Pretty simplistic and forgettable. Most of the characters are bland western archetypes. Only Ward Bond stands out... his speech is peppered with a lot of ridiculous idioms but he does command the screen, and his character is the most complex. The photography is the definite highlight, Ford's beautiful landscapes looking gorgeous as ever. The moments of humor are hit and miss... more miss than hit, I'd say, but the misses aren't too groan-worthy.

A fine, albeit simple, film from Ford. I suspect it will grow on me after subsequent viewings, as its simplicity and slight dramatic arc make it seem boring. In reality, it seems Ford is after something quite profound here, something mythological. His use of images hearkens back to the silent days, allowing himself a space for poetry by limiting the dialogue and narrative to the bare minimum. Excellent film.

A film that depicts the nature of crossing the US in a wagon train, more a conventional Western with good guys vs. bad guys--although there are bad guys that are effectively menacing and creepy.

Boring western of Ford. I've seen more dancing and songs than great fights.

All the reviewers talking about how simple it is, owe it a rewatch. It's Bressonian, but more hopeful.

The sort of baby-faced, cheeseball moral sentiments that often plague Ford's films is in full effect here. Most of the performances are just awful. At least it looks good, but that's more of a prerequisite of scenery than an accomplishment of camerawork.

Decent enough, I suppose. It's not particularly interesting or complex but it's short and passes the time without any major missteps.

It was refreshing to see Johnson in a lead role and the scenery is beautiful. But, the whole film felt too fake. Sad to say, but apart from few notable exceptions (Searchers, Stagecoach..) I always feel let down by Ford's films. Give me Peckinpah, Mann or Leone instead.

#625

651

I tend to agree with the notion of this being quite simplistic and forgettable, and that its sense of humour is at best kind of clumsy and awkward. It's not bad, and there are some nice images in it, but it ranks alongside quite a few other John Ford films whose acclaim perplexes me.

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# 628

"This utterly delightful, lyrical Western is one of director John Ford's least appreciated masterpieces."

John Ford said this was one of his favorite films - but I found it slow moving, dull, and very corny - and I love most of Ford's work