![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Colonel Harris had the Seventy-fifth Ohio, now dismounted, take up a position in "the fill of the Florida railroad"and behind adjacent fences. Just 30 minutes later, however, pickets pickets brought in news that a Confederate column was approaching. Believing the immediate danger to be over, Colonel Harris allowed his men to feed their horses, make coffee and engage in some looting. Company B, Fourth Massachusetts Cavalry attacked and dislodged the Confederates, forcing them to retreat. They arrived on schedule to find the town occupied by one company from the Second Florida Cavalry, numbering around 70 men. Hoping to strike Gainesville at first light on August 17, the Federals marched through the night. A party of 12-15 Florida Unionists also turned out to help, raising the total strength of Harris' command to around 310 men. After destroying a fortified picket post on the New River, the raiding party advanced to Starke where it was joined by 90 officers and men from the Fourth Massachusetts Cavalry. His command included 173 officers and men from the Seventy-Fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry (mounted) 12 men with one cannon from Company A, Third Rhode Island Artillery, and 15 cooks, blacksmiths, wagon drivers, etc. Harris of the Seventy-Fifth Ohio Infantry left Baldwin near Jacksonville on August 15, 1864. Dickison, the Confederacy's famed "Swamp Fox" of Florida. His forces were badly defeated there by Captain J.J. Hatch on the raid he had sent against the Florida Railroad at Gainesville. "I.am sorry that I have little good news." So began the report of Union Brigadier General John P. It took place at the city's key intersection on August 17, 1864. I highly recommend this film it does not glamorize the story, and while it may not be completely accurate, it rings true, and portrays a life many artists may wish for, until they get it.The Battle of Gainesville was small, fierce action of the War Between the States in Florida. It shows the schizophrenic nature of NY Lutece, a homeless person sleeping outside, a man selling stuffed animals on the street, and Bruno Bischofsberger(Hopper) who mistakes Basquiat for a homeless person, trying to clean the windows on his Mercedes. The NY street sequences are realistic, It is not glamorous (though the accompanying jazz music is). The scenes with Claire Forlani are also effective, Basquiat's some-time girlfriend, we see her as a waitress, then a junkie, then a cleaned-up version, going to Columbia. The visuals are also noteworthy, while an earlier review critiqued the surfboarding sequence, I find that a preferable segue to Basquiat's need to escape apparently he owned a good deal of property in Hawai'i and spent time there as well. There is one scene where he is beaten up so two street people can take steal a "SAMO" inscription on a piece of metal. An artist who rose too fast, was used and discarded- apparently in real life Basquiat had a tendency to be generous, and gave away many of his paintings. Keeping in mind that Basquiat was under age 30 when he died, this story is credible. The only annoying performance was Parker Posey, as gallery owner Mary Boone, who perhaps portrayed this person too close to the mark. An amusing cameo with Christopher Walken as a James Lipton character a pretentious interviewer. That aside, the film also has some interesting cameos, David Bowie as Warhol is excellent, Dennis Hopper as the Zurich art dealer, Bruno Bischofsburger is very believable. Certainly, if one believes even half of what is written about the NY art world- it cannot have been a forgiving place. Perhaps in real life this was one of the sources of his insecurities, and reason for his drug addiction. Not just another story of fame and its vices, however because the film does NOT show his life as glamorous, indeed once he has "made it" we still see him dining at Lutece, people critiquing, being unaccepting of him as a person. Apparently he and his father were estranged, until he became famous. Jeffrey Wright is very understated, but believable as Basquiat. Granted, the film is a bit abstruse, and some viewers have complained about the music tracks (actually Basquiat's own music from his band) but it does serve to show the disaffected life of an artist, who seemed to gain fame, money, and fair-weather friends, despite himself. Of Jean Michel Basquiat and the art world of the 80's. ![]()
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