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Rupert Pate, Evamarii Johnson, Larry Peterson, Charles Frank, Fernando Arenas ... see more see more... , Jon Niccum , Richard A. Buswell , Rodney Hill , Ryan L. Carroll , Sean Blake , Troy Moore , Larry J. Peterson , Don Carlton , Greg Hurd , Greg Kirsch , Molly Graham , Renee Patrick , William Willmott

American history is turned on its head in this bitterly satirical mockumentary from writer and director Kevin Willmott. Taking the form of a BBC documentary about slavery in America, C.S.A. traces the... read more read more... history of the Confederate States of America, beginning in 1863 as the Southern States turned the tide in the War of Northern Aggression when, with the help of British and French troops, they won a decisive victory at the Battle of Gettysburg. Two years later, Ulysses S. Grant surrendered to Robert E. Lee as the Confederacy emerged victorious against the United States of America. As Abraham Lincoln and many other supporters of the Abolitionist cause fled to Canada, the Northern States were gradually absorbed into the Confederacy, and the right to own slaves became the uncontested law of the land. Over the course of the next 150 years, the Confederate States of America grew to become the most powerful nation on Earth, and persevered through wars in Spain and Latin America that expanded Confederate territories, and stood tall against Japan thanks to an alliance with German leader Adolf Hitler. In the present day, the Confederate States of America remain a power to be reckoned with, despite foreign pressures to eliminate the slavery programs that are the economic backbone of the country, a long simmering "cold war" with Canada, and the ongoing conflict against the Muslim Menace. Featuring staged interviews with "noted historians," mock newsreel footage, and inside-out versions of present-day news and entertainment programming, C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America received an enthusiastic reception in its screenings at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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50% liked it

6,583 ratings

Critics

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65 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 29 min.

Directed by: Kevin Willmott

Release Date: February 15, 2006

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DVD Release Date: August 8, 2006

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Flixster Reviews (499)

  • Godless
    December 23, 2009
    Godless
    In this "what If" we get to see what would happen if the US was Alabama.
  • DouglasWCollins
    May 12, 2008
    DouglasWCollins
    Very well made mock documentary of what would have happened if the south had won the war. The documentary part is really serious, but the commercial that play during it (the movie is presented like you are watching a tv documentary with commercials) are great.
  • gator681
    May 4, 2007
    gator681
    [font=Century Gothic]"CSA: The Confederate States of America" is a chilling and meticulously researched faux documentary set in an alternate reality where the Confederate States of America won the Civil War(Here termed by one character as "The War of Northern Aggression"; proof ... read morethat the victors really do write the histories.) and slavery was never abolished. On a limited budget, the movie emulates Ken Burns' style perfectly, complete with readings, archival footage, talking heads and clips of movies thankfully never made. Included are fake commercials about products which actually used to exist. [/font]
    [font=Century Gothic][/font]
    [font=Century Gothic]Slavery is the root of all evil and it is frightening to see a modern world where it is still in use. Not only is it the cause of racism(our world and this alternate world do have striking similarities which I suppose is the point) but it also slows the country's development to a crawl. Throughout, Canada shines as a beacon of hope, drawing the brightest northwards.[/font]
    [font=Century Gothic][/font]
    [font=Century Gothic]However, I do wish that the filmmakers had included more historic personalities in the mix instead of relying on the fictional Fauntroy family.(Political dynasties rarely last beyond two or three generations. Stupidity tends to creep in eventually.)[/font]
  • whosinthenews
    January 11, 2010
    whosinthenews
    CSA is a thought provoking and humorous look at the sheer absurdities of white-centric world views. Like Wolfe's "Colored Museum" turned on its head, this uses parody, irony and extreme situations to jolt the viewer into an uncomfortable confrontation with certain types of thought.
  • lovablemisanthrope
    May 9, 2009
    lovablemisanthrope
    It was SOOOOO boring!!!

    But, it was an interesting concept and the way the film was put together was really unique in my opinion. I don't know if I believe the story though. That's not what I think would have happened.
  • AlaineB
    June 9, 2011
    AlaineB
    This film gets called a "mockumentary", but don't expect fun. Only an hour and a half long, but I felt like it was three hours long. Well-made, hits home but not head-on. Worth watching.
  • MorpheusOne
    November 6, 2010
    MorpheusOne
    I laughed, I admit it. But, I was thoroughly disgusted and horrified at the same time....

    I found myself wondering if that "parallel universe" would ever know such a wonderful thing as what we have and are now being blessed with. I don't really see this as a mockumentary bc, the... read more scenes depicted within it are VERY realistic, such as with the Slave Shopping Network & cigarette commercials.

    This film is a sick, morbid, disgusting, & realistic depiction of what this country would have turned into if the South had won the American Civil War.


    DEATH TO DIXIE!!!
  • tomoeDave
    September 14, 2010
    tomoeDave
    It's interesting to see the wide range of reactions to this mockumentary. The mere fact that some amount of viewers are offended by it or at least chop it down a notch for supposed factual errors should arouse one's interest in viewing it.

