Shenandoah
Universal Western Collection
With the integrity and depth of an epic, Shenandoah tells the dramatic story of a man caught in a dilemma. James Stewart stars as a Virginia farmer during the Civil War. He refuses to support the Confederacy because he is opposed to slavery, yet he will not support the Union because he is deeply opposed to war. When his son is taken prisoner, Stewart goes to search for the boy. Seeing first-hand the horrors of war, he is at last forced to take his stand.
Member Reviews
Trying To Live Between The Union And The Confederacy - revsdd
This movie starts out strong, combinings a good use of humour (there are 4 or 5 very funny scenes in the first half hour or so) with a pretty solid account of the challenges faced by the Anderson family in trying to basically keep out of the Civil War. Charlie Anderson (James Stewart) is the patriarch of the family. He's a Virginia farmer, proud of the fact that his family owns 500 acres and has never owned a single slave and who refuses to fight for the Confederacy but who also won't side with the Union. He figures the war has nothing to do with him and so he keeps himself and his family out of it. Stewart played the role very well. He's a rougher looking Stewart than I'm accustomed to seeing, but he carries the character of Charlie as he does most of his characters: proud, noble and a man of strong values.
Unfortunately, after that strong start the movie seems to lose its focus a bit. Charlie's youngest son, known only as "The Boy" in the movie, is taken prisoner by Union soldiers who think he's a rebel, and Charlie and his family - now directly affected by the War - set off to find him, leaving his son and daughter-in-law at home with their baby. Charlie discovers that - away from the relative safety of home - he can't avoid the tragedies of war. The brutality and pointlessness of the War is driven home, but in what I thought was a disjointed fashion that lacked any consistent flow. The movie picks up steam again near the end when Charlie and family return home to a tragic scene, and the image of Charlie at the grave of his wife, two sons and daughter in law was quite moving. The last scene of the movie was, unfortunately, a bit too much of a happy ending.
To be honest, I found this to be an uneven movie, sometimes very strong and interesting but at other times lacking power. Frankly, there are better Civil War movies that I'd recommend over this one.James Stewart at his best - Chucky
If you like old melodrama, this civil war flick really has it all. I think the part that I ilke best is the mutual respect and good old fashon family values portrayed in this vintage gold. I think everyone should see it at least once. It's not a fast paced action movie and don't look for a lot of special effects but the characters shine with a richness not seen in modern day film making.Western/War Film thats Anti-War - Gregg
Entertaining melodrama about a Virginan family led by widower Charlie Anderson (James Stewart) trying to avoid becoming entangled in the American Civil War in which they do not believe. As the war drags on though it becomes apparent that no matter what they choose they will be scarred by the conflict.
The anti-war message here about not becoming involved in a war in which you do not believe would have been significant upon its release as the U.S. was escalating its involvement in Vietnam.
One small complaint would be an unnecessary brawl between the family and some federal representatives who are interested in the families horses. The scene seems to have been added for levity but comes across as inappropriate to the overall tone of the film.
Directed by Andrew V McLaglen best known for some of John Wayne's later films and television westerns, he was the son of Victor McLaglen a frequent co-star of John Wayne.
The younger co-stars while not delivering any standout performances are a collection of well known faces from the era including; Doug McClure, Katherine Ross, Phillip Alford (To Kill a Mockingbird) and Patrick Wayne (the Duke's son).
Strother Martin and George Kennedy are both quite good in very small roles.
Member Reviews
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Trying To Live Between The Union And The Confederacy - revsdd
This movie starts out strong, combinings a good use of humour (there are 4 or 5 very funny scenes in the first half hour or so) with a pretty solid account of the challenges faced by the Anderson family in trying to basically keep out of the Civil War. Charlie ...James Stewart at his best - Chucky
If you like old melodrama, this civil war flick really has it all. I think the part that I ilke best is the mutual respect and good old fashon family values portrayed in this vintage gold. I think everyone should see it at least once. It's not a fast paced ...Western/War Film thats Anti-War - Gregg
Entertaining melodrama about a Virginan family led by widower Charlie Anderson (James Stewart) trying to avoid becoming entangled in the American Civil War in which they do not believe. As the war drags on though it becomes apparent that no matter what they ...