anthonycalamitacc As far as a movie goes, it was fairly entertaining. Many times the script seemed cliche at best and cheesy at worst. The romantic element of the movie seemed rather overplayed, and as far as a war movie goes, the plot should have relied more heavily on the war and the politics and less on the romance. Frankly, a movie about a bloody battle in the bloodiest war in American history was no place for a romeo and juliet story. The reenactors did an excellent job, the uniforms, weapons, and battlefield effects were very accurate, and the battle itself did a good job of showcasing American military tactics at the time (specifically, the way the tactics resulted in a high death count, something the US learned from very quickly after the war.) Overall, worth the watch.

Max Pham Despite the lack of actual 'punch' within the plot, the portrayal of wartime and issues with regards to slavery during and after the war was interesting and well-represented. It provides a new perspective for viewers, as the Confederate Army is often demonized in many Civil war movies; the Field of Lost Shoes, instead focuses on the morality and humanity of many young soldiers and cadets. Robert, as portrayed by Nolan Gould, even mentions in the beginning that his father was opposed to slavery and took him to see a slave auction as a 'lesson in life', to which he witnesses a black family being separated. In fact, many of the young cadet boys held anti-slavery sentiments, scenes such as the Old Judge and slave lady who got stuck under a cart really illustrates the notion that not all soldiers enlisted or reserved to fight with the confederate army all held the same values with regards to slavery. Many of the boy's motivation to fight was to defend their land, seek 'revenge' for the fallen and uphold honor- many in which are disregarded in many Civil War movies and the Field of Lost Shoes does a great job at providing another perspective. There is a somber contrast between the cadets and the old soldiers, many of which are portrayed to be rude old men who jeered at the cadets. In a turn of events, during the actual fighting, it was the cadets that marched in order and upheld their bravery and honor, even suggesting they should charge through union fire. All in all, the movie, although a little lacking in plot, provided a great and entertaining representation of the Civil War and specifically the Battle of Newmarket.

Elizabeth Ruhland The plot line of this movie was mainly focused on the confederate side of the Civil War. It added a different viewpoint because the battle that was fought was won by the confederates, yet the whole war was won by the union. Field of Lost Shoes provides the sense of friendship and loyalty that most soldiers acquired during training. These friendships were often the only thing that kept their spirits up and gave them a reason fight and survive. The added love interest to the film showcased another realistic reason for young men to join the army, and also helped the plot to be more interesting. The Battle of New Market was the high point of the movie and was definitely not a major fight in the war so the production for it correlated to that. There probably could have been more people involved in some scenes to create a greater impact and make the movie more legitimate. The names of the soldiers were based off of real life people and the cadets who died were also the same. The connection to real history makes the film all the better and creates a true Civil War feel. In all, the movie was heartfelt and lightened the blow on how violent the Civil War actually was. It was not a very gruesome film but considering the battle, it did not have to be. There were some historical errors, which is understandable to help move the story along and to add excitement.

Lina Huynh I believe that this movie was sufficiently accurate to support the events of history during the civil war. Throughout this movie, the viewer was clearly able to see how the lives of the cadets were at the time. It showed their struggles at the young age, along with their sacrifices for their people. In addition, the movie provided the fact that not all southerners supported slavery. There were some who were willing to fight for their family, but wanted a change if they were victorious. However, "Field of Lost Shoes" became a bit cliché. The love story that began in the film was too focused on. I felt as though the story of slavery and the stress and efforts of the cadets and soldiers did not get the attention that was expected given the current situation of the story. Overall, I thought that the movie provided good facts regarding the locations, uniforms of both sides, weaponry, women's clothing and responsibilities, and the tactics used. It is a movie that could have focused more on effects and the main plot, but the details and information were accurate.