Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher

It's watchable. There's just enough good to slightly outweigh the bad. It's a passable ride

It's a bit melodramatic, the acting is inconsistent, the direction is not very good, the dialogue is anachronistc, but the story (true) is good, the cinematography is good, and it's an ok way to kill some time. I'm retired. I do that.

The ending is unsatisfying. If you're going to present a character in such a way that you're meant to HATE them, want them to suffer a slow death, etc., then show his comeuppance. There are a couple characters that need killin, but it's only insinuated that they get theirs.

It's not a multiple watch deal. I've seen Shawshank 7 million times. This isn't Ike that.

I read the history page for Montford T. Johnson, so that is all I know of the real character. However, the film was educational and enjoyable on a few levels, including as a history lesson and a better depiction of how black and red people interacted during those times, which is rarely seen accurately. Jim Crow changed a lot of relationships, but that was much later after reconstruction. The relationships between black, white and red people were often intertwined, and this film showed that well.

Because it was low budget, and possibly because they owed the actors the right to participate, some of the casting was really off and amateurish, like the hateful soldier, but I could look past that to understand the man better. The script could use a rewrite, but again, low budget.

One thing that was not shown, and that as in the history page for OK, was that Montford was sickly most of his life, which makes his accomplishments even more amazing! I'm grateful this was made so we can have a better view of our country and how it actually operated.

Story was excellent. This was not a Marvel Universe level budget so with that in mind it was about the story and the acting. I enjoyed the story very much and appreciated the work of all the actors. Very much a feel-good story that accurately depicts some of the obstacles Native Americans dealt with during those times.

In the first half, this bad screenplay (instantly discernable by its overuse of narration) would have made a fair Radio play had it been written 80 years ago. Unable to convey information and emotion through dialog and imagery, they reduced an inspiring story to a poorly executed TV drama.

You can create great films with low budgets, poor writing, bad direction or editing but seldom do you find a video play lacking in all of these.

The last half is like a different production. The awful narration ends, the actors find their rhythm, as the pace picks up, and the story is allowed to blossom, capturing one's imagination.

So, maybe it was just a lack of time and money after all.

Based on a true story of how some Native Americans became successful cattle ranchers in 19th century Oklahoma in spite of hatred and violence directed towards them. Entertaining and interesting.