Meaning of the title? - Ride with the Devil (1999) Discussion

There is a book about Quantrill titled "The Devil Knows How To Ride."

I believe it is in reference to that book.

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Well, Jake Roedel and Holt spent most of the movie riding with the devil, so that is where the title is coming from, I guess.

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[–] siebertws13 7 years ago

I think the movie gradually becomes Holt's film, and it is he who has ridden with the Devil, by riding with the South as a black man. Love this film, and it is Jeffrey Wright's finest hour (or 2.5 hours).

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[–] dmcslack 15 years ago

There is an old proverb that goes 'if you sup with the devil, use a long spoon', meaning if you must hang around with bad types make sure you keep a good distance between you.
'Ride with the Devil' may be a take on this old saying and certainly fits with the storyline

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[–] KAnnD86 15 years ago

It doesn't seem to have much to do with the plot. I thought maybe when they rode into that town and helped destroy it, that might be a reference to riding with the devil, but it was only a small part of a long movie. I doubt they'd name it after that. I guess it's a metaphor for something, but I don't know what.

Tomorrow's just your future yesterday!

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[–] MSkjellyfetti 15 years ago

Actually Ruffian is closest to the meaning. Quantrill was referred to as the 'Devil' for his burning of Lawrence, Kansas(portrayed in the movie) and the main characters do in fact join,unwillingly,with him for the ride into Lawrence.

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[–] Sid-Blitzen 15 years ago

I suppose riding with the devil is a kind of metaphor for their lives. They ride, in a devilish kind of brother-against-brother conflict.

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[–] ckm_jr 15 years ago

The title references Quantrill, about whom was said that he was the devil but "the Devil knows how to ride," which is a play off a line in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" which says, "'Ha! ha!' quoth he, 'full plain I see,/The Devil knows how to row.'" Is it also a metaphor for something else? Maybe. I just love that historical/literary connection.

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[–] Ezekiel_Stone 15 years ago

I've always thought it meant like your riding to hell but you just don't care, kinda like their ride to lawrence was meant to be a suicide mission and their aim was to purely bring vengeance upon that town.

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[–] lambrettaguy200 14 years ago

I think it relates to the unforgiving, revengeful and pitiless nature of their partisan part in the war, far from the Christianity purported by the normal Union and Confederate armies. Their leader was pitiless and seemingly without Christian virtues. Riding with that leader was like riding with the devil himself, from which there could be no honour or forgiveness.

Don't forget, Lawrence, Kansas was a reprisal for the Union Jayhawkers' raid on Osceola Mo in 1862 where civilians were murdered and the incident in Kansas City Mo 1863, where Unionists kept hostage a number of civilians related to Quantrill, Bill Anderson and their men and the jail collapsed, killing some of the hostages.

Bill Anderson went on to commit the Centralia Massacre in 1864.

"S h i t happens in mysterious ways, its wonders to perform"

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[–] britwrit 14 years ago

The title of the novel that this film was based upon was called Woe To Live On. According to James Schamus, who wrote the screenplay, a studio exec told him that he wasn't going to spend millions on a film with the word "woe" in the title.

So I guess it means that using the word "Devil" will bring in viewers like flies to honey.

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[–] MSkjellyfetti 14 years ago

Very true, Brit, and the reference is of course to the 'Devil" Quantrill and his raiders. Whom the boys rode into Lawrence with.

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