Les prairies de l'honneur

I saw this movie the 1st time with my dad when I was in grade school. It brings up a lot of big issues. Like "High Noon" or "The Searchers" there is an underlying theme that may or may not have been intended. Released in 1965 when Vietnam was just beginning to become a hot issue. In his last 'chat' with his dead wife, he vocalized a dove perspective on war in general--that the people who think that war is a good idea usually aren't the ones who will be dodging bullets, chemical weapons or bombs.

Having the youngest son rescued by an African American was also a daring move at the time.

Worth a look. It may not be historically accurate, but it touches on some important and timely, considering the nature of current events.

A peaceful, hardworking farming family suffers the strains and unavoidable losses of the Civil War in `Shenandoah.' James Stewart is the head of the clan, who does not keep slaves and refuses to fight for men who do. Since the death of his wife, he has raised his large family to work hard and fight for what is right, and now the onset of the war forces them to come to terms with everything they believe in.

The film is largely set on Stewart's farm in the Shenandoah Valley. At the start of the film, the family tries to go about its business as if the war did not exist. Ignoring the war becomes increasingly difficult, however, with soldiers constantly marching through the property trying to recruit the sons and requisition the livestock. When the youngest son is taken prisoner Stewart decides the time has come to take action, so they set out to find the boy. Along the way, lives are lost, values are tested, and mindsets are changed with experience.

Stewart's performance as the proud patriarch is excellent. It is a grizzled, more mature Jimmy Stewart than one is used to, with a cigar stub constantly dangling from his mouth and a perpetual scowl on his face, but in essence it is the same proud, upright character that he has always specialized in. He is effective in conveying the fear and vulnerability of a man who is unsure of the right thing to do, looking out for his family and land in the midst of a war-torn nation. His conversations at his wife's gravestone stand among the most poignant work of his career.

`Shenandoah' takes its time in telling its story, interspersing simple, low-key scenes (in church, at the dinner table) with action sequences. Its characters are real people with real problems, and with whom the audience can readily identify. It is a mature, beautifully realized film, with scenic photography and sensitive performances.

Shenandoah (1965)

A leisurely, somewhat by-the-book movie, directed by a television veteran, Andrew V. McLaglen. The story, of a family who resisted the Civil War by sheer stubborn principles (like objecting to war), is interesting, and a bit different. This has the feel of a Western, but it's set in Virginia, so is closer to "Drums Along the Mohawk" in depth and intention.

But more to the point--James Stewart is the patriarch, and he brings an older, deeper, wiser sensibility to the film than all the other actors combined. It's a great performance top to bottom, and he pulls it off with complexity and rare conviction. The plot is absorbing because of Stewart, and that's the final word, really.

It doesn't hurt to note this is 1965, and the Vietnam war is getting going on a large scale, making the front of Life Magazine. Whether or not this is a comment on that war, or on war in general, it's hard to know from here, but the audience must have seen it that way. There is a conflict of innocence and sheer naiveté that doesn't always wash well with common sense, and this large family is nothing if not smart. The large crisis that marks the halfway point was avoidable by paying attention to the hat a little more.

But these men and women still show the power of passive resistance to a war that seemed, to them, to be nonsense.

Compelling drama about a man's efforts to keep his family safe and out of the Civil War. It's an anti-war story that was obviously meant to be about the then-current war, Vietnam, as much if not more than the one in the story. The film looks and feels like a western, although it's set in Virginia. Like most westerns from back then, it's a mix of serious drama with action scenes and even some moments of comedy. James Stewart plays the lead and gives an exceptional performance. Fine support from George Kennedy, Paul Fix, Patrick Wayne, Doug McClure, Katharine Ross (in her film debut), Glenn Corbett, and Rosemary Forsyth, who does a great job as Stewart's ballsy daughter. Some riveting emotional scenes and some nice action. Definitely worth a look for Stewart fans or anyone who enjoys films with subtext.

Director Andrew McLaglen and Universal starred James Stewart in this fine family film. Co starring are two young Universal contract actresses Katharine Ross and Rosemary Forsyth. Ms. Ross would go on to do John Wayne's Hellfighters and then go onto great acclaim in The Graduate and also Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid with Paul Newman. Also in the cast is handsome Patrick Wayne son of the great John Wayne, along with other reliable stars such as George Kennedy and rugged Glenn Corbett and Doug McClure who provide fine support.

Can anyone recall if James Stewart ever gave a bad performance? I surely cannot! Mr. Stewart excels in this film which I thought would have garnered him another Oscar nomination.