LOVE AND WAR (1984) Book ReviewI have stumbled across my share of "Best Civil War Novels" lists on the Internet. I have yet to come across a list that includes John Jakes' 1984 novel, "LOVE AND WAR".Back in the 1980s, Jakes created his second major literary series, a trilogy about two wealthy American families during a period of thirty years during the 19th century. The first novel, "NORTH AND SOUTH" (1982) focused on the experiences of the Hazards of Pennsylvania and the Mains of South Carolina between the years 1842 and 1861. "HEAVEN AND HELL" (1987), the third novel, is set between 1865 and 1877. But the second novel, "LOVE AND WAR" focused on the two families' experiences during the Civil War.The trilogy began when George Hazard, the son of a wealthy iron industrialist; and Orry Main, the son of a South Carolina rice planter; first met on their way to West Point in the late spring of 1842. The pair quickly became life-long friends, as they survived four years at the military academy, the Mexican-American War, and nearly a decade-and-a-half of political strife over the issue of slavery. Due to George and Orry's friendship, their two families became very close over the years. By the end of "NORTH AND SOUTH", George's younger brother Billy had married Orry's younger sister, Brett. Orry and the love his life, Madeline Fabray LaMotte, finally reconciled after years of clandestine meetings, when Madeline left her venal husband Justin Lamotte, after seventeen years of marriage.However, following the outbreak of the Civil War, the friendship and familial connection between the Hazards and the Mains became tested when the Civil War begins. "LOVE AND WAR" began two weeks after "NORTH AND SOUTH" ended - in late April 1861. By the beginning of "LOVE AND WAR", the two families consist of:The Hazards*George Hazard - one of the protagonists, who is a former Army officer and like his father, an iron industrialist*Constance Flynn Hazard - George's Irish-born wife and an abolitionist*Stanley Hazard - George's older brother, who left the iron trade to become a politician*Isobel Truscott Hazard - Stanley's shrewish and social-climbing wife*Virgilia Hazard - George's only sister and die-hard abolitionist*Billy Hazard - George's younger brother and Army officer*Brett Main Hazard - Orry's youngest sister and Bily's new brideThe Mains*Orry Main - one of the protagonists, who is a former Army officer and like his father, a rice planter*Madeline Fabray LaMotte Main - Orry's wife and widow of Justin LaMotte*Cooper Main - Orry's older brother and owner of a shipping company*Ashton Main Huntoon - Orry's younger sister and die-hard secessionist*Charles Main - Orry's young cousin, who had resigned from the U.S. Army to join the Confederacy Army*Judith Stafford Main - Cooper's wife, who also happens to be an abolitionist*James Huntoon - Ashton's husband, who is also a secessionist and attorney*Clarissa Brett Main - Orry's ailing motherThe novel not only featured the viewpoints of the Hazards and Mains, but also their friends, lovers, slaves and one Elkhannah Bent, an Ohio-born Army officer who had become an enemy of George and Orry during their years at West Point. Bent even became an enemy of Charles Main, when the two had served together on the Texas frontier in the late 1850s. the outbreak and chaos of war, along with Bent's determination to survive, failed to put a damper on his desire to strike back at George, Orry, Charles and the other members of the two families.I noticed that most of "LOVE AND WAR" focused on the Civil War's Eastern Theater. Aside from taking readers to the political offices, salons and the military hospitals of Washington D.C. and Union Army camps; the novel also explored the Union and Confederate home fronts in Lehigh Station, Pennsylvania - the Hazards' hometown; and the Mains' plantation, Mont Royal, in the South Carolina low country. Jakesk also explored various historical and violent incidents on the homefront through his characters - especially the Southern bread riot that broke out in 1862 Richmond, and the 1863 New York City draft riots. Although both George and Orry become military officers again after thirteen-to-fourteen years as civilians, their wartime experiences as military bureaucrats prove to be sources of great frustration for both of them. Stanley Hazard's role as a political aide with the War Department gave readers a look into the politics of wartime Washington D.C. Readers learn about politics in wartime Richmond via the eyes of Ashton Main Huntoon, who also happened to be a politician's wife. Through Virgilia Hazard, readers not only discover what countless number of women - including a future famous author - experienced as a wartime nurse. Cooper Main joined the Confederate's Navy Department at the beginning of the war and through him, readers learned about the Confederates' efforts to construct new warships in Great Britain's shipyards. Through characters like Charles Main and Billy Hazard, readers explored the horrors of Civil War combat and prison camps in Maryland, Pennsylvania and especially Northern Virginia. Only through the Elkhannah Bent character were readers able to experience the war's Western theater