It is a rural Appalachian community that has been haunted by the civil war for a long time. The film deals with those events that happen in this society, as a young rebel struggles to escape the violence that links him to a painful and bad past.
The Civil War was about the South not wanting to give up its slaves. Now it won't give up its drugs. 'Rednecks and drugs: one of the worst hookups of the '60s.'
A strong sense of place emerges, if not a consuming narrative, as the filmmaker strains to connect a 1970s coming-of-age story to historical records and bigger thematic arcs - namely, bloodlines and bloodshed in a rural community.
Yes, this is one of those low-budget gems you're always hearing about. Sub-par production values, certainly. But an intriguing story with excellent acting.
The performances are strong... and Earle is particularly memorable. The film glows with a dark energy when he's on screen. But it's too long, has a musical soundtrack that's often intrusive, and sometimes sags when it should be taut with tension
Jeremy Irvine is the sympathetic focus, but it's Noah Wyle who holds the movie together, as a former teacher who lost his job through a malicious student's prank.
For all the good intentions and native hands behind the camera, The World Set Straight never seems particularly credible or convincing as a fresh look at regional history.
The film illustrates how the most powerful and welcome stabilizing forces in human life - history, family, geography - can turn so easily into deadly traps.
