Redford' Best Movie

This is the best film Robert Redford ever made, and one of the best films I've ever seen about the frontier life.

The film grows on one over time. It is one of the very, very few films that seems to get better with repeated viewings. It is haunting, sad, tragic, beautiful, powerful, energetic, energizing, uplifting and very poignant all at the same time.

The power and greatness of the film lies in its ability to capture the tragic beauty and sadness of the white man's conflict with native american culture. It also clearly presents the mystifyingly powerful attraction that untouched nature had to those who were driven to go into it on the American frontier, despite the overwhelming discomforts and dangers. And, at the same time, it is a surprisingly poignant portrayal of one man's labor to come to terms with himself, find happiness in the choice of "road less traveled by" lifestyle, and his metamorphisis under the awe-inspiring hand of an achingly beautiful and cruel natural frontier life.

I've watched the film over and over. The film is filled with dignity: the dignity of white mountain men struggling to blend in with a natural world that never relents in its deadly threats; the intense beauty, dignity and particular morality of native american cultures facing strong threats from a white culture with superior technology; the dignity of individuals persevering despite tragedy; and finally the unflagging dignity of raw nature, the Rocky Mountains, the "marrow of the world."

I'm often surprised that the film hasn't earned more accolades. It certainly deserves them. The movie is a rare and powerful gem that should be savored.