via the Battle of Shiloh and Union occupied New Orleans.If I must be honest, I am rather surprised that Jakes' trilogy, especially "LOVE AND WAR", became major bestsellers. From the recent comments and reviews I have read on the Internet, I came away with the feeling that many found "LOVE AND WAR" difficult to read. In fact, many readers have complained that the novel featured too many characters. I found this complaint rather odd, considering that novels with several major characters have been the norm during the 20th century. And when did the number of characters suddenly became a detriment to a good novel? Following my recent reading of "LOVE AND WAR", I must admit that I find this opinion hard to accept. And then there is the matter of the novel's content. I have discovered that a good number of critics seem unwilling to accept Jakes' mixture of historical drama and melodrama. And so, I found myself scratching my head at another criticism. Melodrama and history in a novel? These two elements have been the norm in many historical dramas - including the still highly rated "GONE WITH THE WIND" and the "POLDARK" series. When did the mixture of history and melodrama become unacceptable?When it comes to the mixture of history and melodrama, I believe John Jakes has proven to be one of the few novelists who did it best. In "LOVE AND WAR", I thought he did an excellent job in conveying both the personal and historic experiences of his major characters - especially during a highly charged period in American history like the Civil War. Not only did the author explore his characters' desires, loves, fears, personal tragedy and ambition; he did so while exploring the historical background of the novel's setting. I just realized that aside from a handful of history books and documentaries, I managed to learn a great deal about the United States' Antebellum period, the Civil War and the post-war era from the NORTH AND SOUTH Trilogy, due to Jakes' meticulous research and skillful writing. And about human nature.Four of the most interesting aspects of "LOVE AND WAR" proved to be the wartime experiences of Billy Hazard, Brett Main Hazard, a former slave named Jane and Charles Main. Being an Army engineer, Billy Hazard did not participate in any battles, although he did witness a good deal of danger. Billy started out the novel as an Army officer loyal to the Union cause, but lacking any sympathy toward abolition or African-Americans - unlike Virgilia, Constance or George. Despite spending the first half of the war maintaining this attitude, it took capture by Confederate forces and a harrowing period as a prisoner of war inside Libby Prison for Billy to even understand what it means to be treated cruelly, let alone be under the complete control of another. And it took his experiences with black troops during the war's last year to make him view them more than just subhuman, children or victims.Ironically, his wife, Brett Main Hazard, went through a similar metamorphosis on the home front. Being the daughter and later, the sister of a South Carolina planter, Brett had difficulty adjusting to life in the North and the resentment of the Hazards' neighbors. Throughout the novel, Brett's encounter with several people during the war forced her to question her own priviledged Southern upbring through a series of stages. First, she helped her impoverished sister-in-law, the hardcore abolitionist Virgilia Hazard, regain some kind of physical attraction. George and Constance Hazard's sponsorship of a local orphanage for Southern black children displaced by the war led Brett to develop compassion for them - something she had failed to do with her family's slaves back at Mont Royal. The orphanage also led to a surprising friendship with the orphanage's founder, a New England-born black man named Arthur Scipio Brown.Another interesting character proved to be a young African-American woman named Jane, who found herself living at Mont Royal during the war. Jane was never owned by the Mains. She was introduced as a recently emancipated slave, who was accompanying her aunt, an elderly free black woman named Aunt Belle Nin, to the Union lines. Due to Aunt Belle's illness, the pair sought brief refuge at Mont Royal, due to the elderly woman's friendship with Madeline Main. Following Aunt Belle's death, Madeline asked Jane to remain at Mont Royal and educate the plantation's slaves in preparation for the end of the war. Madeline, who was biracial, foresaw the end of slavery and wanted the slaves to be prepared for the chaos of a post-war South. Through Jane's eyes, readers saw how the institution of slavery affected her fellow African-Americans throughout generations. What made Jane's role in the novel so interesting is that readers were given a closer and more personal look at the slaves as human beings than he ever did in the trilogy's first novel, "NORTH AND SOUTH".Charles Main's wartime experiences did not bring about a social and political metamorphisis as it did his cousin and best friend, Brett and Billy Hazard. Even as a child, he never really shared his family's racism or dismiss the ugliness of slavery. On the other hand, readers were granted an exploration