the United States is truly wonderful. Isaacs has done his homework, and his performance is truly the highlight of this film. The script for the film, written by David Kennedy, Thomas Farrell and Ron Bass, does a terrific job of presenting this wonderful story in a 96-minute film. Surprisingly, despite covering the story of the Cadets, as well as the overall story of the battle itself from the points of view of Breckenridge, Union Captain Henry S. DuPont (A surprisingly convincing David Arquette), and others who play a part in the making of this battle, is told in a way that anyone who sees it will not need to know the history of the war to understand what is going on. The rest of the crew, and the amazing cast, do a great job of conveying the story. In closing, Field of Lost Shoes is the finest film ever made on the events of the American Civil War, and the young boys from the Virginia Military Institute who fought at the Battle of New Market on May 15th, 1864. It connects us on a personal level with the characters, making the events more relatable, and more tragic. It presents the story in a way where all those who view it will understand the political, social and military aspects of the story without it becoming confusing, or impersonal. Anyone interested in American history, or in exciting, dramatic stories, will find much to love in Field of Lost Shoes. Grade: 10/10, or A+

Excellent production. Well done with a bit of minimal PC tripe about slavery which had little to no bearing on the story. A seminal Confederate Victory which saved the bread basket of the Confederacy (Shenandoah Valley) from further Northern depredations( Though General Hunter and General Wm T Sherman brought their notion of Total War (against Women,Children, Property and ANYONE who got in their way, to bring the South back under the boot of Northern Tyranny eventually) The Institute and the Mexican Military Academy at Chapultepec ( during the Mexican American War) are the only two Military schools who have ever engaged in combat to defend against unwarranted aggression and invasion and to their great Honor and Glory. VMI colors bear a (Federal) Battle Streamer for this engagement and for those who are uninformed, because this was a Confederate Victory, the blue stripe on the streamer is surmounted by the grey stripe. ( All Federal streamers where a Union Victory is commemorated, have the Blue surmounting the grey stripe)

Good movie about the Civil War.

Fair disclosure, I graduated VMI in 1971. That said, this is a fairly accurate depiction of the cadets and battle from historical material including the cadets deciding to charge more or less on their own. They were stopped in place and being hammered and wanted to move. The romance in it is Hollywood but not distracting from the story of boys in war fighting for each other. The discussion about slavery is interesting and historical as well. New Market was a small but strategic battle prolonging the war. The "boys" were a critical component of the victorious side on that day. For four years, the New Market parade each May 15th was the only one I enjoyed at VMI.

Excellent movie all the way through

I really enjoyed watching this movie. While the story does take some slight artistic license with the facts, overall it is a very credible re-telling of the Battle of New Market from a VMI cadet perspective. As a "rat" at VMI, you are required to learn the names of the 10 cadets killed in the battle. Even after 43 years, I still remember those names, so having the young cadets identified in the movie and knowing their eventual fates did lend a slight air of sadness to the movie, at least for me. Seeing the Institute transformed into an 1864 version of itself was quite interesting.

Very interesting movie about a little known episode at the end of the Civil War (1864). It evokes the courage of very young recruits, from a military academy in Virginia (therefore on the confederate side) ready to sacrifice their lives at a time when the South is desperately short of men and has no choice but enroll teen-agers who, eventually will help win a battle, thanks to their audacity. The early sequences showing the lives and dreams of several of these young men, in their everyday surroundings, are moving . The older officers are played by excellent actors (Jason Isaacs, Gale Harold) but the abundance of facial hair, though historically accurate, mask too much their acting skills.But the presence of the only black character (a really token negro there) at the end, comforting the young white men is too much. Uncle Tom revisited. It is clearly a film on the side of the South.

I like American History. I also have a penchant for Civil War movies. I like General Robert E. Lee, General Ulysses S. Grant, Stone Wall Jackson, President Abraham Lincoln, all the young men from the Academy School that gave their lives trying to help out. It was a sad ending. Everybody lost something or a Love One. I once owned the same movie.

Both my husband and I really enjoyed this movie. If you are a history buff at all, this would be enjoyable for you.

Le film ne marche pas sur nos dvds français. Je cherche à le renvoyer. Non lisible c'est vraiment dommage. Cordialement FIELD OF LOST SHOES

What a great movie!! I'm no Civil War buff, but have watched a good many movies dealing with the subject, but have never seen any that touched on the events covered here. It doesn't try to support the Southern cause at all, but still allows you to both sympathise and, to a degree, empathise with the Confederate soldiers who took part. Brilliant cinematography and superb acting from a fine cast. This one will definitely be finding a well earned space on my shelf.

Ho preso questo film su consiglio di un amico americano. Purtroppo per un disguido nella consegna ho ricevuto il testo in lingua originale senza sottotitoli il che fa perdere in alcune fasi il succo del racconto. Nel complesso un film storico carino, senza troppi effetti speciali, forse un pò troppo retorico

this is the second copy i ordered and it is because i broke the first one. it was a good film which should be a classic.