Customer Reviews

Man in the Wilderness/The Deadly Trackers

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

"MAN IN THE WILDERNESS" has always been a personal favorite of mine since its release back in 1971. Historical inaccuracies aside, this is a story about a man who is left for dead in the northwest territory, but...more than that, it is the story of man lost inside himself. In his fight to survive he learns a little more about the hard cruel world around him and comes to appreciate that he is not the only human being to have suffered. His near death experience becomes (in the end) a sort of rebirth...a renwal of spirit and hope which, until the mauling, was a complete mystery to him. The images and music in this production have always touched and impressed me. It is not typical of the usual formulaic bilge Hollywood cranks out...and for that you will be grateful. This is a motion picture well worth your time and money. The actors do a fine job in all their portrayals and it is fun to see James Doohan, John Huston and Percy Herbert in their supporting rolls. For me this is one of Richard Harris's finest performances...better even than "A MAN CALLED HORSE". Richard Sarafian (the director of credit) had a small part in the Wachowski Brothers "BOUND" (1996) as a mob boss.
As for the DVD quality, it looks fine considering the time the movie was made and the no frills approach to this release. The print is far better than that of the VHS and is finally shown in the proper aspect ratio. The sound is monoural and the dialog a tad shrill in parts, but that is how I remember it...even in the theatrical release, which I went to see many times.
As for "THE DEADLY TRACKERS"...it is generally a waste of time. It is a sloppily made and heavy handed film of vengence that yields little (if any) satisfaction by story's end.
Whatever you pay for this release will be money well spent for "MAN IN THE WILDERNESS" alone. *** ENJOY ***

I recall the first time I ever saw MAN IN THE WILDERNESS. I had stayed up late to watch the weekly feature on the local station's weekly Western. And there it was, MAN IN THE WILDERNESS, a tale about a mountain man who is left for dead after a brutal grizzly mauling and not only lives to carry on but finds his real life in the process.

First, throw away any misconceptions that this is a historical account. Yes, there are fictionalizations of historical characters. Zach Bass, himself, is loosely based on Hugh Glass. But who cares? The drama here, the sweeping panoramas, the gritty cinematography combine to offer a movie experience the likes of which are just not available anymore.

Richard Harris stars as Zach Bass, a stowaway who became a mountain man, thrust into the West during the 1820's. His mentor, Captain Henry, played masterfully by the inimitable John Huston--one of Hollywood's greatest legends--a man demonized by his past on the sea while being locked within mountains and valleys and pursued by Indians. After leaving Bass for dead, his crazed mind adds Bass's specter to his tormenters.

In the end, this one is a classic tale of obsession, of survival, of priorities and of forgiveness, all set in the rugged grandeur of the frontier. An absolute Western classic.

And, as this DVD is a double feature, forget about the flipside of this one and stick with MAN IN THE WILDERNESS.

THE HORSEMAN

I want to state right off that I wasn't all that crazy about The Deadly Trackers. Okay film, but not especially great. I bought this double feature disc purely because it has Man in The Wilderness as the second feature. This film has tremendous sentimental value for me because it was the first film my father took me to see when I was 5 or 6, something he rarely did.

It is a great film if you enjoy seeing an individual pitted against whatever nature can throw at him, with nothing but his wits to see him through. I love that the film tells and shows so much with so little actual dialog. I also really love the musical score. A very memorable main theme ("Zach's Theme"). Many others here have given the specifics behind the film - the true story which inspired it, as well as the plot details, etc., etc.

Bottom line: if you enjoy minimalist storytelling that requires you to actually pay attention and work some plot details out for yourself then you'll enjoy this. However, if you have a short attention span and your enjoyment of a movie is directly related to how much stuff gets blown up or how many naked breasts are bounced across the screen then steer clear, this film isn't for you. Pick up a Stallone or Van Damme flick instead.

Man in the Wilderness: This is a well-made and thoughtful film without a moment of dullness. The widescreen DVD is of high quality.
Deadly Trackers: This is a rather different and interesting Western with good acting and dialog. The picture quality of the widescreen DVD is average.

I remember watching "Man In The Wilderness" at the drive-in (yes, I'm old enough to have such a childhood memory) with my parents and then watching it here and there on TV when it made its way into the Saturday/Sunday movie staples rotation. It was good then and it's still good now. And, I just recently found out (read an article in a magazine) that it is based on a true story. Now I want to find that novel and ready it!

And, then you get a 2nd Richard Harris movie, "The Tracker" that I had never previoulsy heard of (which surprised me because I'm a big movie buff and have seen thousands of movies in my 46 years). It's just okay. I melo dramatic in all aspects (writing, acting, directing...the wholeshebang), but as essentially a free bonus feature to go along with the first moive, it was fun to watch.

All in all, a nice 2 for 1 deal!

Man in the Wilderness is a neglected and underrated film, only now released, and little short of a masterpiece. Beautiful cinematography and good direction are at its center. Superb meditative images lead one into the thoughts of a trapper critically wounded by a bear and abandoned by the trapping company he was a part of. Flashbacks acquaint us with the trapper's youth and young manhood, and frame and complement his actions in the story's present. If it has a fault it would be the ending, which seemss a bit too neat, but it must be allowed that it is carefully prepared for, and the direction is otherwise very sure. This ranks with Ridley Scott's "The Duelists" as one of the most beautifully photographed films of its period. I had truly despaired of its ever being released, and to me, this issue is a cause for celebration.

DEADLY TRACKERS is a violent tale of revenge as Richard Harris pursues Rod Taylor and his band of killers after a botched bank robbery results in the death of his wife and son. Taylor is fine as a really bad guy and in a small part, B-Movie Legend William Smith as one of his men, "School-Boy" -- a violent semi-retard with one side of his face scarred and a drooping eye who kills a man with a knife to take his bowler. They just don't make appealing characters like anymore! Unfortunately, the Billster is killed early on and the film looses all appeal for me. MAN IN THE WILDERNESS is the better of the two, based on mountain man Hugh Glass, who was attacked by a grizzly and left for dead by his companions. They should have made sure he really was dead!

One of the finest Western mountain man movies ever made. Must see if you enjoy this time period.

Very good movie,this tail of survival is based on real life events,although it has the usual Holly wood spin on events! Overall,I got the movie in the usual quik time,that one gets from Amazon.com!
Could not be happier!

MAN IN THE WILDERNESS

Richard C. Sarafian, during a recent interview, considered his film as one of the best westerns ever made. And, in my opinion, he was right. Released at the same time as the more politically correct Sydney Pollack's Jeremiah Johnson, Man in the Wilderness was shamefully left aside by Warner publicists. One is forced to think here about Herzog's Fitzcarraldo with this story of an old captain wandering through North-East America in his boat pulled by mules. Richard Harris's initiation journey is impressive and the description of American natives fair. Masterpiece.