DVD Reviews

CSA: The Confederate States of America

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CSA is a wildly satirical look at what America, and indeed the rest of the world would look like if the South had won the American Civil War instead of them damn Yankees. The significantly historic story is told through a 'British Documentary' style, with 'ad breaks' and for authenticity. Although talented (and irrefutably political) director Spike Lee is credited as a producer here, it really feels tacked on for status - this is a seriously over-the-top, sledgehammer-style documentary that somewhat squanders a unique and interesting concept by the inept way that the material is handled. It does not bear any of Lee's hallmarks, with the possible exception of the innovative concept. Are you up to speed on your Lincoln? You'd need to be relatively well-versed in certain aspects of American history to truly grasp what exactly is real, and what is part of the bogus documentary, as the lead up to the American Civil War is quite the complicated affair. The most cringeworthy aspects of CSA are the 'interviews' that are obviously meant to mirror important figures in their applicable field; but some seriously hammy acting and misguided direction hampers what should have been a simplistic exercise of talking heads. It disturbs the feel of proceedings, as do the "ad breaks" that become irritating after a while. You get the point after the first couple of times that this is satirical - you don't need 8 more ad breaks to hammer the point home. Ultimately, this is an almost criminal waste of an excellent concept, resulting in an amateurly-executed, if sporadically intelligent film.

Review by Mike Sheridan