Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Cheyenne Autumn

Cheyenne Autumn is a 1964 epic western film directed by John Ford and starring Richard Widmark, Carroll Baker, James Stewart, Edward G. Robinson, Dolores del Río, Ricardo Montalbán, Karl Malden, Sal Mineo, Arthur Kennedy, and John Carradine. This one is 2 1/2 hours long, so get a snack and get comfortable, but it's worth watching. And that cast and director! How can you not?

You can watch it online at this link. (not any more the video has been blocked.)

trailer:



Emanuel Levy says,
The lack of a distinct Indian perspective may be the reason why this work cannot be taken either as the final statement on what Ford thinks of Indians or as an apology for his former movies. Even so, for a movie made in l964, the attitude toward Native Americans is more liberal than other Hollywood movies of the time.

DVD Talk quotes another reviewer as saying, " Ford could sympathize with the Indians but wasn't capable of presenting them as anything more than stiff symbols".  NativeAmerican.co.uk has a review. TCM has information.

14 comments:

  1. ...come on now, let's not rush the seasons!

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  2. You had me at Richard 😻 Widmark

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  3. There are several stars I've actually HEARD of. Not sure I'm into racist movies right now, though, and that is what Levy seems to imply in his review.

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    1. I can't see this is a racist movie, unless you consider all westerns racist (which is a legitimate view, but still...). I think Levy is praising this movie considering its times. Directors began to deal with the native Americans in their stories differently as years passed.

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  4. Such a fabulous movie! As you say how can you not watch it with that marvelous cast and director 😁. I have popcorn at the ready ...lol 😉. Have a great day! Hugs, Jo x

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    1. And now, of course, I can't find it free online any more :( or included in any of the subscription services.

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  5. I know this one! It's a good one too.

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  6. Another Western - not for me, thanks! Valerie

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    1. I wish I could send you to a western you'd like lol There's such a variety! Is it the time period you don't like? The setting? They're not all alike, just like horror runs a gamut from comedy to romance to scary.

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  7. Jimmy drew me in to this one, of course--but so long ago I don't remember all of it well. Dated culturally, that's for sure. So many stars and a good director, though. :)

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    1. There's development in this, and they do differ in their portrayal of native americans, that's certain. Have you been seeing the Gone with the Wind kerfuffle online?

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