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| Shenandoah
Year: 1965
Classification: Western
Directed:
- Andrew V.McLaglen
Actors/Actresses:
- James Stewart
Great Movie, So-so DVD
Classic, family-friendly Civil War story about an isolationist Virginia farmer (James Stewart) who is forced to become involved in the conflict raging around him when his youngest son (Philip Alford) is mistakenly taken prisoner by Union soldiers. Like John Wayne in "The Searchers", Stewart sets out to hunt down his kidnapped loved one, enduring physical, emotional, and spiritual hardships along the way. Uniformly well-acted by a superb cast, with stand-out performances from Patrick Wayne, film newcomer Katharine Ross, talented juvenile lead Alford, and of course, venerable screen legend Stewart. Capably directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, from a solid screenplay that deftly blends moments of sweet-natured humor and wrenching drama. (Take special note of the tragic scene at the family farm ... most of the violence takes place off-screen, and is all the more disturbing because of what you don't see. Now that's skillful, mature filmmaking!)
Fans of the movie who have patiently awaited its release on DVD are bound to be a bit disappointed with Universal's unremastered print and bare bones presentation. The first two or three minutes of the DVD are plagued by bad sound (the music crackles and pops with distortion) and a horrendous video transfer (the picture is grainy and has tiny white lines running through it). Thankfully, things quickly get better after that rocky start. The DVD includes the Original Theatrical Trailer which has deteriorated badly and is presented in full-frame; sadly, there are no other extras offered on this edition.
Is It Possible To Remain Neutral
James Stewart is the irascible but devoted family man and Virginia farmer trying to keep his family together during the dying days of the Civil War. He forbids his boys (and he has lots of them!) from joining the War, despite the pressures being put on them by others. But in the end, despite his best efforts, Stewart can't keep his family from being touched by the tragedies of the War. It's hard to remain neutral when the world is falling apart around you.
The movie starts out in a light-hearted way, with Stewart's stubborness coming across with humour. But the film's tone changes throughout its running time and becomes darker, as his stubborness becomes more like arrogance, and the realities of war penetrate the family's isolation. Stewart learns some hard lessons. He can't control everything and everyone.
James Stewart dominates the film, with a forceful performance that anchors the film. The supporting cast is good, but no one is given enough time to really standout. There is enough action mixed with the human drama to keep the film moving along. Shenandoah isn't a landmark film or a great example of a western, but it succeeds very well in presenting a moment of crisis in a man's and his family's life.
Outstanding film, on my personal top 10 list.
This is a bittersweet, moving -- sometimes even beautiful --film. Jimmy Stewart is superb as Charlie Anderson, an arrogant, self-reliant man who thinks that he and his family can ignore the civil war which rages around his farm in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. He is disabused of this idealistic but naive notion when Union troops mistake his beloved youngest son, "Boy," for a rebel soldier and take him prisoner. Impetuously, the furious Anderson rides off with his older sons on a Quixotic mission to get the boy back. But this dangerous adventure costs him the lives of two sons and one of their wives. Only after the chastened Anderson reluctantly abandons his search does his beloved "Boy" -- who has escaped -- return home to him. Fine acting, good drama and characterization, beautiful scenery and film score, and a poignant ending make this an oustanding movie. One of the ten best fims ever made in my opinion -- and, quite possibly, Jimmy Stewart's greatest role.
Keep A Box Of Kleenex Close By
Charlie Anderson (James Stewart) may be a gritty, crusty, widowed father of six sons and one daughter, but there's no denying this tough patriarch loves and cherishes his family beyond words or understanding. And with the brutal savagery of the Civil War raging maniacally around his farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, he is able to keep his family out of the conflict--at least, for awhile. Inexorably, inevitably, the war comes to the front porch of Anderson's home when his youngest son, simply named "Boy" (Phillip Alford) is mistakenly taken prisoner by Union solidiers.
And thus the film SHENANDOAH embarks on a more ominous dimension, as Anderson and his sons journey forth into the insanity around them to find the boy. Their quest is unsuccessful--the subsequent tragedy to the family unbearable. Stewart so vividly portrays a tough man who is stricken down, again and again, by the horrors of man's inhumanity to man. Yet he succeeds in keeping his now fragile family together, a family that has abandoned its search and returned home. Stewart's scene in the family cemetery--a quiet plot now hosting fresh graves--is one of the most moving, compelling scenes I have ever watched. And if you're not wiping tears from your face when this film reaches its powerful, emotional conclusion, you've either fallen asleep or not paid attention to the story.
The supporting cast--including Doug McClure, Glenn Corbett, Rosemary Forsyth, Patrick Wayne, and Katherine Ross--is solid; director Andrew V. McLagen provides a beautiful, haunting film. SHENANDOAH is a bonafide tearjerker, a powerful family drama that stands the test of time.
Buy Shenandoah at Amazon.com
Buy posters at Allposters.com
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