The Covered Wagon. 1923. Directed by James Cruze.

(2/3/00-2/5/00)

It doesn't disappoint. This film is a beautifully-made epic of western migration. It is about the struggle to go westward and it really seems to bring those times to life. It is a positive, life-affirming film of human achievement.

It has a simple story of two men's rivalry. The hero is thought to be a bad man, but he is later exonerated. Alan Hale is a thoroughly despicable villain. It is a simple story and doesn't distract the viewer from the real story of the migration. I certainly felt a part of the migration at the end when the leader asks how far it is to Oregon and is told that they were already in Oregon. I shared the joy and was moved when they all knelt down to pray.

It is also the time of the California gold rush and an issue is made between those who wanted to go and take gold and those who wanted to settle the land. The latter is seen as a more noble endeavor, but the film does address the impact on the Indians. Early on we hear the Indian point of view on this--they feel they must battle the white man for the land because the white man's presence means their destruction. So while the film celebrates the determination of the pioneers, it is also fair-minded enough to acknowledge what this achievement did to the Indians.

The photography of the western landscape was spectacular. Some of the scenes that I particularly liked were when they crossed the river and the cattle had to swim and the scenes of a dance at night with beautiful flickering shadows. One thing I was aware of that has come up in other westerns is the sense of community, of how this enterprise, this struggle has brought people together.