It was only by chance that I stumbled onto this; being a person who will watch just about anything, good or bad, of course I was going to give it a try. The premise is certainly promising, and the opening moments affirm the mockumentary bent as the name of famous documentarian Ken Burns is referenced with a wink. Happily, I don't think it takes very long at all as 'The Battle of Pussy Willow Creek' begins that it starts to show its cleverness, and filmmaker Wendy Jo Cohen is to be commended for a sly piece that swiftly and roundly delights. This feature models itself after historically minded fare on channels like PBS, or more dubiously "The History Channel," in telling viewers the little-known story of a fictional, crucial engagement of the U. S. Civil War, and the figures therein who were unlikely heroes of the Union. In doing so the project was approached with a welcome mind for detail, and the presentation is replete with fabricated, falsely aged correspondence, photos, paintings and illustrations, and props, and even a few "old timey" songs, in addition to narration with a mild tone, interspersed clips of interviews with "scholars," "historians," or "descendants," and the requisite mentions of real persons and events. Inasmuch as this aimed to replicate its earnest cousins, I dare say that goal was achieved with aplomb.
Mind you, no one could ever mistake this for a portrait of real history. The parodying, comedic slant is readily evident in the extremes of the fictional nineteenth-century figures as written, the words put in the mouths or on the papers of figures invented or genuine, and the scenarios into which all are subsequently placed. That slant is furthered with cheeky, witty, daring minutiae, sometimes bordering on problematic, that toys with period conceptions of race (racism), homosexuality (homophobia), disability and birth defects (ableism), and so on, let alone coy euphemistic phrasing, even ingeniously underhanded potshots at religion, and much more. As we learn of the lives and careers of a gay colonel, a Chinese servant, a former slave, and a youthful sex worker who unbeknownst to the general populace saved the United States in the midst of the Civil War, the comedic slant is cemented with the most overt instances of language and acting from the interview subjects, the most plainly ridiculous fake historical records, sparing "reenactment," and intermittent title cards that themselves are less than perfectly serious. In summary, the humor herein is a mixture of the shrewdly satirical and the outwardly absurd - at times nearly recalling the likes of Monty Python in concept and in word, and quietly becoming more outrageous in the back end - which might more or less mean that there's something here for everyone.
I don't think 'The Battle of Pussy Willow Creek' is entirely flawless. The pacing is too swift in my estimation, meaning that the resplendent frivolousness is shortchanged every now and again as we move quickly from one idea to another. While it's part and parcel of the merriment, I also think the most overt inclusions - chiefly in the snippets of interviews - would have benefited from a smidgen more tact and restraint on the part of the actors, and on the part of Cohen with her direction, for the doing somewhat clashes with the more subtle elements. Though less substantial, I would further suggest that the indie nature of this picture comes off more as a reflection of its low budget, for there is an unpolished, bare-faced quality to the production values, the sort that in a conventional movie I would usually cite as glaring and painful on the eyes. At infrequent moments the totality is a bit much, and both on paper and in realization I believe the flick may have benefited from a tad more mindfulness in how it was put together. For the record, strictly speaking, a content warning should be noted for use of language that reflects period values, but which today would be unacceptable save for the saucy tenor of this farce.
Yet everyone involved obviously knew very well what type of "documentary" they were making, and all fully embraced the silliness. Ultimately those subjective faults aren't all that significant, and more to the point, the film is so tremendously fun and funny, and surprisingly smart in its flippancy, that the entertainment here far outweighs any possible criticisms. Ranging from nuanced twists on classic, typical documentary fare, to unabashedly outlandish, nonsensical impertinence, Cohen whipped up a wonderfully enjoyable piece that hits all the right notes, even if it sometimes goes a hair further than may have been ideal. I had somewhat mixed expectations when I sat to watch, and I am very pleased that when all is said and done those expectations were far exceeded. This is a joyful blast of irreverence that was nonetheless crafted with skill, care, and intelligence, and I'm quite of the mind that it deserves more recognition; I've seen major studio comedies that weren't half as good as this is. Keeping in mind some outdated language and imagery (however purposefully employed they may be) and tinges of inelegance in the making, by and large 'The Battle of Pussy Willow Creek' is a fantastic comedy, and whether one has a specific impetus to watch or is just looking for a great time, I'm glad to give this my very high, enthusiastic recommendation!
