I really enjoy the movie "Cold Mountain". It is about a man who fights for the South for three years before he finally decides to become a deserter and go back to a woman that he was just getting to know. Through much of the movie it shows his slow trek back home, and how each time he narrowly misses death from the enemy, but also groups of "home guard" groups that were killing deserters. Were deserters always treated this way? Did a man who left his post have any chance at redemption, or was he automatically shot or hung?
I love this movie although it has been a while since I've seen it. I loved the love scenes and the action. It was beautifully done in both senses, but it does show a lot about the war.