of life within the ranks of the Confederate Army through his eyes. Looking back, I realized that Charles' experiences pretty much served as a metaphor for the novel's title. Charles had began the story as a man who had already gained experience as a military officer during his four years at West Point and another four years as a U.S. Army officer on the Texas frontier. He spent his early months of the war not only trying (and sometimes failing) to instill a sense of professionalism to the Confederate soldiers who served under him. Charles' sense of professionalism also included a belief that soldiers had no business getting involved in a serious romance. As far as Charles was concerned, serious romance prevented a soldier from being distracted and doing his job. This belief was immediately challenged after meeting a young and witty Virginia widow named Augusta Barclay, who owned a farm in Northern Virginia. Despite his efforts to maintain an emotional distance from Augusta, Charles' feelings for her deepened. And as the war began to take an emotional toll upon him, Charles began to question the logic of continuing his romance with Augusta. If anything, Charles' professional and personal experiences during the war proved to be a prime example of Jakes' ability to skillfully weave both history and melodrama together.I do have a few complaints about "LOVE AND WAR". One, most of the novel's setting seemed to be focused solely on the war's Eastern Theater - with scenes and chapters set along the Eastern Seabord. Villain Elkhanah Bent's participation in the Battle of Shiloh and his assignment in New Orleans gaves readers a view of the war's Western theater. Also, at least three characters ended up in the New Mexico Territory by the end of the war. But a part of me wished that Jakes had allowed more scenes away from the East - as he had done in "NORTH AND SOUTH".But my complaint about setting is minor in compare to another issue - namely the novel's villains. I will give Jakes kudos for managing to portray them with the same kind of complexity as he did his protagonists. I suspect that he may have somewhat succeed with Elkhannah Bent, Ashton Huntoon and Stanley Hazard. The author went further in revealing their desires, fears and ways of dealing with their personal demons and crisis. However, both Bent and Ashton still seemed less rounded than in compare to the protagonists. James Huntoon had been portrayed as a minor villain in the 1982 novel. But once his marriage fell apart, thanks to Ashton's love affair with a smuggler and political conspirator named Lamar Powell and his career within the Confederate government stalled, Huntoon ceased to be a villain and Jakes portrayed him with a lot more sympathy.Jakes' portrayal of the Mont Royal slave named Cuffey began with some level of complexity, as the character expressed his anger over being considered the Mains' property. But not much time had passed before Jakes had reduced Cuffey to a one-note thug and bully. I look back at Forest Whitaker's portrayal of the character in the 1986 miniseries, "NORTH AND SOUTH: BOOK II" and found myself wishing that the literary version of the character had been portrayed in a similar manner. Jakes' portrayal of Isabel Truscott Hazard remained as static as ever. Although Jakes seemed willing to portray Stanley with more complexity, he kept Isabel as the one-note vindictive shrew throughout the novel - with the exception of one poignant scene in which she had discovered Stanley's affair with a tawdry actress. As for the Lamar Powell character, he struck me as a one-dimensional rogue with a cruel and controlling streak. Granted, Jakes did allow one sequence featuring Powell's point-of-view. But that could not save the character for me.I cannot say the same about George's older brother, Stanley Hazard. Jakes seemed a lot more sympathetic toward Stanley in "LOVE AND WAR" than he was in the preceeding novel. Stanley did not become a better person. His views of his brother George remained as resentful as ever, despite his own success in politics. And his support of the Radical Republicans and their pro-abolitionist views was at best, a hoax on his part in order to further his career. And yet, Jakes seemed more than willing to portray Stanley with a bit more sympathy and more complexity.On the other hand, I found it odd that Jakes was willing to be more flexible with Stanley's character, but he could not do the same for the character's only sister, Virgilia Hazard. Unlike other fans of Jakes' saga, I have never regarded Virgilia as a villain and I never will. I do not regard her as perfect. And she is guilty of killing a wounded Confederate officer who had the bad luck to share the same name as her former lover, a fugitive slave named Grady who had been killed during John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry. But I can never regard Virgilia as a villain. One, I share her political views . . . very strongly. Two, I find her family's unwillingness to allow Virgilia to be herself rather frustrating. I suspect that their dismissal of her politics - due to their own conservatism and her gender - had a negative effect on her character. And three, I have