Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Best Mountain Man movies?

Allright all you traditionalists...what's "yer" favorites? Jeremiah Johnson
and what's the one with Charleton Heston and Brian Keith?
How 'bout the upcoming Alamo?

Hard to pick a favorite... probably I'd have to go with "Jeremiah Johson"... great soundtrack, great story, and folks on all sides were actual humans as opposed to caricatures. And who can forget when that Crow tumbles down the snowbank and then pulls his knife and starts singing?

"The Mountain Men" was OK I reckon, Charleton Heston was a bit old to be sparking that young Blackfoot (Shoshone??) gal.

"Dances With Wolves" for the images... especially Wes Studi as a Pawnee galloping that horse along that creek bed.

Likewise "Last of the Mohicans" for the battle scenes and Studi's portrayal of an articulate, intelligent and very tough Magua. Kind of reminds you why the European powers really were so afraid of the Eastern Tribes for so long.

Moving up: "Geronimo: An American Legend", mostly for Robert Duvall's turn as Al Seiber, and a reminder of a time not so long ago that there really were clever, tough men of all races running loose out West.

Ain't really out West, but I'll throw in "Ride With the Devil" a great moive almost no-one saw about Missouri Irregulars in the War Between the States.

Likewise, almost no-one saw "Windwalker", an all-Indian yarn set in the 18th Century Rockies. Pretty good story, especially for kids.

I dunno about "The Alamo", they just put back the opening three months for "further editing", never a good sign. I expect the weaponry, clothing etc to be top-notch but my biggest fear is that they are kowtowing to the demands of political correctness. Hope I'm wrong.

Birdwatcher

Jeremiah Johnson made his way into the mountains... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> My Brother and I still part ways with "Watch yer topknott!" answered with "Watch yorn".

Also liked "The Mountain Men" wirth Heston and Keith.

How about the first few episodes of Michener's "Centenial" with Robert Conrad as the French Trapper. Or Richard Chamberlain in "A Man Called Horse". Anyone Remember "Man In the Wilderness"??
7mm

Man in the Wilderness was a very good flick. Last of the Mohicans was my fav however. The battle scenes were very well done.

The Patriot cannot be overlooked. A very fine frontier flick IMHO.

Did anybody else ever see a movie called the "Robe"? About the French Jesuit priests trying to bring Christian morals and values to Indians in Canada. It is a very raw and realistic movie.

Also, I have an old book "Rocky Mountain life" [ 1840's] that tells the story of Man In the Wilderness. It follows the movies version as far the basic story. The book is a log of an expedition / exploration of the west . I thought it was interesting to see the same story in a book that old. The author was Rufus b. Sage ...joken2

I've always liked Jeremiah Johnson, in part because I was into muzzleloading when it came out in the '70s. Also, Johnson's sidekick Del Gue was played by my half-uncle. My muzzleloading buddies thought that was pretty cool, and so did my boys who were kids at the time. We, too, just about had the sound track (dialog) memorized.

Minor point... 'twas the Irish actor Richard Harris in "A Man Called Horse", what I remember from that movie is the cool way a whole war party disappears into the grass when they hear Harris' shotgun. Fortunately most of you guys probably never saw the execrable "Return of a Man Called Horse".

That "Robe" movie was "Black Robe", indeed gritty and raw, and unflinching in its protrayal of the catastrophic effect of White contact. Prob'ly most of us though don't want to think of our Frontier heroes wiping out whole peoples with a single cough.

Birdwatcher

I stand humbley corrected. Heck, I suck with names anyway! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Unless it's John Wayne or Jimmy Stewart, of course. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

And, like you, I saw the sequel. (gag <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />)
7mm

Thanks to you also Birdwatcher, for the correction. No excuses
just my brain has a hard time catching up w/ my mouth sometimes. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> Took a while to shake off that movie " Black Robe" , for the same reasons you stated. Whats the term..."Thought provoking"?

joken2

Geeze guys, i hardly think the occasion calls for "humble correctedness", I'm just a book and movie geek with a retentive mind.

With regards to Richard Harris, he died this past year but recently had memorable roles as English Bob in "Unforgiven" and as Julius Caesar (??) in "Gladiator".

My only beef with "Black Robe" was that it seemed they went out of their way to portray just how grubby and unwashed everyone was back then. Then too that desolate winterscape they were travelling through becomes gloriously beautiful at other times of year, and the people cleaner and less cramped with it.

Somewhere out there there is still a great movie waiting to be made about the 18th Century Frontier, and the remarkable people that were there. Maybe along the lines of "Last of the Mohicans", but with a better story line and a fuller presentation of Indian village life.

Birdwatcher