Nothing says West Virginia or Kentucky like Romania.
No, seriously. That’s where History Channel’s excellent original movie “Hatfields & McCoys” was filmed, and it sure looks more like the Old South than the New South does these days.
When I first heard about it, my thought was: Why? But that was before I sat through all six hours of this intense saga.
Most miniseries this long tend to lose steam somewhere between the beginning of Night 1 and the middle of Night 2. Not this one.
The story of the legendary, bloody feud begins towards the end of the Civil War and ended up so dividing the states of West Virginia and Kentucky that it nearly caused another civil war.
The families, once close, begin to hate one another when Devil Anse Hatfield (Kevin Costner) decides to bag it at the end of the war, deserting not just his platoon, but his rebel compatriot and friend, Randall McCoy (Bill Paxton).
Hatfield knows that the rebel cause is lost and decides that his family needs him more than the lost war effort. Let the feud begin.
When McCoy eventually makes his way home, tensions flare. A bar fight leads to murder, land squabbles over timber lead to fury, the forbidden sexual relationship between Devil’s son, Johnse Hatfield (Matt Barr), and Rosanna McCoy (Lindsay Pulsipher ) of course leads to all-out war.
The two patriarchs supported by their strong, constantly child-bearing wives — Sally McCoy (Mare Winningham) who lost six of her 11 kids to the violence, and Levicy Hatfield (Sarah Parish), who gave birth to 12 little Hatfields.
Into the mix comes slimy McCoy family cousin, lawyer Perry Cline (Ronan Vibert), who is constantly manipulating Randall and instigating against Devil Anse, while falling madly in love with his cousin’s young daughter, Rosanna.
As the Hatfields become more successful in the timber business, the resentment only grows, and the tangled web of old feuds, new feuds, legal and illegal claims and murder escalate until few are left standing.
The cast, which is spectacular, includes Tom Beringer as Jim Vance, the Hatfield cousin who ignites the war.
The whole thing is bloodier than a Mafia family feud, and the names are better than any Mafia clan ever dreamed up. There’s Squirrel-Huntin’ Sam, Ransom Bray, Good ’Lias, and Cotton Top Mounts.
The miniseries is full of stand-out performances from great actors like my personal fave, Powers Boothe. But it’s the guys you may not know who will blow you away. I was especially taken with Michael Greco, who plays a half-crazed dim-wit.
If “Hatfields & McCoys” reminds you of “Deadwood,” it should. It was written by Ted Mann, who wrote some of the most memorable episodes of that wild, wild west saga.
If you love, history on History, don’t miss this.