The Big Trail

The first (earliest) film that made me sit up and take notice of the lead actor, Wayne was fantastic to watch in this.

I was impressed by how ahead of its time it was in terms of movie entertainment (Pace, plot, voice acting) and technical prowess. It's a Cinemascope in the 30s, and it's just like the one from the 50s at its best. For someone who had the opportunity to watch 'How the West Was Won', it has the same feel. Everything is very simple-minded, like its characters, and should be seen with a degree of sympathy similar to that indulgence we give to (Real) folk artists. It's made for the masses.

This is a very solid Western. I wasn't a fan of the comedy relief character but the rest of the cast is great. There are some truly impressive scenes such as the Indian warriors and the wagons down the cliff scene. The biggest plus to this film is he sheer scope of the whole thing, the film looks and feels massive.

That's one big ass trail

I really got caught up in this film because of the cinematography. In the 'transition to sound' period where everything was made rather clumsy, this early wide screen experience was a pure breath of fresh air! Really beautiful and atmospheric! Sure the story is a little on the dull side, but the fact remains that this is still by far the best and most well produced western I've seen up to the point I am now in my project (1936) and that's after over hundred westerns since.

In his first starring role John Wayne gives a solid if at times uneven performance.The story was entertaining and fun and I liked how they showed the wagon train west in a realistic style.The highlight was the great direction by Raoul Walsh and the way the camera was used to frame the action and scenery to give it a dynamic sense of scope and depth.

Cinematopragphy 10/10

Incredibly dull. But I've never been a fan of westerns.

Surprised by how much I liked this aside from, well, it's dated take on the "cowboys vs indians" trope where it's so incredibly apparent that the filmmakers have no interest in the later side. Still, it's fantastic at depicting the dangerous journey that the settlers would have had to go through in their traversal into the west. Honestly surprised Wayne didn't become a star off of this role, because he was surprisingly great here despite it being his very first lead role.

This really captures the epic challenge of travelling the Oregon Trail. John Wayne ends up having to wait for his breakthrough, but he's terrific in this. Tyrone Power's voice deserved an Oscar. Such a great comical villain.

A Grande Jornada estreava há 90 anos nos EUA. Com Walsh não tem erro, ele transforma uma estória clichê de peregrinos rumo ao oeste em pura experiência estética, a cada plano aberto uma explosão de beleza. Plus: Gostei de ver que gatos também tinha vez nas caravanas rumo ao oeste. BlurayRip no MakingOff.

This is Wayne's debut as an actor, and he really should have been a star based on this film, but very few theaters wanted to invest in the equipment needed to screen this film as it was meant to be seen, so most folks saw a 35 mm version cropped to Academy ratio. It would take nearly a decade of acting in small B westerns until Wayne got his chance in another A picture.

The plot is razor thin and the comic relief is embarrassingly bad, but the epic production scale and Walsh directing make more than up for that.

It feels ancient in all the ways you’d expect a of 90-year-old movie: the languid editing rhythms, the broad stage-play performances, muffled voices. But the beautiful widescreen framing on the other hand - every shot artwork, layered with fascinating details and elements and sets deep into the back of the frame - feels shockingly modern. It’s also super weird seeing the very young, fresh-faced, James Dean-esque John Wayne, looking like he never would in a western again.

86.00

An epic movie made in the 30's that forms the basis for future Westerns.

Star Rating: ★★★★1/2

"'We are SMART cinephiles!'" http://illusionpodcast.blogspot.com/2015/12/episode-82-cinema-masters-vol-xi.html

The story is very predictable and strictly aligns with dull western tropes. The real star is the visual specticle: the very-much-real wagon train, the absurd traveling feats, and the perfectly grizzled face of Tyrone Power. Watch this in widescreen, there's no other option to appreciate the visual ambition.

A slow starter, but on my third attempt I finally managed to get past the first half hour without falling asleep. What follows is an epic adventure that's very much worth the wait.

Early western talkie with tremendous widescreen (70mm) cinematography. The pre-wagon train first 30 minutes is 90% useless halfway audible talking, so the spectacle takes takes awhile to get going, but it eventually does.

Really impressive stuff, shot in a beautiful widescreen. Too bad the actors all get lost in the scenery.