Rough Riders

I enjoyed this movie tremendously, but then again I'm a big Theodore Roosevelt fan. The movie does nothing to damage his reputation and is minimal in its application of modern sensibilities. There's lots of action, which closely mimics the historical accounts I've read. Believe it or not, by all reports TR was much as he is portrayed. Good performances abound with Tom Berringer topping the list.

I'll skip trying to tell you what was on these peoples mind when they went to war, however, TR had been de facto Secretary of the Navy and a politician for quite a while so I vote for less naivete than hinted at by another commentator. That said, true believers are reported to have been a far more common breed at the time.

A good rent, but I wish it were available on DVD. Talk to Ted Turner about that.

I didn't realize John Milius had this fine film in him (after all, he gave us RED DAWN). I stand corrected. I liked the film so much, I had other members of my family watch it, and they loved it, too. How pleasantly surprised I was by Tom Berenger's superb performance as Teddy Roosevelt. Watch for Berenger as he stands at the back gate of the caboose of a train he's commandeered to transport his troops. He has no dialogue, but get a load of the look at his face and his bearing. He just stands there, beaming, so gloriously alive with the spirit of the man and his times. Look for standout work by Gary Busey (I really wanted him to say "Mr. Roosevelt! Look at the firepower!") as the feverish Southern general Joe Wheeler, Illeana Douglas (a fresh surprise as Alice Roosevelt), Brad Johnson (who has easily the most beautiful smile in Hollywood) as the outlaw-turned-hero Henry Nash, Nick Chinlund (a fave "X Files" creep) in a great scene as Frederick Remington, and Chris Noth as the privileged Craig Wadsworth. All are tremendous. Sam Elliott turns in both subtle and commanding work as Captain Bucky O'Neil, a man as heartbreaking when he bids his wife goodbye as he is terrifying and awesome when he breaks his troops in to the concept of killing. My quibbles with the production are few: silly, Attenborough-style casting of George Hamilton as a too-handsome William Randolph Hearst, cheesy use of the "St. Crispin's Day" speech from Shakespeare's KING HENRY V, very little information on what the war was actually about from both sides (the opening credits block the vintage headlines that supposedly bring us up to speed). Still, the battle sequences are masterfully staged (watch the horses run by Remington while he paints--gorgeous shot!), the training sequences are fascinating, and Berenger's expression once the Battle for San Juan Heights is over is simply heartwrenching.

Damn fine film. Some historical points have been stretched a bit, here and there...Bucky O'Neil was a madman who refused to keep his head down and got shot right through his cigarette ... Fighting Joe Wheeler was a bantam rooster of a man (5'3") but with the heart of a lion who did indeed keep referring to the enemy as "the Yankees"...TR's Rough Rider's attack was up the nearby Kettle Hill (Cero de Olla) where they racked the Spanish position across the narrow gully with deadly fire; when the Spanish [and there were about 1,500 men-- not 500, as some reviewer suggested] broke to fall back to Santiago, TR boldly took off alone toward the San Juan Heights (Los Altos de San Juan)having forgotten to give the order to charge...

OK. Enough of History. Yes, Stephen Crane, author of The Red Badge of Courage, was a "looper," as one reviewer puts it, and yes, WR Hearst was a war-baiter-- anything to sell papers and fan the fires of xenophobia... But, hey! This is a damn fine film that captures much of the spirit of that "Bully little war," that launched TR's career into the White House. Tom Berenger is wonderful as the one and only TR who adored by his men (reportedly, on the march into the interior from the coast, TR walked with his men, refusing to ride, through the humid, hot forest and always saw to it that "his boys" were taken care of first. I too noted sadly, the weariness of Brian Keith prior to his suicide, as President McKinley. This film is definitely worth watching again ... and again.

I cannot overly praise this great motion picture. When I saw it on television, I was amazed at its quality and verve, and eagerly awaited it on video. I was not disappointed.

This is a fantastic motion picture on many levels. The scoring was perfect, and the painstaking, accurate attention to detail in period weapons, uniforms, and accoutrement was obvious.

Though the actual facts of the engagements depicted were a bit different than is portrayed in the film (due to time constraints and for the sake of lucidity), the movie has a genuine 'feel' for Teddy Roosevelt, his famous outfit, and the times they lived in.

Sam Elliott, as Captain Bucky O'Neil, was a standout and should have won an award for his performance. He's always a pleasure to watch on screen, but he infuses his part here with genuine toughness, a wonderful dry humour, and great humanity.

Then again, the entire cast was wonderful, particularly Chris Noth, Brad Johnson, Tom Berenger, Dale Dye, and especially scene-stealer Gary Busey. Watch for the actor who played "Indian Bob"; he has one of the funniest (and most human) lines in the film.

This is the only movie I've ever seen that I wanted to be in, in some capacity. It's that good.

Love him or hate him, you have to admit that John Milius has returned in force to make this wonderfully epic movie. He only made two other films (barely) worthy of note: the underrated Flight Of The Intruder and the equally under-rated Farewell To The King. Though directed for television, Rough Riders has all the qualities of a great war epic from the sixties.

What helps Milius is his love of the subject matter. With The Wind And The Lion, Rough Riders feels as though Milius has a deep and abiding love for Theodore Roosevelt. Every frame of this movie gives you the feeling that Milius is working from the heart. His passion and respect for his subject matter illicited the greatest performance of Tom Berenger's career.

If you liked this, do see The Wind And The Lion.