Customer Reviews

Riders of Purple Sage [VHS]

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I cannot say how pleased I am that I succumbed to temptation, and ordered this tape. It is wonderful--will be one of my favorite Westerns.

I saw this film with my sweet grandmotherly mom, who is a big Zane Grey fan. She loved the film too, but she said she would have liked to seen two younger stars, instead of Ed Harris and Amy Madigan (real-life husband and wife). I quickly disabused her of her absurd notion that these two fine actors were miscast. They are wonderful, and give real and exceptional performances. Their maturity is an asset to the film. (I confess, I envy Madigan's ability to look so lovely and natural without any noticable makeup!) And Harris is an Oscar-nominated actor, to boot! They are both very capable actors, attractive and well-suited for this film.

The story is unusual in my opinion. A female (Madigan) is the central character, and she is a strong, independent person. I found her to be a refreshing change from the typical "macho" male-centered Western we are often used to seeing. She is a member of a close-knit religious sect (in the book they are Mormon, but the film does not specify). She is being pressured by some in her community to marry a particular man, who makes it obvious that he just wants her land and cattle. This fellow does many devious and underhanded things in his attempts to coerce her to marry him. A total creep.

In comes Harris's character, Lassiter, with his own agenda of revenge. He's a mysterious and seemingly formidable character, with a reputation as a dangerous gunman. He hangs around to help her out and to protect her from those who wish to control and dominate her. Lassiter also wants to glean some answers from her--things only she knows. And, of course, along the way, he develops feelings for her.

Henry Thomas (little Elliot of "E.T.", all grown up now) does a wonderful job as a youthful friend of Madigan, and his romance with a mysterious girl is very sweet as well.

Another thing I kept on appreciating throughout this movie is the outstanding scenery. True, if the story had been stale or acting been bad, the scenery wouldn't have made up for it, but as it was, it was a sublime icing on the cake. Beautiful photography, all through the film.

This movie was gripping, had some pretty exciting plot twists along the way, and kept us hanging until the end.

Highly recommended--a good western drama and romance. I look forward to seeing it again!

MR. HAID HAS GIVEN US A VIDEO THAT REALLY IS BASED ON THE ZANE GRAY BOOK, NOT JUST THE TITLE. IT IS SUPERBLY ACTED BY ED HARRIS AND HIS REAL LIFE WIFE, AMY MADIGAN. THE LOCATIONS AND SETS ARE GREAT! MUCH OF THE DIALOG IS TAKEN WORD FOR WORD FROM THE BOOK. THIS VIDEO IS A MUST FOR ANYONE WHO ENJOYS WESTERNS. NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES.

Wow! This is a great movie, and full of suspense and action! Wonderful acting and beautiful scenery! Should be released on DVD in widescreen 2:35/1 with 5.1 Dolby Digital sound, at least! This is one I will buy, as soon as it is released!

The actors are superb and are working with what I consider one of the most romantic and exciting western stories ever published (one of my favorites).
I hope that this will come out on DVD.

Excellent western with fantastic scenery. Follows Zane Grey's book almost to the letter. Should be made available on DVD at least, if not Blu-Ray; the cinematography warrants this at least. Still enjoy this for the scenery alone even after all these years.

This made for TV movie was a wonderful surprise! The production is superb and the cast outstanding. In fact, I believe that it would have done well as a theatrical release!

I only take issue with two things:

1) This fine movie has never been released on DVD and it is certainly worthy of such a reissue -- hopefully with some special features.

2) I am a Mormon Studies Scholar and I purchased this video to get acquainted with what is considered one of the definitive, watershed pieces of period fiction literature commenting on Utah Mormonism from a "Gentile" perspective.

This aspect of Zane Grey's novel is hinted at but not explicit in this production - I assume to not offend the Mormons in the 1996 nationwide broadcast audience. However this aspect was a big part of Zane Grey's novel:

"Riders of the Purple Sage was written in 1912 to partly present the influx of Mormon settlers into Utah (1847-1857) as a backdrop for the plot (1871). The Mormons had built the Kirtland Temple in Kirtland, Ohio in 1831, and Zane Grey would have been familiar with the Mormon sect given that he grew up in Zanesville, Ohio.

