A possibly well-meaning examination of a tragic part of US history that is turned into a pretentious bore of a film. This is little more than a lecture disguised as a movie. It goes on way too long with not much to show for it. John Ford, one of the all-time greats, commits the rookie director's mistake of thinking that solemn subject matter and excessive length automatically equal 'epic.' They do not. It's a film with more than a few stars but very few of them (such as Edward G. Robinson) get anything to do. Ultimately it's Richard Widmark's show and he grits his teeth through the whole thing, spitting out every line to further emphasize how disgusted he is with all the injustice. Unfortunately, the result of such a performance is it makes the audience (or me, at least) want to root against him.The most bizarre thing about this is the Jimmy Stewart part. After an interminably long and preachy first hour and half about the plight of the Cheyenne and the conflict with the white man, the movie abruptly shifts direction and turns into a comedy with Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, played by Stewart and Arthur Kennedy. This lasts fifteen or twenty minutes before the film returns to the main story. What the hell was that even about?!? It's really not an enjoyable experience. White guilt movies aren't among my favorites but there have been some intelligent, thought-provoking ones that didn't put me to sleep or have me rolling my eyes. This is just an overlong sententious bore with a wasted cast, made by a director past his prime. Avoid unless you're a Ford completist or you're young and still in that "I just heard about all this bad stuff that happened a really long time ago and I'm angry about it" phase.

Mari Sandoz' sympathetic account of the flight of the Northern Cheyennes from Oklahoma's Indian Territory to their historical homeland in Wyoming is the basis of John Ford's final western adventure. The usual emotional mistreatment of the Indians, with broken promises, lies, the disrespect shown to their chiefs, indifference to the tribe's well-being, lack of proper nourishment and education by their white custodians sets in motion their northward trek. The Cheyenne migration comes to the attention of the War Department in Washington with orders to stop the Indians and return them to their reservation. The film has several hit-and-run skirmishes, with the fighting prowess of the Cheyennes keeping the pursuing soldiers at bay. Richard Widmark, a cavalry officer and Carroll Baker, a Quaker who wants to educate the Cheyenne children, are sympathetic towards the Indians' plight, in stark contrast to Karl Malden's Russian martinet who imprisons the Indians at Fort Robinson and vows to send them back to the arid Oklahoma territory. The film's measured and deliberate pace is in keeping with the plodding progress of the tribe's move north. The Dodge City sequence, which features a comical poker game, is a pointless twenty minute detour from the film's narrative and adds nothing to the plot. The wide-screen cameras of William Clothier capture the beautiful scenery of Monument Valley, director Ford's favorite shooting location. Gilbert Roland, Ricardo Montalban and Dolores del Rio are excellent in various Cheyenne roles.

I got this film on the recommend of several people, but approached it with the attitude that "Oh, here we go; another of those "the-white-people-suck-and-the-Indians-are-saints" films like DANCES WITH WOLVES, which is also a great film, but let's be honest, was deliberately scripted to make whites look like devils incarnate and the Indians to be a cross between Mother Theresa and Gandhi. But just a few minutes into it, I relaxed and kicked back in my recliner, and 2 and a half hours later, when it ended, was a bit disappointed that it had ended. I also found myself wondering that although the Hispanic actors did a credible job, why there weren't any actual Native American actors. A BIG reason I liked DANCES WITH WOLVES was because of the Native American roles being taken by Native Americans. If any remembers the WWII TV show COMBAT, it was great because American actors were American and spoke English; the French actors were French and spoke French, and the German actors were Germans and spoke German. This only amplifies everyone's enjoyment of any show or movie and I am glad that most studios do just that. CHEYENNE AUTUMN may be an older film, but for it's few faults, it's worth watching often, so purchase a copy: you won't be disappointed!

From director John Ford comes this moving tribute to the Native American. Unlike his early films where they were seen as uncivilized savages, this film " Cheyenne Autumn " depicts them as they really are. Natives Americans who long wish to return to their Homeland. Set against the beautiful, panoramic landscape, these noble people set out across the open desert. Although it's 1,500 miles and in the mists of sub-zero winter, they struggle to reach their sacred ground where they wish to live with their children. Along the way, their every encounter with the White man is met with racial hostility and murder. Their most threatening adversary is the American Press which decries the Indian as everything from blood-thirty barbarians to a marauding hoard of renegades. The inner story is of sympathetic Capt. Thomas Archer (Richard Widmark) a Calvalry Officer who understands their plight and attempts to see the Sect. of the Interior (Edward G. Robinson) to correct a grievous injustice. Within the Cheyenne Tribe are two brothers, Little Wolf and Dull Knife (Ricardo Montalban, Golbert Roland) who wrestle with conflicting methods as to how to win their ultimate victory. This is difficult as Dull Knife's son (Sal Mineo) is seen as dishonorable for coveting Little Wolf's wife. With a plethora of Hollywood stars like Mike Mazurki, Karl Malden, James Steward, Patrick Wayne, Arthur Kennedy, Carroll Baker, John Carradine, Victory Jory and Ken Curtis, this film nearly becomes top heavy. Instead the entire cast makes for a tremendous effort to establish what has come to be known as a John Ford Classic. Excellent film. ****