Customer Reviews

Northwest Passage [VHS]

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Northwest Passage still holds up after 60 years. Great outdoor locations and excellent color cinematography make this a most watchable classic. Spencer Tracy is perfect as Robert Rogers, the first American commando during the French and Indian wars. Robert Young is also excellent as Langdon Towne, a Harvard failure talked into joining Roger's Rangers. Add the always entertaining Walter Brennan and you have a very good movie, perfect for almost all ages. This film will keep your attention. I'm surprised that this movie hasn't been mentioned more often as one of the better adventure films ever made. Historically speaking, the film follows the Rangers' raid on St. Frances without adding any undo Hollywood hype. I strongly recommend this film for anybody 8 years old and up.

Northwest Passage is a very good account of the attack on St. Francis. It is very accurate in many ways and I recommend it highly.
Robert Young plays a fictitious character shot though the mid-section and was still able to walk all the way back to civilization. Beleive-it-or-not, it did happen. I believe the real man's name was Lt.Ogdon. He did survive such a wound in that battle.
Spencer Tracy is excellent as usual and the scenery is beautiful.
Some will say that the film is racist and brutal. It was; but this is an historical film and you must view it, or any historical film or book, with the morals of the time in which it is set. You cannot look at it with present-day morals. If you are unable to do so, then, to be an educated person, you need to read more history and learn what things were like and what people thought about the American Indians, and the French for that matter, in the 1750's and 60's. Thus you will learn how far we have come in the last 200 years in our relations with other peoples. We may not be perfect yet, but we're getting there.

This movie, although mistitled, portrays the spirit and adventure our forefathers had to possess to survive living on the fringes of civilization. The entire reason Rogers' Rangers made the trek to the Abenaki village was to destroy it and stop that tribe's raids on their farms and establishments in upper NY state. This occurred during the last of the many bloody French And Indian Wars. Spencer Tracey is at his best in this film, which follow's Kenneth Robert's book almost to the letter.

Now sit back, and enjoy one of the true classics on early Americana.

"Northwest Passage," based on the first part of Kenneth Roberts' historical novel of the same name, is an American classic. One of the first Technicolor features, it brings to life colonial America and the brutality of the French and Indian War, which proved to be the training ground for George Washington and other leaders of the Revolution. The fascinating aspect is that the troops of Rogers' Rangers not only have to battle the enemy (Abenaki Indians, who are allied with the French) but also the environment and, at times, their own commander, Maj. Robert Rogers, played by Spencer Tracy as an almost-superhuman leader. (The novel paints a different portrait by its conclusion; there is foreshadowing of this in the film.) Notable are the performances of Tracy, Robert Young (perhaps his best big-screen role) and Walter Brennan. The delightful music of Herbert Stothart completes the picture. As fans of the film would say, "See you at sundown, Harvard."

Without a doubt, this is Spencer Tracy's finest performance; and since most of his contemporaries in Hollywood regarded him as the best actor in town it's a pretty high standard. (Clark Gable said it embarassed him to work with Tracy in "Boom Town", his fellow actor was so good). King Vidor's film is based on a portion of Kenneth Robert's historical novel and doesn't soft-pedal for a moment the mutual hatred that existed between whites and reds during the French and Indian War. The movie is about a raid into Canada by a troop of American guerillas led by Tracy, and the fantastic hazards they faced coming and going, with a blood-curdling battle sandwiched in between. That battle action is the most realistic 18th-century warfare I've ever seen captured on film and a highlight of director Vidor's career. Robert Young and Walter Brennan provide stalwart support, but it is Tracy's performance that overawes everything else as the forceful but flawed leader in search of the impossible.

I couldn't help laugh about another reviewer complaining about the choice of Spencer Tracy as the star of this movie. He believes that because of World War II most of the "better" actors were in the service and thus the studio had no choice but to hire Tracy. And yet he still questions this casting decision. No offense, but that is a laughably absurd.

Ignoring the fact that the U.S. was not yet involved in World War II at the time this movie was released (1940) and thus none of Hollywood's leading men were in the service, one would be hardpressed to say who was a better actor than Spencer Tracy at this period. The man had just come off two back-to-back Best Actor Oscar wins ("Boy's Town" and "Captains Courageous") and was at the pinacle of his spectacular career when this movie was made. Asking if someone better than Spencer Tracy could be found in 1940 is like asking if someone better than Tom Hanks could be found in 1998 or better than Russell Crowe in 2002.

Spencer Tracy was an amazing actor and he does a terrific job bringing to life the legendary Robert Rogers. As a huge fan of the Kenneth Roberts' book upon which this movie is based, I confess that everytime I read Rogers' dialogue I hear the voice of Spencer Tracy. That's how good Tracy embodies this character. He really demonstrates the courage, determination, and command presence of the man. Tracy's "Major Rogers" is the kind of man you would follow into combat! Yet Tracy also brings out the human side of this legend- hints of Rogers' failings are dropped on occasion and showing his breakdown when he realises that a promise he made to his men will not be kept by reasons out his control. It's a great performance and it truly propels the movie.

The only problem with Tracy's casting in this role was not his talent, the man was at the TOP of his profession in 1940, but his age. The real Robert Rogers was just in his mid 20's when he leaped onto the pages of history and legend. Spencer Tracy was well past age 40 when he made this movie. Yet, most people aren't aware how young some historical figures really were and generally have no problem with middle-aged actors playing these parts. (I noticed this trend in reading reviews for "Glory" and the recently released "The Alamo." Some reviewers complained that the actors who play Col. Robert Shaw in "Glory" and William Travis in "The Alamo" are too young which ignores the fact that Shaw and Travis were both just 26 when they died.)

This is an enjoyable movie about American colonial exploration before the Revolutionary War. About a group of explorers and colonial pioneers in the service of King George II of England making their presence known in French and Indian territory around the upper regions of present day New England.

Although made in 1940, this is a movie that has great settings and technicolor as well as a good plot. Spencer Tracy does an excellent job as the leader of these Rangers and Robert Young is suprisingly effective as an observer/artist who goes along this expedition. It does get a tad bit long at times but overall it is a very interesting and enjoyable movie.

One of the great adventure films of all time, made in glorious 1940 technicolour. Breathtaking scenes of boats being dragged up hills and the wiping out of an entire Indian village. Spencer Tracy is excellent as rogers, whose mission it is to destroy a tribe of Red Indians called the abenakis, who are a murderous bunch who raid the villages of white settlers and murder their women and babies. After the admirable effectiveness with which the rangers accomplish their task, they must get to Fort wentworth to safety and avoid the French in doing so. This leads to an agonizing march in which many of our heroes perish; they are driven almost mad with hunger. The score and photography are excellent and walter brennan is great. A great Hollywood slice of American history.

This is a great action movie! Why has it not been issued in DVD format? With as much junk that is being re-issued now, a movie of this caliber should be a no-brainer! Great story and cast.

A splendid adventure film shot in beautiful color and on location. Spencer Tracy never had a better role as the dauntless Major Rogers who brings his rangers home after long peril-laden trek through the wilderness after their boats had been destroyed. They had previously and successfully destroyed an indian village. The indians in this film are shown to be cruel and blood-thirsty and this may offend devotees of political correctness but nevertheless the film is very realistic. The film never does deal with the northwest passage and one could only hope that they would have made a sequel as stirring and as exciting as this one.