beladornon2 I've always heard how great this film was, so I thought I'd give it a try. YIKES! This one is just awful. Great scenery —on the WRONG side of the Rockies— a boring and completely predictable script; relentless Hollywood-hairdos on a "mountain man"; a hideously hokey corny soundtrack; ultra- cheap production values, featuring orange blood and stuffed wolves {I am not lying} being hurled at Redford. So much to hate, so little to like. None of the story makes the slightest bit of sense, and the 'acting' ranges from stupid to awful, with the exception of THE WALTONS' Will Geer as a predictably crazy old coot. Want to enjoy this meadow muffin? Turn off the sound and skip through the scenes with people; you can enjoy five minutes of nice mountain scenery.

jb0579 I never include much of a plot synopses in my reviews, only that which is necessary to underscore whatever calls for a bit of back story, as that information can be found elsewhere. Instead, I concentrate on the all around artistic merit of a film and the quality of its production. In Jeremiah Johnson, I'll make a bit of an exception since it's essentially a true story, and there is so much going on that one would do well to watch it at least twice to catch all the nuances at play. Based on an amalgamation of real life people including a character named "Liver Eatin' Johnson", who ate the livers of his adversaries in keeping with THEIR customs, I will say that essentially the movie tells the story of a white man who drops from society to escape it's politics and finds himself at war with native peoples of the lands wherein he ends up. His family killed by these native peoples for having broken a sacred custom, the real Johnson, confused, scared, mad and alone goes on a vengeful spree. So worthy of an adversary was he and so fierce was his revenge, eventually it was the wily and land-savvy indigenous peoples who sought him out for a truce. This was more or less the way of it. Now on to the technicalities of the film. Pollack has always been my favorite director. His understated direction and touching scores are the stuff of legend. Perfectly lit and beautifully shot, everyone pulls their weight. Perhaps Redford's best work, you can also expect to see Will Geer at the top of his game, and Stephan Gierasch & newcomer Delle Bolton (now a novelty shop owner in the southwest) take turns stealing their scenes as well. To say this is merely a great film does it a disservice.  It's more than just great - it's quintessential. Its a must-see. The tension the viewer feels as Johnson stops cold on his mount, listening to the silence, sensing something is amiss after breaking a native custom and having quietly led a rescue party through a burial ground rivals anything in the movies today - albeit more is left to the imagination. But after all, don't we yearn for more movies wherein we are forced to contemplate plot as opposed to essentially having it all but captioned for us? See this and thank me. Along with All the President's Men and Three Days of the Condor I'd put this atop that short Redford list. Yup. It's THAT good. The evidence: within 10 minutes you forget its a nearly 50 year old film. Now you'll excuse me, I'm going to start it from the beginning and watch it again.....Enjoy!! -Jim Boerner,  [email protected]

Scott LeBrun Jeremiah Johnson (Robert Redford) is disillusioned with life after experiencing the horrors of the Mexican War. Now his one simple desire is to live the life of a "mountain man". He will fend for himself, and live off the land. Along the way he will encounter such characters as the helpful old hermit Bear Claw (Will Geer), the grieving "crazy" woman (Allyn Ann McLerie), and the flamboyant Del Gue (Stefan Gierasch). He will incur the wrath of the Crow tribe, becoming a marked man, and meet many of their number in hand to hand combat. He will also experience friendship, love, and loss, while once again finding his place in the world.Redford is aces in this well crafted story inspired by a real life trapper named John Johnston, and drawn from sources such as the novel "Mountain Man" by Vardis Fisher and the tale "Crow Killer" by Raymond W. Thorp & Robert Bunker. Given that one of the two credited screenwriters is John Milius (the other being Edward Anhalt), this proves to be a stirring, robust, and interesting entertainment. It's extremely well directed by Sydney Pollack, and it's set against the backdrop of some truly breathtaking wilderness. Themes of man vs. man and man vs. nature are front and centre. Some viewers may take exception to the way in which a number of the Indian characters are portrayed, but balancing that is the appealing performance of Delle Bolton (who gets an "introducing" credit) as the Indian lass Swan, whom Jeremiah is roped into taking as a wife.Our hero definitely blossoms as he forms something resembling a family unit, with a "son" whom he christens Caleb (Josh Albee), and his new bride. His story is somewhat episodic in nature, but compelling and heartfelt.The music is credited to actors Tim McIntire and John Rubinstein, and it is simply beautiful, serving as the perfect accompaniment to lovely widescreen images captured by cinematographer Duke Callaghan.Redford is extremely well supported by a cast that also includes character actors Joaquin Martinez, Paul Benedict, Charles Tyner, Jack Colvin, and Matt Clark. Both Geer and Gierasch steal the show in their respective scenes.Redford has made many fine films, but this one remains somewhat undervalued.Eight out of 10.

chase_cabot I originally discovered Jeremiah Johnson while on IMDb (go figure) while browsing the westerns. I have seen many westerns in my time, and a good few were generic or shallow, but Jeremiah Johnson looked like a unique film to me, so I rented it. I was not disappointed. Jeremiah Johnson is more than a western, it quite accurately and deeply depicts the mentality and desire to escape from society and the problems in our lives, while also portraying human interaction in a way I found touching. With each new person he meets, we see a new character interaction, with Bear Claw we see salvation and gratitude in Johnson, and the "family" he later has reveals companionship and deep affection even when it begins in odd and tense situations. Overall, we see reflected onto us how much meaning our interactions with others have, even though that meaning becomes lost in the jumble of our daily lives. Johnson also embodies the desire for humans escape their situation for something more peaceful. In Johnson we see ourselves, we see our desire to find something better, sometimes for solitude. In summary, the interactions between people and what it reveals about human nature is what makes Jeremiah Johnson a truly beautiful movie.