Plural marriage was only officially prohibited by the Mormons with the issuing of the First and Second Manifesto in 1890 and 1904 respectively. In 1871, mainstream American society found plural marriage offensive. Even after the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act was passed in 1862, Lincoln had no intent to enforce it and the practice had continued. Therefore, Zane Grey described the distaste of the institution through Lassiter in 1912 only after the practice had ended."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riders_of_the_Purple_Sage

So Grey was not only attempting to write a riveting story, he was also attempting to voice his objection to the cruelty of Mormon polygamy - which continues to this day. Just consider this excerpt from the novel:

"I'd like to tell you why I'm goin'," he continued, in coldness he had seldom used to her. She remarked it, but it was the same to her as if he had spoken with his old gentle warmth. "But I reckon I won't. Only, I'll say that mercy an' goodness, such as is in you, though they're the grand things in human nature, can't be lived up to on this Utah border. Life's hell out here. You think--or you used to think--that your religion made this life heaven. Mebbe them scales on your eyes has dropped now. Jane, I wouldn't have you no different, an' that's why I'm going to try to hide you somewhere in this Pass. I'd like to hide many more women, for I've come to see there are more like you among your people. An' I'd like you to see jest how hard an' cruel this border life is. It's bloody. You'd think churches an' churchmen would make it better. They make it worse. You give names to things--bishops, elders, ministers, Mormonism, duty, faith, glory. You dream--or you're driven mad. I'm a man, an' I know. I name fanatics, followers, blind women, oppressors, thieves, ranchers, rustlers, riders. An' we have--what you've lived through these last months. It can't be helped. But it can't last always."
(excerpted from Chapter 23, "The Fall of Balancing Rock")

Without these themes the story is simultaneously more confusing as well as less powerful and socially relevant. I can certainly understand the producer's decision to make this 1996 production "politically correct" but I really think that the movie would have been even stronger if he hadn't.

Never-the-less, this is one the best westerns that I've ever watched. I can hardly wait to buy it on DVD!

I grew up on "B" westerns on LA's channel 11.
The plots became formulaic after a while?
As when the Italian westerns with Clint Eastwood came out,
I had thought they just couldn't do anything new in a western.
This one put a cork in that.
The book was first published in 1918.
There have been several cowboy bands named after this novel.
Loren Zane Grey has resurrected Lassiter in a continuation
of his father's work ( and was successful doing it because this is a classic).Lassiter Gold
It stands as characteristic " American Literature" as a culture:
like Jazz. The honorable warrior and his noble love are strains of literature
going back in time to the Greeks. The ability to capture
that feeling in a movie is very rare. This one does it!
I'm sure I'll watch it again:
that seems to be the test of quality.
It is worth watching again.

Director: Charles Haid
Format: Color
Studio: Turner Home Video
Video Release Date: March 4, 1997

Cast:

Ed Harris Lassiter
Amy Madigan Jane
The rest of the cast: unidentified

The original story is about Latter Day Saints in the story by Zane Grey. They are not so identified in the film version.

Lassiter, a feared gunman seeking the gravesite of his sister, who had a daughter before she died. Upon coming onto the ranch of Jane, he finds a situation where a young man is being held by an apparent lynch mob for his friendship with Jane. Lassiter frees him. When the pastor hears about Lassiter's mission to kill his sister's abductor, he tries to kill Lassiter, who wounds him instead.

This is an interesting story by the old master of Western stories, who once lived a few miles from here on the Rogue River of Oregon. If you've never read Zane Grey's stories you have a great experience in store.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

This is an excellent western with an absolutely authentic feel that deserves to be on DVD. I dare say very few people own VHS equipment any more. There wasn't a false note in writing, directing, cinematography, or acting, and if these qualities don't
qualify this movie for transfer to DVD for enjoyment by a broader audience for years to come, I simply don't know what does.

It was well acted, exciting, evoking emmotions up to the very end of let the truth be known

even in this day and time love and good always triumph over evil