But the Cleburne story is so perfect for a great cinematic treatment -- the Irish immigrant carrying with him the pain of the strife in his country of origin, the friendship with Hindman and the gunfight in Helena, the romance with socialite Sue Tarleton--their falling in love on the cruise during Hardee's wedding celebration, his fatalism at the churchyard the day before Franklin, and the hopeless frontal charge there with bands playing and flags flying. It's a magnificent story.
You are right about liberal Hollywood not wanting to make a true biopic about someone like him. The times we are in won't allow it.
I do think they did an ok job showing Confederates in a positive light with Gettysburg and Gods and Generals, although those pictures had some serious flaws* and were too draggy and talky, and to be honest, too "clean" looking to be convincing. But I appreciate the effort, even with the flaws.
*the John Bell Hood character being played by a man in his fifties....And Martin Sheen as Lee...the elder Pendleton as an effective artillery officer..don't think so...:\
You mention victory and human nature getting in the way of a southern win. I wonder what a Confederate nation would have looked like, long term. But that's a story for another thread, and is one of those questions we are losing our ability (in these politically correct times) to discuss rationally. Myself, I think the war ended as it was destined to from the start, given the strength of the North and the shaky foundations of the Confederacy, and the internal strife within the states and communities that showed itself almost from the beginning. The Southern soldier, brave as he was, couldn't fight on an empty stomach, under petty, incompetent officers (in too many cases, but certainly not all) compounded by bad strategy, outdated tactics and suffering families, although they bore up an amazingly long time in the face of those difficulties.
The weight of the slave question hung over the Confederacy from day one and I can't revise history and erase the very words spoken by secessionist leaders that helped ignite the war and points to slavery as being the tipping point. Although there were other points of conflict between north and south, I can't see anyone getting mad enough about tariffs, trade, despised northern values, &c to start maintain a conflict that took 620,000 lives (I actually think this is a low number and that many more died as a result of the war.)
I had ancestors on both sides, mostly on the southern side. I love and honor them all.