Flim Flam After not having watched any of the classic westerns in a long time somebody told me I should watch Jeremiah Johnson...I'm so happy I listened! This movie is beautiful, just so beautiful that alone is enough to give it a try, the story is amazing as well! On top of that it has aged very well, if they made the same movie today it would probably look the same (or worse).Have look and judge for yourself, you will not be disappointed!A classic among classics.Recommended!

sol- Disillusioned by the horrors of war, a US soldier attempts to live alone in the mountains in this unusual western starring Robert Redford. The film is based on the true story of an 1840s fur trapper, however, the basic narrative has more in common with the 'dropping out of society' movies of circa 1970 with Redford rejecting the rules of the society that has raised him, only to have to contend with other (Amerindian) rules. Perhaps most pointedly though, Redford finds himself eventually saddled with all the accoutrements of society that he has tried to avoid, inadvertently making friends, given a surrogate son (after the boy's family is killed) and an Amerindian bride for a wife. One of the film's best aspects is how Redford gradually progresses from being resentful of the son and wife to actually caring deeply enough about them to take action at a pivotal point. Intelligent as all this might sound, 'Jeremiah Johnson' is certainly not a film for all tastes. It is very deliberately, almost lethargically paced and Redford's journeys are accompanied by a series of superfluous sentimental songs. The film also never really probes into Redford's past and all the reasons that culminated in his drop out of society. It is, however, his journey (rather than his motivation) that drives the film. He might look and sound the same by the end of the film, but he is indelibly changed. No matter how one dissects it, it is hard to deny that the film has a potent message to offer about the difficulty of actually avoiding society and the company of others altogether. The scenery is great too.

AaronCapenBanner Robert Redford plays Jeremiah Johnson in director Sydney Pollock's interesting, beautifully filmed story of how Johnson, soured by human civilization, flees into the Colorado Rocky Mountains, where he barely survives that first winter, but he is aided by an experienced old trapper(played by Will Geer) who teaches him what he knows, and is gradually impressed by how quickly he learns, eventually becoming an experienced mountain man himself. Later, he will find himself at odds with the local native American tribe, who have attacked his home after he transgressed on their ancient tribal burial ground.Fine acting by all, with an engrossing story that may well have influenced the(kinder and gentler) film "The Life And Times Of Grizzly Adams" and subsequent TV series with Dan Haggerty. Johnson is not always an endearing person like Adams was, since his stubborn personality may well have alienated him from his fellow man(I sympathize!) Still, this fine film is quite worthwhile, and has a haunting ending.

Mike Benefield A veteran (Robert Redford) of the Mexican War (1848) rejects society, where "It should have been different"; to become a mountain man. Unfortunately the economy of the mountain man era has ended in the late 1830's leaving the main character to wander the wilderness until he happens to meet a veteran mountain man (Will Geer), who teaches him the ways of the mountain man. The film explores the need that human beings have for human contact, in spite of whatever sense of isolation and alienation that society may expose them to. The film is also one of the first to portray Native Americans in a complex manner; revealing them to be something more than a white caricature. The film uses a powerful dialog, that while limited; is packed with deeper meanings that would be lost to many who watched the film. The limited dialog is carried by stunning scenery, which further serves to make a statement about loneliness and isolation. Add to this the bitter cold in which the main character is at constant battle with and the viewer will want to throw another log on the fire. The main character conducts a war of retribution against the Crow after they kill his Flathead wife and an orphan boy. In the end the outcome is left to the viewer.