Wagon Master

Fair enough watch, but I'm having difficulty picking up on why it's rated as high as it is. Nothing really stands out to warrant the high marks I see it getting. Sure as hell not the music which was pretty painful much of the time. Reminded me of some little ditty your kindergartner insists on listening to over and over and over...

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.

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

an open, languid work so egalitarian and liberated from genre, prioritising instead the burgeoning communal bonds between outcasts--tolerance and generosity even toward those representing anathema or threat. two horses: one defined by "its peculiarities and failings" later saves the day; another berated for a stumble is defended: "quicksand, he couldn't help it". guns are tools of cretins and not to use on people, while a tipped wagon alarms and pains more than a fatal gunshot in other westerns.

The sort of baby-faced, cheeseball moral sentiments that often plague Ford's films are 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.

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.

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

This was apparently one of Ford's favourite of his own films, and I can see what he liked about it. It's a Ford film with all the wonderful character actors you expect and no movie stars. That really suits the film because it's mostly concerned with the details of life and domesticity growing in the hostile environment of the west. It's really not one of his best films, but it feels iconic and should be seen by anyone who loves his westerns.

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.

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.

Another solid entertaining cowboy flick by John Ford, with a bit of pro-Mormon propaganda. However, I fail to see why this is deemed one of the best westerns of all time. Sure it is entertaining and sure the actors play convincing characters and some of the performances are standing out. But the film simply cannot be compared to the best of the genre, or even the best of the genre in John Ford's own filmography. The film doesn't outshine in any particular element and is somewhat forgettable.

Now I see it, 'Meek's Cutoff' is a remake of 'Wagon Master'. The genius of Ford is to depict a broad range of characters in such vivid detail that you feel like you've know them for many years (or at least spent many hours watching them on TV), and the same goes for the depiction of the physical landscape. It is an exemplar of 'simple is often better', but we should also not underestimate the challenge of combining comedy, musical, drama and western without a single jarring shift in tone.

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

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

# 628

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.

The accusation of historical revisionism is completely redundant. Clearly Ford knew he was engaging with myth rather than 'reality', but the function of his mythological reconstructions remains curiously ambiguous. Wagon Master offers no easy answers as its breezy, seemingly carefree surface suggests it has nothing of significance to impart at all. Ford once again captures the stark beauty of the American landscape, and the simple narrative is crafted with a deft economy.

The dialogue and characters are often corny, the songs are irritating at best, and the lead man can ride a horse much better than he can act or generate any charisma. Its message is about toleration and the limits of toleration, though it's undoubtedly at its best when the evil band of outlaws are on screen. The portrayal of native Americans is better than in many Westerns but it remains a pretty saccharine picture of American history.

623

Star Rating: ★★★★1/2

86.00

85.500

The plot has a whiff of frivolity to it - like the whole thing is a throwaway line to establish character: “Yessir, had a bit of a stir south of San Juan, but nothin’ we couldn’t handle.” That’s also kind of the point, and it’s radical as a result. Might be Ford at his most economical, like a test to see how much he could do with as little as he gave himself. These vagabonds and American Others are united in their outré-ness, which with the religious plot, is a blueprint for Common Grace.

watched: 2013, 2023

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

Tinha sua première há 70 anos em Oklahoma. Acabei de o ver duas vezes seguidas, uma só o filme, a outra com comentários em áudio de Bogdanovich e Carey Jr, com pequenas inserções de entrevistas com o próprio Ford. Apesar de ser um dos filmes favoritos do diretor e há realmente muitos motivos para se gostar dele, especialmente em se tratando da exímia composição de imagem do diretor, mesmo assim não o considero uma obra-prima no rol vasto de Ford. Box Versátil Cinema Faroeste Vol2

Excellent.

651

Decent but not great Ford western. Normally I am not a huge fan of the traditional Ford westerns and find them a little dry. It moves quickly, though, is short, and is certainly competent as all Fords are. A fairly simple story, it's interesting in its positive portrayal of Mormons at a time when I would imagine that wasn't very common. It's made me interested in learning a little more about how Mormonism has been portrayed in film and exactly how rare this was at this point.

John Ford delivers a lovely mix of quirkiness and danger for Wagon Master (1950). Has all the old western tropes, but it's done unlike any other western before it. Got to be one of the more brilliant films Ford did. I enjoyed it immensely, and still i feel like I underrated it!

#625