(Review) Hatfields & McCoys
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Published on November 30, 2015 05:30 PM
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Single Issue I Hatfields & McCoys (2012)
Hatfields and McCoys
As part of History Channel’s first foray into scripted drama, Hatfields & McCoys tells the story of the famous blood feud between two rural families in West Virginia and Kentucky. Set across three movie-length episodes, the story features the two patriarchs of the families returning home from the Civil War only to find their life of conflict is far from over. Though the Hatfield and McCoy patriarchs were brothers in war, they became enemies in peace. Beginning over a dispute concerning a McCoy family member who sided with the Union as well as a court case between the two families over a possible stolen pig, the story quickly descends into violence as the two families spiral into a decade long blood feud that fascinated the nation. It is a tale of how eye-for-an-eye justice can make two families blind to why they are even fighting each other, and would pay for it with their blood and their lives. Hatfields & McCoys has many positives that are worthy of note. The acting in particular is absolutely stellar. Kevin Costner as William Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield and Bill Paxton as Randall McCoy deliver outstanding performances. There is not a moment that the two of them, especially in their scenes together, disappoint the viewers. They simply are their characters, and are compelling in every word they speak and every action they take. But they are not the only actors that give strong performances in their roles. Tom Berenger offers an incredibly villainous performance as Jim Vance, the villainous uncle of the Devil Anse Hatfield. Mare Winningham also plays the part of Sally McCoy perfectly as well. It is not a surprise that all of the above were nominated for Emmy’s in their performances; they certainly all deserved it. Nearly all of the principal actors are perfect in their roles, and really add to the atmosphere of the time period with their attention to accents and their body language. The casting was simply exceptional. The performances of the side characters such as family members and associates were also quite good, and should not go without notice. An honorable mention would also be Noel Fisher as the simple yet likable Ellison Mount, a member of the Hatfield clan who is stuck in the middle of a feud that he does not understand. Another notable would be Powers Boothe as Judge Hatfield, the older brother of Devil Anse, and the main member of the Hatfield clan that tried his best to quell the feud before it spiraled out of control. Andrew Howard as Bad Frank Phillips, a bounty hunter that works for the McCoys, also performed admirably as a supporting cast member. Though the leads stole the show, the miniseries ensured that the supporting characters were not miscast and horribly acted, a blessing considering the amount of money it probably took to get such actors like Costner and Berenger. No matter how large or small the role, the acting in this miniseries was, for lack of a better phrase, nearly perfect. The series also enjoys fantastic production values. The cinematography is incredible, and the work of that team leads to the miniseries that feels like an extra long movie rather than a television production. It simply does not feel like your standard television fare, and indeed puts many movies to shame in terms of the way the series was filmed. Additionally, while the miniseries was not filmed in America, the choice to film in Romania helped bring a sort of “frontier” look and atmosphere to the miniseries. The sets were elaborate and rustic, such as an entire town that was constructed along with the numerous other buildings, and the landscape looks virtually untouched, perfect as a representation of the Appalachian Mountains and the landscape of Kentucky and West Virginia of post-Civil War America. The attention to detail is evident in the costumes, weapons, and action as well, with every person outfitted in period appropriate firearms and clothing that really immerses the audience. The weapons in particular were amazing, while the costumes themselves looked like they were genuinely made with materials and technology from the right time period. The action and bloodshed look authentic as well, though for a blood feud the action was used relatively sparingly throughout the series, which actually aids the series to make it appear as if it is not all about the violence. An example of this is the climax of the series, the Battle of Grapevine. While relatively little blood was spilled, the lead up and the battle itself were fantastic, and really shows the extent of this feud as a hundred people took part in the battle on screen including the two leads, nearly all of the remaining family members of both sides, and their supporters. Aiding the miniseries as well is the fantastic script, with period-appropriate sayings as well as the the story in general. The series made sure to stay as accurate to the feud as possible, portraying nearly all of the relevant events in depth to show just how deep and sometimes how petty the feud was between the two families. Almost nothing important was changed in regards to the events of the feud, meaning that it stays as close as possible to the actual history while maintaining a compelling and complete narrative with a fitting conclusion that was as natural as the event itself. The story even manages to portray the love story between a Hatfield son and a McCoy daughter, an additional point of contention between the two families, rather excellently and without any cliche or tropes. The story is simply a well crafted one, well-paced and without any notable problems in clarity. Additionally, the music of the series is fantastic, featuring the excellent song “I Know These Hills”, a hauntingly beautiful piece whose instrumental version forms the centerpiece of the series. Kevin Costner and his band even contributed to the music. The use of music is especially great in several key scenes throughout the story. There is nothing at all to complain about from a production standpoint when it comes to this miniseries, as the series looks and feels as an authentic representation of the feud. Ironically, there is one minor flaw with the miniseries that I can really complain about, and it is related to the positives expressed above. In its quest to put as much detail as possible into the conflict, showcasing all the events of the feud, the miniseries goes on perhaps a little bit too long. This is especially evident in the uncut edition available on home video, as the uncut edition adds extra time onto it. The miniseries, at least the uncut edition, runs nearly five hours long, which is just a little bit long considering the story. If the miniseries had cut just little of the plot and trimmed it down just a bit it would be the absolute perfect length while maintaining the complete story. However, this is not a serious flaw, as the added twenty or thirty minutes is not wasted. It just is not needed either. Despite this small flaw, Hatfields & McCoys is an ideal miniseries. It has a gripping story that is effectively delivered over a mostly appropriate timespan. It has fantastic production values, ensuring that the series appears well made and authentic, which only contributes to the atmosphere of the series. The action, though relatively sparse throughout the series, is well used and not gratuitous, and culminates perfectly in the “final battle” near the end of the series. Keeping the series directed by the same person, Kevin Reynolds, also ensures that quality and tone are kept throughout the series, with no obvious differences between the directing and acting across the three episodes. This was an excellent and quality effort by the History Channel in making a scripted drama, which is commendable coming from the same network that brings such horrible programming like Ancient Aliens and Pawn Stars. There is nothing of consequence wrong with this miniseries, and if it were not for the slightly overlong story, it would be absolutely flawless in my opinion. It is compelling, well acted, well produced, and overall a superb miniseries. 9.5/10 VIDEO 
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