The Confederate Flag: Views from the Heart of Dixie

The blood-red Confederate flag with the blue St. Andrew's cross was never adopted by the Confederate States government, but was actually a battle flag used on the field during the Civil War (or the War Between the States, or the Late Unpleasantness; pick your term). After a huge Confederate battle flag was raised on private property next to I-65 in Alabama, people started talking, and the filmmakers interviewed Civil War re-enactors, museum professionals, scholars, and folks on the street (both black and white), asking what they thought about the flag today and what it means. Is it a historical flag, racist symbol, or just a “good old boy” emblem? Does it stand for free speech or hate speech? The juxtaposition of the interviews here offers plenty of interesting comparisons (a black female re-enactor says it doesn't bother her, while one of the directors of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute considers the flag's display a spit in the face). Unfortunately, there are a couple of problems here: the sound cut out during part of the production, and “ancestor” is misspelled on the back cover copy. While not in the same league as the outstanding Flag Wars (VL-3/04), this is a strong optional purchase. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Reagan)