Bend of the River

This is the original video game adaptation. Oregon Trail: The Movie.

Stewart and Kennedy are great and carry an otherwise ho-hum movie. The message is blunt, the characters are simplistic and the story's pretty typical but it's good enough to be a nice way to pass the time.

a man tries to outrun his past, but he must turn and confront the devil in his shadow before he can take that bend and build something new. such is the western, a genre swimming the river of history in search of ways to divert the current, knowing that for man to elevate beyond its base nature it must confront those impulses and channel them toward a greater purpose. mann's oregon is ideal for such a morality play, leaving no doubt that the river connects heaven and hell, be it ladder or snake.

Loved it. Had some great opening scenes with actual wagons on the landscape (at least it didn't seem like a stage to me). Decent character motivations though I wish Cole stayed loyal, but I suppose they needed the contrast. Black characters w/Ebonics and mannerisms even though they were supposed to be more or less equal and respectable. Fav scene: entering Portland for the first time was a beautiful shot with the wagons coming down the hill and the steamboat in the foreground.

Lacks the pace and energy of the better Mann/Stewart westerns. Kennedy is unconvincing, acting a sneering villain even when he's supposed to be reformed. As in most of these films, Stewart is paired with an uncomfortably-younger woman.

Bland

Jimmy saves the day. And the film.

Standard 50's western with some real pretty Oregon backdrops. Stewart out acts everyone everyone else on screen. Classic.

A fairly decent but unremarkable western, save for the gorgeous Oregon backdrop which is rather unusual. Two years later, Mann would release The Far Country for which he went even further north, to Alaska. There's definitely a shortage of "northerns" for folks like me who love seeing that mountainous pine-tree scenery...

Bend of the River (1952) is a quality western which brings with it every scenario associated adventurous westerns, but struggles to find a identity of its own. While it has that drawback, it does have James Stewart & Arthur Kennedy in a complicated partnership, The character dynamic is what makes it come alive, even if it comes a little in the background of Anthony Mann being too busy pushing the adventure portion.

I appreciate the way Mann slowly builds the tension--the biggest problem always still out there looming ahead. The nature photography in the first and last third is quite evocative as well.

Mann captures the gorgeous lowland hills surrounding Mt Hood where Stewart makes it known he WILL get this food to the new settlement. Of course, there are obstacles to overcome and Stewart is allowed to become a bit murky when it comes to his methods. I think I will remember this more for its unique setting, for the time, rather than its narrative.

Another excellent Stewart western. The story, based on a novel, is gripping with a lot stakes for the different parties involved from the beginning and the ones introduced later on in the film. The backdrop of the relationship between Stewart's and Kenendy's characters is strong, fiery and ultimately tragic. Good acting throughout with Julie Adams being as cute as always, and Rock Hudson's character feeling as if he's there only for his pretty smile and the box-office.

Can a man change? Stewart attempts redemption, and this film in classic western style tests him at every turn.

Star Rating: ★★★★★

Nice bits of action coupled with a good performance by Jimmy Stewart made this a very fun and exciting Western,

Not a western fan, but this was watchable at the least.

#970

watched: 2011, 2015, 2019, 2021

As the plot thickens, you get pulled farther and farther in. Great performance by Stewart as usual.

Westerns aren't really my bag, but this was okay, I suppose. Pretty standard, didn't really stand out from the pack. Stewart is just always fun to watch, the Technicolor looks nice, and the plot doesn't drag. It's nice to see some home territory, although it bugged me how everyone mispronounced "Oregon". This was my first experience with Stepin Fetchit. After hearing so much about him, he wasn't as bad as I expected... still pretty offensive, though. Overall: entertaining but nothing special.

912

A fine western with excellent performances from Jimmy Stewart and Arthur Kennedy.

Maratona de westerns em honra de Julie Adams (1926 - 2019) #1: Anthony Mann. Foi ótimo eu ter revisto porque não lembrava de absolutamente de nada, e é um excelente exemplar do ciclo Stewart dos westerns do Mann, além de apresentar "Julia" Adams como uma das nascentes estrelas da Universal. HDRip no MakingOff.

It is a classic of the genre of western 50s. It is a great entertainment, especially for fans of the genre.

894

Classic James Stewart.