I don't really believe some of the reviews that suggest this film had some sort of covert political agenda. It's just a good story but what makes it outstanding is the talent of Gary Cooper and Dorothy McGuire. They are wonderful together. He is so understated in his acting and so appealing and she is so powerful, so strong. Neither ever made a bad movie and a number of their performances are exceptional (Cooper in Sergeant York and McGuire in A Tree Grows On Brooklyn, as examples). Their chemistry in this film is endearing. McGuire's handling of the Confederate raiders (including swinging a broom at one to protect Samantha, the family goose) and Copper's honorable treatment of the Confederate soldier are wonderful. The plot is excellent and it captures the tragedy of a nation, a state and a community divided by brutal civil war. This movie must be considered as an "essential".