noticed that Jakes' negative portrayal of Virgilia seemed to have spread toward those historic figures that share her politics - namely the Radical Republicans.I realize that the Radical Republicans were not perfect. But not all of them were not as bad as Jakes had portrayed them. Not once have I ever sensed the author's willingness to portray them with any kind of sympathy or understanding. He seemed willing to criticize their behavior and policies, yet he avoids criticizing moderates such as President Lincoln like the plague. In once scene, Brett Hazrard had learned from her brother-in-law Stanley about the Republican Party's plans to exploit the freed slaves' gratitude over being emancipated after the war. I can only wonder if Jakes was accusing all of the Radical Republicans (including men like Thaddeus Stevens) for this willingness to exploit former slaves or fake abolitionists like Stanley and Isabel Hazard. Were all Radical Republicans - save for Virgilia - fake abolitionists? And was he trying to convey to readers that Virgilia was blind to the machinations of the Radical Republicans? Or was Virgilia simply a victim of Jakes' overall negative attitude toward the Radical Republicans? Judging from what I have read, I can only conclude the latter.In regard to historical accuracy, I can only account for one major example in the novel. It features an assassination plot hatched by Lamar Powell, along with the Huntoons and a few others against Confederacy president Jefferson Davis. Needless to say, this never happened. However, dislike and/or hatred of Davis did exist within the Confederacy. But aside from this story arc, Jakes painted a realistic portrait of the Civil War."LOVE AND WAR" is probably one of the finest Civil War novels I have ever read. The novel really gives readers a wide range view of war through the eyes of the Hazard and Main families and those with close connections to them. More importantly, Jakes managed to provide readers with a realistic portrait of the Civil War filled with a good deal of personal drama, humor, brutality, euphoria and tragedy. It is a shame that this novel is so underrated by book readers and critics today, because I thought it was simply superb, despite the few flaws it might possess. Who knows? Perhaps one day it will be universally appreciated again.
Below is a short article about a casserole dish known as Maqluba: MAQLUBAMaquluba is a traditional casserole dish of the Arab Levant. It is traditional in many countries throughout the Middle East. The ingredients for the dish can vary from one recipe to another. However, it basically consists of meat, eggplant, and various vegetables; which are all cooked under a layer of rice. The ingredients are placed in a pot, which is flipped upside-down, when served. This is why the dish is called Maqluba, which means "upside down". Maqluba is traditionally accompanied by yogurt and/or cucumber salad.I first learned about Maqluba, while watching the BBC series, "THE SUPERSIZERS EAT . . . MEDIEVAL". According to the episode, the dish certainly existed around the 12th and 13th centuries, when European soldiers first stumbled across it, while they fought in the Middle East, during The Crusades. Below is a recipe for Maqluba that mainly features chicken and rice from the Mina website:MaqlubaIngredients1 ½ cups Rice, divided¼ cup Olive oil, divided1 Large eggplant1 Large zucchiniSalt and pepper 1 Onion, chopped2 Cloves garlic, minced1 lb Lean Ground Chicken½ tsp CinnamonPinch Nutmeg1 tsp Allspice 1 tsp Garam masala1 Large tomato, sliced 1 (19 oz) Can chickpeas, drained2 ½ cups Chicken brothDirectionsSOAK rice in water for 30 minutes or until ready to use.CUT eggplant and zucchini lengthwise into ¼ inch thick strips. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sauté until tender, about 1-2 minutes per side and set aside.HEAT 1 tbsp olive oil in the same pan and add onion and garlic. Sauté for 2-4 minutes or until tender. Add chicken and spices and cook for 8-10 minutes, breaking up the meat with the back of a wooden spoon until golden brown.DRAIN rice and set aside.GREASE a 16 cup heavy bottomed pot with olive oil. Layer zucchini and eggplant alternately in the bottom of the pot and up the sides. Top eggplant and zucchini in bottom of pot with sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle ½ cup (125 mL) rice over the tomatoes followed by chicken mixture, chickpeas and any remaining eggplant or zucchini. Press to compact. Sprinkle in remaining rice and press down again. Pour in chicken stock and cover.BRING the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer on low for 45-50 minutes. If mixture gets too dry before the rice is finished cooking add additional chicken broth or water and simmer until absorbed and rice is cooked.REMOVE from the heat and let rest, covered for 15 minutes.REMOVE lid from the pot and place a large platter upside down over the pot. Carefully invert the mixture onto the platter and serve.Tips: The mixture may not hold its shape completely but that’s okay, simply patch it up before serving. It’s delicious either way.Serving Suggestion: Serve with plain yogurt on the side. Garnish with pine nuts and chopped parsley.
