I have discovered that in 1936 B-movie, "Hearts of Courage", had a fictional story surrounding the battle of the Monitor and the Merrimack, of which I described the battle sequences in that film as quite intense. Years later, I discovered this TNT movie which is much more details and thrilling and gives some interesting aspects about life in the South during the Civil War, particularly the fact that some people, particularly the women, were anti-slavery in spite of the Confederate point of view on that matter.
There are two examples of this, particularly young Virginia Madsen who becomes a traitor to the south in order to see the reprehensible slave trade and its continuing practice end, and her mother who feels that slavery shouldn't exist but isn't doing anything about it. With the help of her own slave Opal (a very good Beatrice Bush), she runs letters along the lines to get to the North to help them win the war, and eventually she is caught. That is right before the battle where her fiancee (Alex Hyde-White) ends up as Captain on a Confederate war ship, the Virginia.
Madsen finds further support with union spy Reed Diamond who influence her to continue her work. Philip casnoff, one of the major Southern villains of "North and South", plays a similar character here but is not nearly as soon as here. I was confused by the early presence of a white-haired man who cared to look like Lincoln, but later, there's a dark-haired man who obviously is Lincoln. The presence of veteran actors Fritz Weaver, E. G. Marshall and Leon B. Stevens add some great authoritative characters into the story.
This got four Emmy nominations for its technical achievements, and I must say that Madison was deserving as well. She is certainly a greater Southern heroin to me than the spoiled Scarlett O'Hara. I also give credit to TNT for producing historical dramas surrounding events that the major studios in Hollywood didn't seem interested in doing for the big screen. This one may not be a masterpiece, but it still is a good history lesson.
There are two examples of this, particularly young Virginia Madsen who becomes a traitor to the south in order to see the reprehensible slave trade and its continuing practice end, and her mother who feels that slavery shouldn't exist but isn't doing anything about it. With the help of her own slave Opal (a very good Beatrice Bush), she runs letters along the lines to get to the North to help them win the war, and eventually she is caught. That is right before the battle where her fiancee (Alex Hyde-White) ends up as Captain on a Confederate war ship, the Virginia.
Madsen finds further support with union spy Reed Diamond who influence her to continue her work. Philip casnoff, one of the major Southern villains of "North and South", plays a similar character here but is not nearly as soon as here. I was confused by the early presence of a white-haired man who cared to look like Lincoln, but later, there's a dark-haired man who obviously is Lincoln. The presence of veteran actors Fritz Weaver, E. G. Marshall and Leon B. Stevens add some great authoritative characters into the story.
This got four Emmy nominations for its technical achievements, and I must say that Madison was deserving as well. She is certainly a greater Southern heroin to me than the spoiled Scarlett O'Hara. I also give credit to TNT for producing historical dramas surrounding events that the major studios in Hollywood didn't seem interested in doing for the big screen. This one may not be a masterpiece, but it still is a good history lesson.