FanUnity B(uzz)log

Alternate history isn't a genre often explored in film. It is typically left to Harry Turtledove books.  Turtledove's most famous historical fiction question — "[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline-191]What if the South won the US Civil War?[/url]" — is the subject of the faux-documentary "CSA: Confederate States Of America."

The film presents itself as a BBC TV special being shown for the first time to American TV audiences.  The subject is the history of the CSA and the lead-in promises shocking allegations that will rock the foundation of the nation. Not only do we get the psuedo-history through the documentary, we see fake commericals that hint at life in the CSA.

As for the alternate history, after the end of the war the South pushed forward and took over the Northern states, making the nation whole, only under the Stars and Bars rather than the Stars and Stripes.  Slavery was not abolished, Northern cities such as New York and Boston were razed, Abe Lincoln was banished to Canada and died in infamy and women never got the vote. The CSA allied with Hitler in WWII and it is they who launched a sneak attack on Japan, not vice-versa. The expansionist CSA invaded and held Mexico, Central America and South America.  Throughout much of the history, the CSA is led by a member of the Fauntroy dynasty, a sort of twisted take on the Kennedy clan.  However, John Kennedy in fact does become President in the 1960s though, as public support of slavery wans, but his assassination ends that movement.  Ultimately the big surprise at the end involves the Fauntroy family and certain Thomas Jefferson-esque allegations.

Backed by Spike Lee, the documentary is an interesting exploration of alternative history and smartly uses events, people and products from reality to make the story feel credible.  While the film is clever, it really doesn't make much of a point other than having entertainment value for those of us who find historical fiction a fun exercise.  I suppose the main point it makes is that many of the products used in the commericals were at one time real products but that falls short of expectations. I expected something with a sharper point to it when I saw Spike Lee's name on it, but "CSA: Confederate States Of America" doesn't really make any damning condemnations of our society or anything like what you might expect from Spike Lee on this subject.  That may be because he entered late as a producer and its really director/writer Kevin Willmott's film.  Either way, CSA is definitely worth a look if you like alternate histories or documentaries.

3/5 Stars.