Below is a list of my favorite movies set during the 1500s:
TOP TEN FAVORITE MOVIES SET DURING THE 1500s
1. "The Sea Hawk" (1940) - Errol Flynn starred in this exciting, but loose adaptation of Rafael Sabatini's 1915 novel about an Elizabethan privateer. Directed by Michael Curtiz, the movie starred Brenda Marshall and Henry Daniell.
2. "Shakespeare in Love" (1998) - John Madden directed this Best Picture winner about how an imaginary love affair between playwright William Shakespeare and a wealthy merchant's daughter that led to his creation of "Romeo and Juliet". Joseph Fiennes and Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow starred.
3. "Anne of the Thousand Days" (1969) - Richard Burton and Oscar nominee Geneviève Bujold starred in this historical drama about Anne Boleyn's relationship with King Henry VIII of England. Charles Jarrott directed.
4. "A Man for All Seasons" (1966) - Oscar winner Fred Zinnemann directed this Best Picture winner, an adaptation of Robert Bolt's play about the final years of Sir Thomas More, Henry VIII's Lord Chancellor. Oscar winner Paul Scofield starred.
5. "Captain From Castile" (1947) - Tyrone Power starred in this adaptation of Samuel Shellabarger's 1945 novel about a Spanish nobleman's experiences during the Spanish Inquisition and Hernan Cortez's conquest of the Aztecs in Mexico. Directed by Henry King, the movie co-starred Jean Peters and Cesar Romero.
6. "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex" (1939) - Bette Davis, Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland starred in this adaptation of Maxwell Anderson's 1930 Broadway play, "Elizabeth the Queen", a fictionalized account of the relationship between Queen Elizabeth I and the 2nd Earl of Essex. Michael Curtiz directed.
7. "Elizabeth" (1998) - Golden Globe winner Cate Blanchett starred in this highly fictionalized account of the early years of Elizabeth I's reign. Directed by Shekhar Kapur, the movie co-starred Geoffrey Rush, Joseph Fiennes and Richard Attenborough.
8. "Ever After" (1998) - Drew Barrymore starred in this loose adaptation of "Cinderella". Directed by Andy Tennant, the movie co-starred Anjelica Houston and Dougray Scott.
9. "Mary, Queen of Scotland" (1971) - Vanessa Redgrave starred in this biopic about the life of Queen Mary of Scotland. Directed by Charles Jarrott, the movie co-starred Timothy Dalton, Nigel Davenport and Glenda Jackson.
10. "Anonymous" (2011) - Roland Emmerich directed this interesting and highly fictionalized biopic about Elizabethan courtier, Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford. The movie starred Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, Joely Richardson and David Thewlis.
