Review: "History Boy - A Documentary Short Film"

While I was not able to attend the Civil War reenactment at South County Museum in Narragansett, Rhode Island, which took place back on July 16 and 17, I watched a charming, fourteen-minute-long documentary about the event. Produced by the New England video company LittleFire with support from the Rhode Island Foundation and South County Museum, the film records the event while following a pair of reenactors, 15-year-old Jacob Bates and his father, Scott Bates.

The documentary serves as a quick introduction to historical reenactment, showcasing how seriously the reenactors take their portrayals. Jacob describes his authentic replica clothing and antique rifle, along with singing a Civil War era ballad. He speaks of the reenactors’ collaboration with the National Park Service and the amount of research that must be done so the battles appear authentic to the audience. While he does smale while comparing historical reenactment to LARPing (Live Action Role Playing, a popular style of fantasy game for adults), he emphasizes that historic preservation and public education are the primarily concerns of reenactors.

A subplot of the film details the relationship between Jacob and Scott. While Jacob is highly enthusiastic about reenactment and history, Scott is appreciative of the time they spend together. Their outgoing, generous personalities and  loving father-son relationship make the documentary stand out from similar films.

Like many small productions, the documentary suffers from a few minor pacing issues and soundtrack-to-image discrepancies. Classical piano plays at the beginning of the documentary, which does not match the tone of the battle portrayed on screen. The second battle is set to rock music. The film includes the somewhat overused Civil War era folk song “Poor Wayfaring Stranger”, with the music set slightly too loud. As for pacing, Jacob does not appear until just past the three minute mark, and Scott does not arrive for another minute. I would have preferred an introduction to the documentary’s protagonists within the first minute.

Overall, this wholesome film is a treat for both historians and families. Some mild language, while authentic to a battle situation, might not be suitable for all audiences. Open captioning allows Deaf and hearing impaired viewers to enjoy the story. Audio description is not available at this time.

Watch the full documentary below:

Abby Epplett’s Rating System

Experience: 8/10

Accessibility: 7/10