Ironclads is a TV Movie from 1991, it’s a drama based around the Battle of Hampton Roads, more specifically the creation of the CSS Virginia from what was left of the USS Merrimack from the American Civil War.
So, it’s 1862 and although it’s only just started, the American Civil War is well and truly under way. The South is working on a secret weapon, the aforementioned CSS Virginia. It’s basically a floating tank.
Though it’s based in reality, the events of the film aren’t. Our heroine plays Betty Stuart, an entirely made up character for the purposes of the film. It gives her a good excuse to go full on Southern Belle again if nothing else. Betty isn’t all that she seems, we soon find out she’s actually a spy for the North.
The North as it turns out are working on their own floating tank, the USS Monitor.
These boats are the titular Ironclads of the movie. Before these ships were created then they’d be made of wood. Making them out of iron and steel like they started to do here would change the face of naval warfare forever.
Betty is engaged to Lt Catesby Jones, a Confederate Officer, who is actually a real life person. Although Betty is conflicted between her love for Catesby she still stays true to her beliefs and feed secrets about the CSS Virginia back to the North to help them with their battle. Even if it does land her in jail at one point. A nice jail though, because you know – Appearances.
Despite this made up love story, the film is actually praised for its historical accuracy when it comes to the technology and the battle.
I’ll be honest, this isn’t my kind of film at all – I only saw the movie recently for the first time and it didn’t exactly hold my attention. That’s purely down to me, I’m not really one for war movies, even less so when it comes to things I care little about. It is actually held in high regard by those that enjoy these kinds of movies and that’s fair enough.
Virginia for the most part does her job as well as she ever does. Smouldering around the screen in the type of role I personally think she was born to play. I have to say, I found her character a bit odd when I watched the film. I didn’t realise until afterwards that she was made up for the film which I guess some ways to explain it and some of the peculiarities.
It’s the early 90’s and she’s well established as an actress at this point. We’ve seen her do the Southern Belle thing before a few times and she’s totally got that thing down which allows her to take on the role of the (overly?) complicated character with obvious relish.
As I said, it’s not my kind of film but I can tell that it’s well made – If you’ve any interest in this kind of thing then I’d say it would be worth a watch. Just bear in mind the clash between reality and fiction as you do.
Availability:
Another of Virginia Madsen films that isn’t available on DVD, and given it’s TV Movie status it’s unlikely it ever will. It is available on VHS and copies do turn up from time to time on eBay (where I got mine) but you have to be patient waiting for it.
Trailer:
Unfortunately not, another one where it’s easier to find the movie on YouTube than the trailer…
Gallery:
Pseudo DVD Cover:
If you took advantage of the tools to preserve a copy of the film digitally and you want to slot it into your collection and have it look natural, then you might want to make a DVD cover for it, this is the one I bodged together for such a purpose from the original VHS artwork.
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