Below is an article I had written about a famous comfort food dish known as Macaroni and Cheese:MACARONI AND CHEESEMacaroni and Cheese is a famous dish known throughout Europe and other Western countries, especially the United States. My own memories of the dish date back to my childhood when my parents and grandmother used to serve it to me and my siblings . . . especially from the pre-packaged box form created by the company, Kraft. But I have eaten traditional homemade Macaroni and Cheese every now and then.Although known today as an American comfort dish, Macaroni and Cheese was a dish made from Parmesan cheese and past that originated in Italy. Pasta and cheese casseroles have been recorded in cookbooks as early as the 14th century's "Liber de Coquina", one of the oldest medieval cookbooks. The dish also made its first appearance in England during the same century, in the famous English medieval cookbook titled "Forme of Cury".The first modern recipe for Macaroni and Cheese appeared in Elizabeth Raffald's 1769 book "The Experienced English Housekeeper". Her recipe called for a Béchamel sauce with Cheddar cheese, which is mixed with macaroni pasta, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and baked. The dish also appeared in the famous Victorian cookbook, "Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management" and included two recipes for the dish.Many would be surprised to learn that the future third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson may have been responsible for the introduction of Macaroni and Cheese to Americans. He first sampled the dish in both in Paris and in northern Italy, and later incorporated the dish at his Virginia home, Monticello. As the country's third president, Jefferson served Macaroni and Cheese at a State dinner in 1802. Mary Randolph, sister to Jefferon's son-in-law Thomas Mann Randolph Jr., included a recipe for the dish in her 1824 cookbook, "The Virginia Housewife".Below is a recipe for "Macaroni and Cheese" from the MyRecipe website:Macaroni and CheeseIngredients2 cups milk2 tablespoons butter2 tablespoons all-purpose flour1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper1 (10-oz.) block extra sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)1/2 (16-oz.) package elbow macaroni, cookedPreparation1. Whisk flour into butterPreheat oven to 400°. Microwave milk at HIGH for 1 1/2 minutes. Melt butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute.2. Whisk in warm milkGradually whisk in warm milk, and cook, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until thickened.3. Whisk in cheeseWhisk in salt, black pepper, 1 cup shredded cheese, and, if desired, red pepper until smooth; stir in pasta. Spoon pasta mixture into a lightly greased 2-qt. baking dish; top with remaining cheese. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
"IRONCLADS" (1991) ReviewBetween the late 1980s and the first few years of the 21st century, communications mogul Ted Turner had produced or oversaw a series of period dramas in the forms of movies and miniseries. Aside from two or three productions, most of them were aired as television movies on the cable network TNT, which is owned by the Turner Broadcasting System. One of those productions was the 1991 movie, "IRONCLADS".Set during the first year of the U.S. Civil War, "IRONCLADS" is a fictional account of the creations of the first two American ironclads, C.S.S. Virginia (also known as the U.S.S. Merrimack) and the U.S.S. Monitor, and their clash during the Battle of Hampton Roads in March 1862. The movie began in April 1861 with the U.S. Navy personnel being forced to evacuate the Gosport Navy Yard at Norfolk, Virginia, following the state of Virginia's secession from the United States. During the evacuation, Quartermaster's Mate Leslie Harmon deliberately interfered with the militarily necessary demolition of the Navy Yard's dry dock at Hampton Roads Naval Base in order to prevent collateral damage and civilian casualties in the city, as Confederates overran the base. While stationed in Norfolk, Leslie had made friends. Unfortunately, his actions were noticed and he found himself facing court-martial. It seemed the newly formed Confederate Navy used the undamaged naval yard to raise the sunken U.S.S. Merrimack and refit it into an ironclad ship.Union officer Commodore Joseph Smith gave him the choice between facing court-martial or serving as a Union spy. Leslie was assigned to work with a Virginia belle from Norfolk named Betty Stuart, who had become an abolitionist and Unionist during her years at a boarding school in Baltimore. Betty had also recruited her mother's maid named Opal and the latter's husband, Cletus, as part of her spy ring. Using Leslie's past actions during the Union evacuation as an excuse to label him a Confederate sympathizer, Betty introduced him to Norfolk society. This allowed the pair to spy upon the activities surrounding the development of the Confederate Navy's new ironclad ship. At the same time, the Union Navy recruited John Ericsson to design their own ironclad ship.Many years - and I do mean many of them - had passed since I last saw "IRONCLADS". It is a miracle that I was able to watch it, considering that it has yet to be released on DVD. When I first saw "IRONCLADS" over twenty years