Rough Riders

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.

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.

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.

This three-hour, made-for-cable TV in America story of Cuban battles in the Spanish-American War was good enough to sit through once but not edited well enough to see it again.

I say "edited" because, after the short stage-coach robbery scene in the first minute or two, nothing much happens for almost an hour. Then, for the rest of the film - 90 to 120 minutes - it's almost non-stop action. After awhile, with only a few very short lulls, you get tired of it. All the shooting and cannons, etc., become too repetitive and get boring.

Also, for those who assume, as I did, that this film is a biography of sorts of Theodore Roosvelt, before he became President of the United States, might be a bit disappointed. You do see him, and he's a major figure in this long story, but there is no real central character in here. The film gives a fair amount of screen time to a handful of people, not just Teddy. There is no real star in this story.

Tom Berenger must have done a pretty good job because I wouldn't have known it was him had I not read about this before seeing it. Whether it was his pronounced choppers, or odd way of speaking, it didn't sound or look like the actor. However, it was good to get some glimpse of what our former President was like as you don't often see "Teddy" portrayed on film.

This also gave us a good insight on the Spanish-American war, another historic event not often seen on film. I wonder how many people even know that "San Juan Hill," which helped make Roosevelt famous, is located in Cuba?

For a TV-film, the action scenes were well-done and it appeared no expenses were spared in making this movie. A little more action in the first hour, and a little less in the next two, would have made this film more interesting.

Tom Berenger as Theodore Roosevelt! Is this guy an ACTOR or what?!? He's got Teddy's look & demeanor down pat. He certainly does his research!

Crux of the film - A volunteer rag-time bunch of men become soldiers trained by Buck O'Neil (the ever-outdoorsy M-A-N of the cowboy/war-type flicks, Sam Elliot). Goodrich & Tiffany are just some of the now famous names who went down in history fighting this war on San Juan Hill. Besides the rich & priviledged there were outlaws & everyday men. And who led them up that hill? Tom Berenger as Theodore Roosevelt himself. It's something how he can change his look in practically every film he's in. Just before this one, he was The Substitute. He looked older, grayish hair, wrinkles in his face. As Teddy, his skin is so smooth, his hair not gray at all & has a much younger stance. I know make-up & hair dye can do wonders (& Berenger's wife was the person on the set to do it here) but what a transformation!

Gary Busey is not one of my favorite actors but he's got the energy & craziness for his role as Joe Wheeler here, in command & in pursuit! Go buy this film & enjoy the thrill of acting!