I'd love to see a well-written bio-pic of Forrest, too. My vote would be Jude Law, pretty much because of his eyes! (My casting sense might be odd, though - I've always thought Michael Keaton would be excellent as Jeb Stuart. Ya gotta think about that one for a little!) I think there would be even more interesting casting with who would play his brothers and his son, wife and mother? Bill Forrest would be a really interesting character to play, I think. He was his brother's right hand, seldom if ever brought him bum information, and was known as a kind and generous man. He was also known to have had an incredibly violent and unpredictable temper - so much so he was said to be the only living man Bedford Forrest feared. Said Forrest, "No man alive can tell when Bill is going to get mad."
The controversy would hit the roof, though, it's true. That's why I think Forrest is probably the most misunderstood person in American history. The other side painted him as a savage brute, which is only natural, and his tally of 30 dead men is unmatched but, as he said himself, "I never wanted to kill anybody except in the defense of my country or my life." And, if so many weren't trying to gain the glory of bringing Sherman Forrest's spurs, he probably wouldn't have killed that many. Nor is it noted very often if at all that a good portion of those were killed when Forrest saved or tried to save somebody's life. Despite his hot temper, Forrest was a peacable man - he rarely started a fight but he had no problem finishing one. For a 'savage', he seemed to be well-respected. He served as constable and coroner for DeSoto county and was elected alderman in Memphis four times. His involvment with the klan I look at as something that came from anger and fear. He ended the war a middle-aged man who was pretty well shot up and nearly back where he'd started from. With no education to fall back on, it had to be a frightening prospect. His right side was a mess, eventually it became fairly hard to use - he often had his wife or son write for him as his hand became crippled - because of getting shot twice in the arm, having the same arm hacked up with a saber, and dislocating his shoulder (more than once) on that side falling from a horse. Since he was naturally left-handed he tended to shield with his right side so most of the injuries were there. He had a slight limp from the foot injury from Tupelo and some continuing tingling and numbness from his famous wound at Shiloh. Today he would have been drawing veteran's disability and going the rounds of doctors and physical therapists but then he had the prospect of providing for his family and dependents crippled up or not. He can't be blamed for wanting his world back. I give him a lot of credit for coming around and supporting black civil rights, encouraging them to become educated and to vote their minds, being against segregation and inviting the black people to come closer to the white people - racial reconciliation. Maybe it was late in the day but it is extraordinary that a man of his background would come around at all. That should be in the film for sure!