Le convoi des braves

This is a great Western drama, John Ford's lusty successor to 'Fort Apache' and 'She wore yellow ribbon'. Two drifters named Travis Blue (Ben Johnson ) and Sandy Owens (Harry Carey Jr ) are hired by leaders of a Mormons congregation (Ward Bond, Russell Simpson) as wagon masters of an expedition toward Utah frontier. They must guide a religious caravan throughout a dangerous rout formerly initiated by Brigham Young from Illinois-Utah. Along the way they meet a trio of drunks (Alan Mowbray, Joanne Dru) and some bandits(Charles Kemper, James Arness, Hank Worden) who are compared to snakes . Meanwhile Travis falls in love with Denver and the wagon train heading for the promised land.

This classic picture ranks as one of the best of John Ford's work. It contains Ford's usual themes as a community decided to build the civilization on a virgin territory, friendship and comradeship among people and ample shots while wagons run over prairies and mountains filmed at Monument Valley and Professor Valley. Interesting screenplay by Frank S Nugent and Patrick Ford, booth of whom are John Ford's habitual. Excellent starring cast as Ben Johnson - formerly remembered as the sergeant in 'she wore a yellow ribbon' , here his first main role and years later achieved the best supporting actor Academy Award for 'The last Picture Show' -, he is awesome as roaming cowhand who join a congregation migrating West. Good cinematography by Bert Glennon and Archie Stout reflecting splendidly marvelous outdoors. Emotive score by Richard Hageman with wonderful songs by Stan Jones played by Sons of Pioneers. The movie is stunningly produced by Merian C Cooper - Argosy Pictures Production- and magnificently filmed by Ford with direction assistant by Cliff Lyons. Inspired the later successful TV series titled 'Wagon train' starred by Ward Bond and some episode directed by Ford. Avoid a horrible version shown in computer-colored. Rating : Very good, better than average.

I never thought I'd be using a word like "charming" in connection with a Western. But the first half of Wagon Master strikes me as just that, charming. The colorful characters and set-ups blend together in shrewdly affable fashion. Of course, the opening hook features brief gunplay, but that's just to let the audience know that the movie will include traditional bad guys. Actually, there's much less gunplay than expected, though the second half is more tension filled than the first. Still, the eventual showdown is de-dramatized in atypical fashion.

To me, Ben Johnson makes an excellent westerner. His regional accent is perfect. He may not be a John Wayne icon, but neither does he compete with the story. After all, the wagon train's success amounts to a collective effort and not that of a single heroic figure. Also, Carey Jr. makes a good headstrong sidekick, good for a chuckle or two. And, yes, that is a young,, naturally blond, James Arness as one of the Cleggs, even if without any dialog.

Two things I really like about this Ford Western. The characters are colorful without becoming caricatures, plus the fact that it's filmed in b&w. Now, Technicolor would bring out the awesome beauty of the Moab locations, but also distract from the storyline. The b&w photography here is excellent, but has the important effect of bringing out the majesty of the surroundings without competing. It's a perfect setting for the movie's theme of a new land for a peaceable Mormon people. Note too, how the Navajo are treated with respect, and even acknowledged as victims of white men's thievery, but without piling it on. Note too that except for the opening scene the entire movie was shot on location. A real outdoor Western.

All in all, Ford blends the many elements together beautifully. In my little book, the result should be more celebrated among his canon than it is. I know it's my favorite among the many Ford Westerns I've seen.

Although Ford's movie only really starts halfway through, once the traveling folk and the outlaws meet, the second half of the film is strong enough that the lengthy roundabout beginning is almost forgotten. The outlaws are plain stereotypes, painted very similar to the Clantons in 'My Darling Clementine', but the intense interactions between them and the traveling folk are worth watching for. Oddly enough, the depth of the film does not lie in the happenings between them but rather in the singing and dancing featured. Song and dance is shown as a uniting force between very different cultures, and the songs of the film are very well suited to the Old West atmosphere. The film is a mix of different things: there is a typical predictable love interest, awkward bits of humour, and of course men slinging guns. Then there is the plot of outlaws against the good guys and the almost non-related deeper ideas about bonding between different people. The overall product is rather strange and certainly not one of John Ford's strongest efforts. That said, it is good viewing once it gets going, and Ford captures the vast western landscape as well as one would expect.

In Crystal City, a group of Mormons hire the horse traders Travis (Ben Johnson) and Sandy (Harry Carey Jr.) as wagon masters to lead their caravan to San Juan River. Along the journey, they meet first the broken wagon without water of the quack Dr. A. Locksley Hall (Alan Mowbray) and the prostitutes Denver (Joanne Dru) and Fleuretty Phyffe (Ruth Clifford). Then the sadistic outlaws Clegg boys decide to join the Mormon caravan to disguise the patrol leaded by the Sheriff of Crystal City that is chasing them. When the Navajos cross their path, they are invited to visit their hamlet for a dancing party. When the wagon train is near to their destination, the Clegg boys threaten the settlers, forcing Sandy and Travis to take an attitude.

"Wagon Master" is another great western of John Ford. The sequences with the wagon train crossing the desert and the hills are impressive. The adventure of the group of Mormons is funny and very entertaining and the songs fit well to the plot despite being dated. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Caravana dos Bravos" ("Caravan of the Braves")

One of the most poetic narrative films ever made, WAGONMASTER is nonetheless a difficult film to immediately like. I love this movie, but I recommend seeing some of John Ford's other westerns before taking a look at this one. The first time I saw it I was 18 years old and I hadn't seen too many other westerns, and I hated it. I thought it was incredibly boring. I kept waiting for something to happen. It took several years for me to love this picture. First, I fell in love with westerns in general -- the traditions, characters, landscapes, ways of talking, etc -- and that made me realize when I saw WAGONMASTER again that a lot is happening in it after all.

I also was simply a more experienced moviegoer at that point and had learned to appreciate visual storytelling, and to listen to what each image was telling me. WAGONMASTER is a very visual movie by one of the most visual of directors working near the peak of his career.

The movie is a celebration of a way of life, and its subject matter is more emotional and interior than other Ford westerns. Actually, that's not really as accurate as saying that, rather, it has a lot less exterior action than the other westerns. (The other westerns have exterior action AND interior emotion.) It quite beautifully places its Mormon pioneers in the context of nature. There are many shots of animals and children -- not for any surface, narrative purpose, but for illustrating this idea. That is why the movie can be called a poem. It isn't about the surface story (which barely exists) nearly as much as it is about an emotional idea, and it gets this idea across through composition, editing, sound and music. In fact, one could argue that this is a purer form of filmmaking because the images directly express the emotional idea of the film, rather than having to first service a "story."

Give this movie a chance, and allow it to exist on its own terms, not the terms of other westerns or other movies.