In Pursuit of Honor

What may be seen by some viewers as just another Western horse chase is really a profound comment on management, military leadership, and courage as well as a very interesting historical antic dote. It dramatically portrays how differently things can look from different points in the chain of command. Gen. MacArthur has seen the threats to the U.S. from Europe and Asia, and he aims to modernize the Army. With an engineering background and the perspective of high command, he simply orders the excess cavalry horses destroyed.

Down on the Mexican border, this order seems absurd by soldiers who have grown to love horses. A courageous bunch led by an honor focused lieutenant and combat wise sergeant seizes the momentary opportunity to save most of the animals. Their superior, who is purely obedience focused, takes after this mutiny, which then becomes an international incident. Retired colonel Hardesty, who is smart enough to have retired to Tucson, and his journalist daughter feed take up the cause with ultimate success.

The story is apparently real, portrayal of the conflict is believable, the characters show their doubts and resolve, and the story is fascinating.

I first saw this film completely by chance as I was shoveling my Dad's driveway the winter of 1996. I had turned on the TV in between breaks and went to HBO and it had just started and it was so well done that I watched the whole movie before I went beck out to keep on shoveling the snow. If the film's portrayal of MacArthur was true, he was a real Turd! And the treatment of the World War I veterans by our government shows that nothing much has changed over the past 80 years! But the film itself is a gem! If you love a movie with a corny old good guys vs. bad guys plot that will leave you feeling great at the end, and if you love animals, especially horses, you'll love this film. I have the video and will get the DVD as soon as they nake that - it's that good!!!

Besides being an enjoyment for anyone who likes horses, this movie also covers shameful incidents from out nation's history. It identifies several issues that warrant further investigation by anyone interested in U.S. history. These include the rise of General McArthur, the treatment of returning W.W. I Veterans,the difficulty of changing the way war is fought.(an issue today)and the influence of the press.. All of this might shed some light on how decisions are made today by men in power. Excellent acting by some actors who are sometimes not praised enough for their craft. Personally, I would accept more movies of this genre.

You don't have to be a horse lover to enjoy this film, but it helps. Sensitive viewers may find some scenes hard to watch, particularly the killing of quite a few horses, but otherwise the action is generally mild. The overall feeling of this film is personal honor. It is about people standing up for what they believe is right and just, even at the cost of their own lives and reputations. This moral standpoint is conveyed, but not overdone. This is not a sweet or sappy film at all, but has restrained, masculine expression that I guess is appropriate for the cavalry. In my opinion it lacks any strong characterization, but this is the fault of the writers, not the actors. There is only one female character in the whole film, and I did not find her to be very believable, but the male leads are all appropriate and seem to fit this film. I enjoyed viewing "In Pursuit of Honor" and got wrapped up in it. It has a triumphant ending and leaves you feeling good, suggesting that even in the carnage and cruelty of war, there can be room for humanity.

This is the first film I have seen that accurately depicts the U.S. Army Horse Cavalry during this time period.

My father was a trooper in the cavalry during this time period, as an orderly to General Patton (then colonel), another cavalry man.

My father's stories reflected this closeness of a trooper and his horse.

The film was also accurate in uniforms, saddles, and tack, along with the handling of the horses.

Don Johnson's roll of the Sergeant was remarkable, one of his best performances.

I would recommend this film to anyone interested in a missed part of our history, and to anyone just wanting to see a very good movie.