Customer Reviews

Mountain Men [VHS]

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Hawken muzzle loaders. Plugs of chewing tobacco the size of your fist. Buffalo robes. Beaver pelts. Jugs of whiskey.

But enough about last night's party.

Director Richard Lang's THE MOUNTAIN MEN is a rough-and-tumble yarn depicting the fur trapping industry's final days in the pristine splendor of the northern Rockies. Even in such a remote region, the demand back East for top hats made of beaver skin resulted in the virtual extinction of the buck-toothed rodents in their mountain habitats; on top of that, silk hats were rapidly becoming the fashion craze, creating even more of a hardship on the gritty mountain men who trapped along countless streams and rivers, searching for what remained of the elusive beaver population.

It was a hard life, predicated on an individual's ability to survive in a harsh environment based on his wits and his bare hands. Interaction with other people was rare--the need to get along with neighboring Indian tribes a must. And infrequently, perhaps once every two or three years, the trappers would unite at a "rendezvous" to trade their pelts for cash and let off a little steam. To say that such a gathering was rowdy and violent is kind of like saying turtles have shells.

Charlton Heston "shines" (a little mountain man lingo, there) as fur trapper Bill Tyler, a quiet man who only wishes to be left alone so he can find that last valley just teeming with beaver. But there's a problem: while fighting off a band of Blackfoot bent on stealing his horses and supplies he attracts the company of a young squaw (Victoria Racimo) who happens to be married to a chief with a very serious attitude (Stephen Macht). Thus Tyler and his new companion are forced to run, and run, and run some more to escape the warrior's wrath.

While Heston is solid in his role, Brian Keith absolutely steals the show as crusty Henry Frapp. Henry, a friend of Tyler's, is a cantankerous, foul-mouthed, fun-loving old coot who vividly breathes life into the mountain man persona. Keith dominates every scene he's in, and he's fun to watch.

Heck, THE MOUNTAIN MEN is fun to watch. The screenplay, incidentally, was written by Heston's son, Fraser, who obviously did his homework concerning this fascinating aspect of the Old West. Grab a plug of tobacco and enjoy.
--D. Mikels

I've always felt that this was an underrated film. In my opinion it ranks as one of the best of the mountain man/Native American genre. It is also as good a film as Charlton Heston was ever a part of.

What's so good about it? Well, first of all it has no glaring historical inaccuracies- those always drive me nuts. The costumes and props are as accurate as I've seen. The scenery is absolutely magnificent and you feel like you are there- it always reminds me of my own times in the Central Rockies. As for the acting, well, you actually start caring about the characters, and thats a pretty good sign of good acting in my book. The dialog is also among the most consistently humorous and clever that I've heard- there's nothing phoney or forced about it. Heston and Keith play off of each other perfectly. Not least of all, the Indian peoples are treated with the dignity and complexity that they deserve- no stereotypes here.

I don't buy every DVD that comes along, but I had to have this one for my personal collection. It just makes me feel good to watch it when the modern world starts to get me down....

A wonderful outdoor epic stuffed into a 1.33:1 format? What idiot from Columbia came up with that suggestion? This is a movie that NEEDS widescreen! It didn't do well at the box office because it was sold to the public as a zany comedy, which it is not. An accurate picture of the latter days of the fur trade with more than its share of delightful one-liners and action. Brian Keith shows how scene stealing should be done. This is a guys movie. Would have been 4 stars in widescreen, Columbia!

This film captures the spirit and much of the feel of the period. I could not disagree more with Maltin's review. Before he criticizes, he should know of what he speaks. If anything, the movie glosses over the enormous physical and mental demends placed on the people who lived like this--and loved it. What the movie lacks in historical accuracy (in terms of what happened, where and when--costuming is excellent) it more than makes up for in capturing the human element.

Indeed, that is the one area where the film suffers. Had it been longer, there would be more time for character develpment. Heston (Bill Tyler) turns in an excellent performance, but he is almost upstaged by Keith (Henry Prapp.) At the moment, the name of the actor who gives a very fine portrayal of Heavy Eagle escapes me. Considering the limited time avaliable to him, his development of the character is remarkable. One of the great things about the film is that even the villain (Heavy Eagle) comes across as very human. He arouses both revulsion and compassion. One understands him, and, by understanding, is compelled to respect.

Another thing I liked was the protrayal of the aboriginal people: there is no "noble savage" or "bloodthirsty redskin" here. These are people, no more and no less, of a different (and to European eyes, alien) culture. They have human frailties, human strengths, and human dignity. (When they lack dignity, anybody would lack dignity.)

