By 

A. Calabrese “othernj” (NJ–United States) –

  

This little independent film is just perfect. It is poetry for the eyes. The backdrop of this movie is the American Civil War’s Battle of the Wilderness. Written, directed, and produced by Kevin Hershberger the film unfolds like a canvas before your eyes. Shot on location throughout Virginia it gives the viewer a perfect feel for the times in which the story takes place. Six soldiers, a terrible battle, friends, enemies, and waiting love are all in this story. The acting is great too. Brian Merrick as Confederate Harrison Bolding and DJ Perry as Yank John Sunderlin really play well off of one and other. A good part of the story takes place at night when color and affinities are blurred. There is a good lesson here about war and humanity. If you are a Civil War history lover, buff, or whatever buy this DVD.

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Writer-director Kevin Hershberger has done something special with Wicked Spring which other directors, with much bigger budgets, have failed to do: created a period piece which transcends the period. Wicked Spring is not just about a War; it’s about the people fighting the war. Just as the soldiers from both sides of the conflict laid aside their weapons and shared a campfire, the Director laid aside the politics of the War and brought into the light the predicament men in war find themselves in: they want love, but are asked to kill. That’s harder to swallow than tack.

The battle scenes were nicely wrought, and these are where Hershberger’s vision came out the most: because of the evocative mood, tone, and depth of the camera shots, the battle scenes were some of the best I’ve seen in Civil War movies. Hershberger should also be given kudos for casting natural actors with the look and integrity to carry this picture. Hershberger obviously saw that the two lead actors had presence, and, when the scene boils down to just the two of them talking about life, love, and war, Wicked Spring is at its best.

Nevertheless, I’d recommend this movie. Especially to Civil War buffs, but really to anybody interested in what goes on in a soldier’s heart.

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