Cheyenne Autumn (1964)

Director: John Ford
Starring: Richard Widmark, Carroll Baker, Karl Malden

Synopsis:
The Cheyenne leave their reserve to return to their ancestral homeland and the US Cavalry is dispatched to round them up and bring them back.

Impressions:
This mostly somber film seems something like a dark reply to How the West Was Won. It does take a fairly even-handed approach to the subject matter, showing the goods and the ills of both sides. There's a fair bit of hullabaloo about the more comic interlude in Dodge City. You may think it detracts from the integrity of the film and you may welcome a little levity to mix things up a bit. Richard Widmark is solid as Captain Archer, as is Carroll Baker as Deborah Wright, Ricardo Montalban as Little Wolf and Edward G Robinson as Carl Shurz. It can be rather slow-moving, which can be seen as thematic given the Cheyenne's long, painful slog home, or it may just try your patience. In contrast, the ending's a bit rushed. As John Ford's last Western, I say it's worth seeing. Just be sure you know what you're getting in for first.

Rating:
Watch It