Yes, the film is a little raw-boned, but so were the times and the lives of the people in them. This really shines!

This movie is very entertaining and very instructive for muzzleloading enthusiasts, who participate in shooting and tomahawk throwing contests at annual rendez-vous. It shows several crucial aspects of that rough life of independent, freedom-loving, beaver trappers, or mountain men. This movie may also help to promote the sale of St. Louis Hawken rifles (Heston = Chairman of the NRA) and to raise the interest in a relatively unknown historical era towards the end of the fur trade, between, say, the Lewis and Clark Expedition by the Corps of Discovery in 1803-06 and the Fall of the Alamo in 1836, a simpler historical period, clearly far before the Civil War and its gutwrenching questions raised by the abolition of slavery, and the following unreal "cowboy" wild west fights between ranchers and settlers, as portrayed by John Wayne. The somewhat flat story of this movie "Mountain Men," of "bad indians" versus "good (white male) beaver trappers," partially fighting about an indian squaw, plays out in the Rocky Mountains near the Grand Tetons (Jackson Hole, Wisconsin), just south of the border between Canada and the USA. Some individual special fights and flights are quite well executed, e.g., a jump from a cliff in a foaming river and the portrayal of very old, but still lascivious "Jim Bridger" in his suit of steel at the rendez-vous is priceless. But, don't go to see the movie for the story, but go to see it for the bawdy and rough life style of these free-spirited mountain men, their muzzleloaders and tomahawks and their acoutrements. That life is far less idyllic and Arcadian than the 1837 drawings of Alfred Miller. See it for the spectacular scenery and vistas of the Rocky Mountain. And, of course, see it for Charleston Heston, as a fairly credible 50-year old "Lion in Winter," who, initially reluctantly, but soon convincingly, hooks up with a "trophy wife" in the form of a pretty indian squaw.

This is one of the best under rated movies out there. Charlton Heston and Brian Keith are superb. I have been looking forward to it's release on DVD and how is it released? In fullscreen format. The film opened in widescreen and reverted to full screen at which point I turned it off. The great cinematography has been reduced by two thirds. If I wanted 1940's technology I would only buy films produced before wide screen was available. What is the matter with the studios who ruin good films by eliminating most of the scenery and the action? As I do not watch widescreen format reduced to "fit my TV screen" I intend to return this film, unwatched, to Amazon.

I loved this movie when it was released in 1980 to the big screen. Right from the start it grabs your attention with the beautiful scenery and sweeping music score supplied by Michel Legrand. There's action aplenty right from the start and lot's of humor and gratuitous violence throughout to keep your interest. It stars Charlton Heston and Brian Keith as two crusty old mountain men who get more than they bargained for when Heston's character takes an indian sqaw under his wing. The acting is plausible, the direction is well done by Richard Lang, the script is also pretty well handled by Heston's own son Fraser Clarke Heston although it is at times (most times)rather foul.
I remember seeing Chuck Heston saying in an interview that he actually regretted making this movie. Perhaps it was because instead of playing a biblical character in this movie he was actually taking the Lord's name in vain.
I am dissapointed in this dvd release because it is not in widescreen. If any movie deserves it this one does, and even though it boasts about being mastered in high definition the picture quality really sucks. Surely Columbia will release a better version with remastered picture and sound restoring this movie to the glory of it's original release. Here's hoping.

I thought that the DVD version was great. So much better than that old VHS version. The only thing better would for it to be in the wide screen version in order to be able to see more of the beautiful country that it was filmed.

I thought Heston & Keith played a couple of very funny characters. Who from time to time got themselves in some very serious situations. I enjoyed this movie very much and it was a welcome addition to my video library.I would recommend viewing for any lighthearted person..thank you

Although I enjoy the acting of Charlton Heston this DVD of the Mountain Men is not one of his Oscar winning performances. With that said it is still an enjoyable film with Brian Keith acting a part that is out of character from the usual roles he plays.

I agree to a point with other reviews on the DVD about it effects lose from showing the nature scenes in full screen and not wide screen. I find what has been neglected in the reviews by others about the film is the struggle that is faced by all its characters. First the two mountain men are struggling with the decline of the fur industry and their future in it. Secondly the Native Americans are struggling with the White Man entering upon and changing their way of life. I feel by watching the DVD you get a chance to look at some of the problems that must have been faced by both sides during this period of change in American history.

All in all an enjoyable DVD with a great perspective of how the West must have been won.