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The Horse Soldiers | Year: 1959 Classification: Western Directed: - John Ford Actors/Actresses: - John Wayne - William Holden The Civil War according to the Duke I remember the advertisement to The Horse Soldiers today as if the movie was just being released. Way back in 1960, the newspaper ads and trailer all bragged of the big showdown between the Duke, and costar, William Holden.Unfortunately, even at 10 years old, the big showdown was more of a letdown, but that is the only negative aspect of this fine, actioner picture, which was directed by the great, John Ford. This was the only Ford picture set during the Civil War, and he did a masterful job. The story line was simple,Union Colonel Wayne leads soldiers deep into Rebel territory, and Holden as the liberal Army Doctor, whose beliefs often conflict with the Duke's. As in many Wayne-Ford pictures, there are many magic little moments in this picture which all combine to a thrilling and heart-stopping conclusion. I firmly recommend the Horse Soldiers,especially on DVD. If you have never seen it in wide-screen format, you are in for a real treat. If you are a John Wayne fan from way back, but have already seen The Horse Soldiers, mount up and join the cavalry ride one more time. And who knows, you may even sing along with them this time. John Ford At His Best Director, John Ford, seemingly never made a bad movie and the list of his really good ones is long. "The Horse Soldiers" is one of his best. Ford portrayed the cavalry exceptionally well, capturing in near perfect detail the equipment, the formalities and drill, and all of the realities of this long defunct service. His "Cavalry Trilogy", set in the West during the Indian Wars will never, I suspect, be equalled. "The Horse Soldiers", based on a true Civil War event, is very close to the Trilogy in richness of story and characterization. It follows a raid by a large force of Union cavalry deep into the heart of the Confederacy. Wayne plays the role of Col. Marlowe, whose stern dedication to duty and the realities of operating behind enemy lines brings him into conflict with the regiment's idealistic surgeon, played by Willaim Holden. The only negative aspect of this film is the love interest, which was required in films of that time. Constance Towers is a "fifties girl" placed in the middle of a Civil War movie, and it is more than a minor distraction. Modern films like "We Were Soldiers" and "Black Hawk Down" don't have this element because girlfriends don't suddenly appear in the middle of a battle. Be that as it may, this is still a highly entertaining movie. If you like John Ford's work or would like to know why his films are still highly regarded, see this film. Similarly, if you are looking for a good story well told, you will not be disappointed. Great John Wayne Movie I love this movie. John Wayne's swagger, William Holden's class, and Constance Towers' charm. They all combine to make an excellent Civil War Movie based on an actually raid that pushed deep into the South. The movie of course isn't accurate but that doesn't matter. The drama and action are great and there isn't any silly romance to ruin things. Constance Towers' presence helps in the development of John Wayne's character but doesn't slip into any thing that distracts from the main part of the movie. There are also some great battle scenes. My favorite is the VMI cadet charge. This was also based on a real event that apparently wasn't as big of a deal as in the movie but is still interesting to read about if you get a chance. I recommend this movie to all John Wayne and Civil War movie buffs. Buy The Horse Soldiers at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on The Horse Soldiers Search with the Priority Search Engine on The Horse Soldiers This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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