This is a problematic western, although still very much so enjoyable in parts. In fact, to be fair, for most of the way it is quite an enjoyable film. John Wayne is strong in the lead, and I really liked Ben Johnson's presence here as his buddy side-kick. The love triangle is a bit silly, but amusing enough. The story is slight, but it is an extremely beautiful film, equaling "The Searchers" in its stunning Technicolor cinematography of Monument Valley. It moves at a good enough pace for the bulk of the running time, and it's a good film to sit back and enjoy the journey the film takes you on. Its story about coming of age between the characters, both passing on responsibility and accepting responsibility, is actually well done and the film is at times pleasantly sentimental.
However, it is in the latter stages of the film where I really feel it faulters. Actually, to say it faulters is probably an understatement, as it almost absolutely tanks. First off, there is the horrendous, inexplicable bar brawl. Absolutely no excuse. I can forgive a similar road-block found in "The Searchers" because there the rest of the film is so strong that it makes up for it, and also the fight scene isn't as terrible as it is here. At this point of the film, there was actually quite an effective melancholy tone to the story, and the bar brawl involving McLaglen just brings the entire film to a screeching halt. It comes completely out of left field, and it is not funny at all -- it is embarrassingly stupid and goes on far too long, destroying tone and pace of the film. Because of this, the movie begins to drag.
Secondly, the rest of the ending is questionable to me and makes little to no sense. Brittles last hurrah and redemption is one thing, although the way they miraculously defeat the Indian tribe seemed absurd, if not completely implausible. However, worse is the seemingly tacked on happy ending of Wayne's character literally shown riding out into the sunset, and then literally a moment later with the narrator claiming, "But the army wasn't done with him yet", and then showing him riding back in. WHAT??? Good lord, it just feels so cheap. The hokey narration doesn't help any either, and Ford's usual populist sentiments seem to drift into jingoistic ones, which is never a good thing for me.
Ford did much better in "Fort Apache" -- a far more polished and satisfying cavalry film as a whole. This is a lesser movie, but it is worth seeing.
However, it is in the latter stages of the film where I really feel it faulters. Actually, to say it faulters is probably an understatement, as it almost absolutely tanks. First off, there is the horrendous, inexplicable bar brawl. Absolutely no excuse. I can forgive a similar road-block found in "The Searchers" because there the rest of the film is so strong that it makes up for it, and also the fight scene isn't as terrible as it is here. At this point of the film, there was actually quite an effective melancholy tone to the story, and the bar brawl involving McLaglen just brings the entire film to a screeching halt. It comes completely out of left field, and it is not funny at all -- it is embarrassingly stupid and goes on far too long, destroying tone and pace of the film. Because of this, the movie begins to drag.
Secondly, the rest of the ending is questionable to me and makes little to no sense. Brittles last hurrah and redemption is one thing, although the way they miraculously defeat the Indian tribe seemed absurd, if not completely implausible. However, worse is the seemingly tacked on happy ending of Wayne's character literally shown riding out into the sunset, and then literally a moment later with the narrator claiming, "But the army wasn't done with him yet", and then showing him riding back in. WHAT??? Good lord, it just feels so cheap. The hokey narration doesn't help any either, and Ford's usual populist sentiments seem to drift into jingoistic ones, which is never a good thing for me.
Ford did much better in "Fort Apache" -- a far more polished and satisfying cavalry film as a whole. This is a lesser movie, but it is worth seeing.