Helaina, I am glad you enjoyed the movie. I think we might have a skewed view of sexuality in the mid-Nineteenth century. I tend to think that people were pretty much the same then, and that there are always a wide range of personalities. I often read that during those days a widow was under more pressure to find a new husband quickly. I thought that the examination of the relationship between Daniel Holt and first George, and later Jake, was excellent. As you know, I was amazed to hear someone say that they thought the movie portrayed Quantrill in a heroic light. I thought it made him look like a pompous "donkey", but that might just be my personal bias. Arleigh Helaina Burton <boatrokr@hotmail.com> wrote: "Ride With the Devil" is set in an often-overlooked theater of the Civil War although the action there was as much, if not more, brutal than the battlefields. Relatives and neighbors took stands against each other and everyone was subject to the viciousness of the Bushwhackers, the Jayhawkers, or both. Although the storyline is presented from the point of view of fictional Bushwhacker Jake, the script manages to give a balanced picture of the atrocities inflicted by both sides, even William Quantrill's raid on Lawrence, Kansas (which was in retaliation for the deaths of women and girls who were being held by Union officials merely because they were related to Quantrill's men). The filmmakers take great pains with authenticity and it's refreshing to see that the Confederate States Army WAS in fact ethnically diverse, and that African-Americans did indeed serve in its ranks while still managing to show the harsh racism of the period. If anything is less than convincing it's the romance...I thought the girl showed less moral character than typical women of the time, but Jewel gives an excellent performance. Tobey Maguire is simply outstanding. I highly recommend this movie. Excellent period piece, historically accurate, and well casted. Arleigh Birchler, BSN 69 Gray Ghost Lane Benson NC 27504 (919) 934-6323 (Ali Sengaree - Allah'ka cli here chaya) Musick/Porter Fan Club Pleasure, Pain, Power, and Love