A fun western classic, though not your average type of western, due to lots of romance and adventure that is in this two and a half hour long epic. Three directors (well, four, really), five stories (six, if you count the historical perspective), but with some characters, places and events that tie them together. I liked this approach, although I didn't get just how and when Zeb got a beef with Charlie Gant in the first place (I understand now that he killed his brother, but this wasn't shown anywhere in the film...).
Maybe James Stewart isn't the most believable actor to portray a trapper (John Wayne, who only has a very, very small part here, would have been a better candidate, but he wouldn't have come off right in the romantic part of the role), but the ladies are a pleasure to look at and they and pretty much most of the male actors did their jobs admirably (George Peppard and Richard Widmark especially).
The Cinerama effect, in combination with the many beautiful settings, is really terrific at times, even if here and the fish-eye effect was probably not intended (liked it, though).
This is not the most accurate portrayal of early America for sure, but it will do being just what it is: entertaining for the full duration and with the heart in the right place, with some valid points as well (war isn't funny, the Indians got gypped).
A good 7 out of 10.
Maybe James Stewart isn't the most believable actor to portray a trapper (John Wayne, who only has a very, very small part here, would have been a better candidate, but he wouldn't have come off right in the romantic part of the role), but the ladies are a pleasure to look at and they and pretty much most of the male actors did their jobs admirably (George Peppard and Richard Widmark especially).
The Cinerama effect, in combination with the many beautiful settings, is really terrific at times, even if here and the fish-eye effect was probably not intended (liked it, though).
This is not the most accurate portrayal of early America for sure, but it will do being just what it is: entertaining for the full duration and with the heart in the right place, with some valid points as well (war isn't funny, the Indians got gypped).
A good 7 out of 10.