ago, I had been impressed, despite it being a low-budget television movie that aired on a Basic cable station. But seeing it again after twenty-five years or so . . . I am still impressed. I honestly did not think this movie would hold up after a quarter of a century. Mind you, "IRONCLADS" had its flaws. I think this movie could have been longer . . . at least thirty (30) to forty-five (45) minutes longer. After all, it is about the first two ironclads in both U.S. and world history and I believe that Leslie and Betty's activities as spies in Norfolk could have been expanded a bit.But my one real problem with the movie is the romance between Betty Stuart and Lieutenant Catesby ap Roger Jones of the Confederate Navy. It was bad enough that Lieutenant Jones, who was roughly 39 to 40 years old during the movie's setting was portrayed by actor Alex Hyde-White, who must have been at least roughly 31 years old during the movie's production. Worse, Betty Stuart was a fictional character. Lieutenant Jones . . . was not. The movie did an excellent job in portraying historical characters such as John Ericsson, Commodore Joseph Smith, Captain Franklin Buchanan of the C.S.S. Virginia, Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles and yes, President Abraham Lincoln. But the movie made a major misstep in creating a romance between the fictional Betty and the historical Lieutenant Jones. I hate it when writers do that. I still have bad memories of George MacDonald Fraser allowing a historical character to be the illegitimate son of his fictional character, Harry Flashman. And the real Catesby ap Jones was already a married man with children during that first year of the Civil War. For the likes of me, I could not understand why screenwriter Harold Gast could not allow Betty to have a romance with another fictional character, who happened to serve aboard the C.S.S. Virginia under Buchanan and Jones.Despite the above problems, I can honestly say that I still managed to enjoy "IRONCLADS". Thanks to Delmar Mann's direction and Harold Gast's screenplay, the movie proved to be a heady mixture of espionage, military conflict and history. Step-by-step, the movie took television viewers on a road mixed with fiction and fact to that famous sea battle that stunned the rest of the world. What I found even more interesting - and I am sure that many might find this a reason to criticize - is that in an odd way, the production provided well-rounded characters from both the North and the South.The Betty Stuart character proved to be rather ambiguous. She was a product of the Virginia upper-class, who became an abolitionist and pro-Union . . . without informing her friends and family about her change of allegiance. And yet, her love for Lieutenant Jones led her to betray her allegiance and beliefs. Her situation proved to be so complicated that the only advice I can give is to watch the film, if you can find it. Another complicated character proved to be the Northern-born navy quartermaster-turned-spy, Leslie Harmon. He got into trouble in the first place, because he thought more of the Norfolk civilians than destroying that dry dock. And while one can admire him for his humanity, I found it interesting that he never really considered the slaves who served the upper-and-middle-class citizens of that city. Until he became a spy and witnessed a Confederate Naval intelligence officer named Lieutenant Gilford harshly ordered Cletus to provide another glass of champagne for him. Leslie eventually confessed that he had never paid attention to Norfolk's slaves before the war.As anyone can see, the topic of slavery managed to play a strong role in this production. After all, Betty's embrace of the abolitionist movement led her to become a pro-Union spy against her fellow Virginians. And she had recruited two of her mother's slaves as part of her slave ring. What I found interesting about this movie is that it presented two incidents in which Opal and Cletus had individually faced the price of being slaves. I have already mentioned Leslie witnessing Lieutenant Gilford's harsh and racist attitude toward Cletus. But for me, I was really put off by Mrs. Stuart's decision to limit Opal's "visit" to her sister to once a year. It was the manner in which she made this order. I found it cool, subtle, indifferent and self-involved. Naturally, Opal serving Mrs. Stuart's needs was more important than the latter having the opportunity to see a relative.However, this story is about the Monitor and the Merrimack. As I had earlier stated, the movie did a pretty damn good job in leading up to the events of the Battle of Hampton Roads. But let us be honest . . . the actual battle proved to be the movie's pièce de résistance - from that first day when the Merrimack nearly made the Union blockade near Norfolk and Newport News obsolete; to the second in which the two ironclads faced each other. In fact, the battle took up the entire second half. Here, I think Mann, along with film editor Millie Moore, visual effects artist Doug Ferris and the special effects team led by Joel P. Blanchard did an exceptional job of re-creating the Battle of Hampton Roads.However, the Battle of Hampton Roads sequence was not the only aspect of "IRONCLADS" that I enjoyed. Moore, Ferris and the visual and special effects teams did an admirable job in recreating Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia circa 1861-62. Their work was ably supported by Joseph R. Jennings' production designs; the sound effects created by the sound editing team led by Burton Weinstein; the sound mixing team led by Kenneth B. Ross; Joseph R. Jennings' production designs. By the way, the two sound teams both earned Emmy nominations for their work. I was surprised to discover that another Emmy nomination was given to Noel Taylor for his costume designs. Do not get me wrong. I enjoyed looking at them, especially those costumes worn by Virginia Masden, as shown below:
