It’s not often that you see an indie film approach applied to a Civil War period piece, but the Tribeca Film Fest-bound "Men Go To Battle" does just that. Zachary Treitz co-wrote the film with Kate Lyn Sheil (a near ubiquitous presence in independent cinema of the past 5 years), and the former, a Louisville native, also took on directing duties for the location shoot in Kentucky. Since period pieces are usually more expensive than indie budgets typically allow, "Men Go To Battle" is a decidedly DIY affair, and Treitz enlisted Civil War reenactors so as to achieve authenticity. Via this exclusive clip, you can see that this approach has succeeded.
Treitz and Sheil have gone in a more authentic and grounded direction in terms of story, following two squabbling, pranking brothers who are separated by the war. The clip below features a unique approach to a war film standard —the letter home— with a distinct tone and style.
Check out the long synopsis and clip below. "Men Go To Battle" premieres this Friday, April 17th, at the Regal Cinemas Battery Park In New York City at 8:30 PM.
Most Americans predict that the Civil War will end by Christmas, but Henry (Tim Morton) and Francis Mellon (David Maloney) couldn’t care less. Bracing for another winter on their struggling farm in rural Kentucky, the brothers have become suffocatingly close. Francis’ practical jokes become more and more aggressive until the night he accidentally injures Henry in a drunken fight. After humiliating himself in front of a daughter (Rachel Korine) of the town’s preeminent family, Henry disappears in the night. Months later, Francis learns that Henry has joined the Union army, and the two are left to find out separately what the approaching war will bring.