    Allow me to help explain this. It is a ... read morecommentary on actual race relations in America, but it wears a few disguises - satire, historical thought-experiment, and political commentary among them. Taken all together, it is not an offensive movie at all. There was a Southerner who reviewed it as offensive to Southerners, but this person clearly had not paid attention. If it was offensive to Southerners, the movie had it out for Northerners as well.

    I dismiss as silly comments about historical accuracy among the user reviews. Partly I dismiss them because the claims of inaccuracy are flawed. For instance, the old "the Civil War was not fought over slavery" canard has come out - this is a pointless assertion, as while secession may have been the legal machination leading to war, we should know the Civil War and secession were all about the issue of slavery, political manipulations aside. Mostly, however, I dismiss such quibbles mostly because this is a film that seeks to show us established or historical reality with just a little twist of humor and absurdity. It is not merely an historical thought-experiment, as it follows too closely the actual history of the USA.

    Despite this, there are some clever inventions - for instance, the nature of America's major wars in the 20th century, and the ways in which cultural upheaval played out in the 60s. Do not expect some sort of mere comedy sketch show here. Ultimately it's not about the laffs, but the gaffes. The most important scenes are cringe-worthy and educational.
  • austineze
    March 19, 2010
    austineze
    I wholeheartedly disagree with the direction this alternate universe takes. Yes, if the southern states had won the war, some of the beginning stages may have looked the same, but moving into our modern age, the pieces just don't fit. I will praise the filmmakers for some fun "pa... read morerallels" that were amusing, but for the most part I just wasn't willing to be taken down the road they showed me. However, the quick, two-minute bit at the end explaining some of the historical evidences they used to base some of the film's sequences, was quite interesting.
  • briley9
    October 24, 2009
    briley9
    This mockumentary presents itself as a San Fransisco-Area television broadcast of a formerly-banned BBC (renamed the ?BBS?) documentary about the C.S.A. The idea is that the Confederate ambassador to France and England persuaded them to enter the war on behalf of the south and t... read morehus the South won. The movie unfolds in a Ken Burns style, with stand-ins for people from the Civil War documentary and a regular update of the events up to today. The film is broken up by commercials from the modern C.S.A. landscape, in which a modern slave state still exists (or did well into the late 20th century).

    The film is an interesting challenge, as it?s both funny and apt, with strong critique of our culture and our tendencies. The timeline is mostly believable, and the racist commercials really challenge the viewer. I?m reminded quite a bit of Bamboozled, which also takes on modern racism, but even more shockingly. The layer of mockumentary makes the film less gut-churning and discomfiting, though it still raises some interesting questions.

    A few other thoughts:

    * The production values are really great. The bits of traditional Americana worked into the film succeed marvelously. For instance, the film re-uses a JFK speech from 1960 in which he characterizes our struggle with USSR as one about ?freedom and slavery,? to suggest that JFK was an abolitionist. Also a gem: the clip of the 1940s movie ?I Married an Abolitionist.?
    * I thought the plotline about the prominent American family whose sons regularly have a role in the government was a bit contrived ? it doesn?t really have an analogue.
    * The bit at the end detailing some of the key imagery that resided in modern American consumer culture is particularly shocking. The two most shocking products to me: Niggerhair tobacco (a real brand that existed until the 1950s) and Darkie toothpaste (which was eventually changed to ?Darlie? but was still sold over seas as ?Black Man Toothpaste?). Good lord. The film also mentions Coon Chicken, which we all remember from Ghost World.
    * One downside to this alternate history approach is that it varies things enough that it would be hard to bring this film back to talk about the actual plight of systemic racism and racial inequality still in play in our culture, particularly now that we have a black president and are suddenly ?post-racial.?

View All CSA: Confederate States of America Reviews

Critic Reviews

Geoff Pevere
June 16, 2006
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star

By slyly nudging both history and the language of television, this mock documentary about an America won by the Confederacy ... manages to be both shocking and strangely banal in equal measure. Full Review

Rick Groen
June 16, 2006
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

The satire comes to feel strained and the whole premise gets awfully precious, reducing social subtleties to cinematic simplicities. Full Review

Roger Moore
April 7, 2006
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

A sometimes incisive, sometimes amateurish look at race in America, the things we do and tolerate as a nation that are really no different from an America ruled by unrepentant slave-holders. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
March 30, 2006
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

A piece of well-crafted righteous indignation. Full Review

Tom Long
March 24, 2006
Tom Long, Detroit News

Funny, disturbing, smart and consciously outrageous. Full Review

Terry Lawson
March 24, 2006
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press

Willmott's battlefield strategy is parody, not drama, and he makes his points with far more invention than finesse. Full Review

Colin Covert
March 23, 2006
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Rarely does a promising premise get such lackluster execution as in the satiric CSA: The Confederate States of America.

Michael Booth
March 10, 2006
Michael Booth, Denver Post

Kevin Willmott pulls off an amazing trick with the fake documentary CSA: The Confederate States of America. On the lowest of budgets, he rewrites history on the grandest scale. Full Review

Steve Murray
March 2, 2006
Steve Murray, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A mockumentary often as unnerving as it is amusing, CSA: The Confederate States of America kicks off with a simple premise: What if the South had won 'the War of Northern Aggression'? Full Review

Mick LaSalle
February 24, 2006
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

A brilliant and irresistible counterfactual overview of American history. Full Review

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