I found Taylor's costumes colorful and yes . . . beautiful to look at. But if I must be honest, his costumes seemed to have a touch of late 20th century glamour - namely those worn by the Virginian elite - that I found unrealistic.Looking back at "IRONCLADS", I can honestly say that there was not a performance that blew my mind. The television movie did not feature a performance I would consider worthy of an Emmy nomination. Solid performances came from the likes of E.G. Marshall, Kevin O'Rourke, Leon B. Stevens, Carl Jackson, Andy Park, Burt Edwards and Marty Terry. I thought James Getty was pretty serviceable as President Abraham Lincoln. However, I think he managed to really evoke the memory of "Old Abe" with one particular line - "All I can say is what the girl said when she put her foot in the stocking. It (the U.S.S. Monitor) strikes me there's something in it."But there were performances that I found very noticeable and effective. One would think that Philip Casnoff's portrayal of naval intelligence officer, Lieutenant Guilford, to be a remake of the villainous character he had portrayed in the television adaptations of John Jakes' "North and South" novels. However, Casnoff's Guilford was no copycat of Elkhannah Bent. The actor effectively portrayed a cool and ruthless spymaster willing to do what it took to protect his new nation. Joanne Dorian gave a very interesting and varied performance as Betty Stuart's shallow and self-involved mother, Blossom Stuart. At times, I found her portrayal of Mrs. Stuart hilarious or amusing. And yet . . . there was that scene in which the actress conveyed the ugliness of her character's selfishness and racism.Another performance that caught my eye came from Beatrice Bush, who portrayed Mrs. Stuart's enslaved maid, Opal and Betty's fellow spy. During the teleplay's first half, Bush gave a solid performance. But I was truly impressed by how the actress had expressed Opal's shock and suppressed anger over Betty's decision to inform Catesby about their findings regarding the C.S.S. Virginia's plating. I wsa impressed by how Bush effortlessly expressed Opal's anger without allowing the character to lose control. I also enjoyed Fritz Weaver's portrayal of John Ericsson, the Swedish-born immigrant, who became one of the best naval engineers of the 19th century and designer of the U.S.S. Monitor. Weaver gave a very entertaining performance as the tart-tongued engineer who was constantly irritated by U.S. Navy and the Lincoln Administration's doubts over his work or the use of iron clad ships.Alex Hyde-White gave a charismatic portrayal of Confederate Naval officer, Lieutenant Catsby ap Jones. The actor did a good job in conveying his character charm, professionalism. He also effectively conveyed Jones' anger and confusion upon discovering his love's role as a Union spy. I really enjoyed Reed Diamond's engaging portrayal of the earnest Union Navy quartermaster, Leslie Harmon. I enjoyed how his character had learned a lesson about himself and what this war was about. He also gave, what I believe to be one of the best lines in the movies. Both Hyde-White and Reed managed to create solid chemistry with leading actress, Virginia Madsen.Speaking of Madsen, and managed to create a solid screen chemistry with lead Virginia Madsen. Superficially, Madsen's Betty Stuart seemed like the typical lead in a period drama - a beautiful and noble woman of high birth who has become dedicated to a cause. What made Betty interesting is that she was a Southern-born woman from a slave-owning family who became a dedicated abolitionist. And this led her to become an effective and yes, manipulative spy. But what I found interesting about Madsen's skillful portrayal is that her character proved to be surprisingly a bit complicated . . . especially when her role as a spy and her feelings for Catsby Jones produced a conflict within her.I am not going to push the idea that TNT's "IRONCLADS" was a television hallmark or masterpiece. It was a solid 94-minute account of the circumstances that led to the creations of the world's first two ironclads - the C.S.S. Virginia (Merrimack) and the U.S.S. Monitor - and their historic clash in Virginia waters. A part of me wished that this movie - especially the details leading to the Battle of Hampton Roads - had been a bit longer. And I am not that thrilled over screenwriter Harold Gast using a historical figure like Catesby ap Jones as the love interest of the fictional Betty Stuart. But I believe that both Gast and director Delmar Mann had created an interesting, complex and exciting narrative that was enhanced by excellent performances from a cast led by Virginia Madsen.
