Though it took me a long time and two watches to get this review started, I am happy with the time I put in. I think that this film is yet another example of the quality of John Ford and John Wayne's collaborations. The film making here strikes me as intelligent and well thought out. I'll begin with wit.
For wit, I gave this film a 9. There are some ways in which this seems low to me. John Wayne clearly and expressively creates the character of Captain Nathan Brittles, a man's man who may only be able to live within the strictly regimented life of a member of the US Cavalry during this period. He is facing forced retirement, despite being apparently capable and without a home or family to go to, as his wife and two daughters were killed some time before. He is retiring in the wake of Custer's defeat at Little Bighorn and he mentions knowing Custer and various other officers killed with him. He is to go on one last patrol before retiring and is required by his commanding officer to take two woman to catch the last stage back East at the same time. Wayne does not play him as over hard or as sentimental and silly, though I'm sure the writing aided him, as it deftly measures out jokes and a real sense of the hardness and strictures of army life. His slight embarrassed expression as he pulls out his reading glasses to read the "sentiment" on the back of the watch he receives from his troop when he retires is marvelous as are the sniffles that accompany his return of the glasses into his uniform. His rapport with Victor McLaglen, his rival in The Quiet Man, one of my favorites, is especially pleasing to hear.
Beyond this, Joanne Dru's coquettishness bordering on stamping her a floozy coalesces cleanly and pleasingly with her deeper moments and allows a fuller character to develop that can both mock and argue with the best of the men, while keeping the deeper coherence of her more admirable character well intact. Mildred Natwick plays a part that she is beyond good at, even if I can't remember her playing anything else, that hardened older woman who has wisdom and charm too spare.
Ben Johnson as Sgt. Tyree, John Agar as Lt. Cohill, and Harry Carey Jr. as Lt. Pennell distinguish themselves as well. My favorite part of the movie may be the scene between Wayne and Chief John Big Tree as Chief Pony That Walks. Pony That Walks identifies himself as a Christian and repeatedly cries, "Hallelujah, Hallelujah!" They briefly discuss the possibility of preempting the coming war and they come to the conclusion that it is unavoidable and the Duke turns down his companion's offer to "go, hunt buffalo, get drunk together."
The reason this rather remarkable film doesn't deserve a 9.5 is down to the voice-over intro and conclusion that wrap the movie up just a little too neatly. "Wherever they (the US Cavalry) rode and whatever they fought for, that place became the United States." This line is a perfect example. Though some ambiguity is left in the "whatever they fought for" there is no sense, except in that scene that I already mentioned that there is anything wrong with what happened in that time and that place. If it hadn't been for this frame of the story in patriotic glory, I might have been able to get behind the beauty of these selfless cavalry officers seeking to spread American ideals and ways of life, but putting it in context, it forgets the broken promises and the dishonesty of the American government in this period.
This leads well into the question of wisdom. I cannot ignore these issues, but the presentation being one that avoids easy stereotyping of the Indian as violent and treacherous, I felt that I only needed to bring it down to a 8.5. I was just about to mention that I took an extra .5 off for the repeated phrase "Never apologize. It's a sign of weakness." But I have come to the conclusion that the ironic use of this truism, its constant breaking, and a different interpretation lend it a moral weight that I find convincing. One might interpret it, in the context of men at war, as the injunction not to lose sight of the worthiness of the goal nor to try to confess to appease one's conscience in the moment. Instead of simple apology, in this modern sense, we need taking responsibility and a changed course of action. It might be paraphrased, "Don't apologize. Admit the mistake and then work to fix it." This is, I think, a useful idea for the modern man.
As far as wonder goes, I felt that comparison with Saving Private Ryan and Romulus, My Father bore out, in terms of the use of what was available. It is a spot on costume drama with able horse-work and play at the implements of war in the times.
Overall, this impressed me as a great western and one of my favorite that Wayne and Ford made together. For those who can bear it and are interested, both in the genre and the ideological holes, I definitely suggest it. I expect to return next week with my review of Last Night, which plan to rewatch as I did this and prepare a decent and recent watch sense of its quality, or lack thereof.
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