Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
IS IT BASS? WELL.....IS IT BASS !!??, June 4, 2008
"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 ***
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
AN ABSOLUTE WESTERN CLASSIC, July 6, 2008
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
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
one good, one bad, November 1, 2008
A vague recollection of seeing Man in the Wilderness many years ago has kept me chasing this title for the past few years. Now that I've finally seen it again I am less impressed. I think I may have inadvertently combined this in memory with "The Scalphunters," another good flick with some similarities. Man in the Wilderness is still an excellent movie and deserves perhaps more than the three stars I've allowed, on account of the other turkey that's attached to it. I say this despite the fact that I see Richard Harris as one of the great Overactors of our time, and not one of my favorites. In this movie, he says barely a word, which helps the movie tremendously. It's a survival/adventure, believable, and has a mature and interesting story line. I particularly like the non-traditional characterizations and anti-stereotyping. They're no clear-cut good guys and bad guys, white and black hats. There's just survival, hard decisions and consequences. The movie also features a surprising, and (for its time), a very original ending.
As usual, John Huston is worth watching.
The Deadly Trackers, on the other hand, is one long cliché. Another good and kind sheriff turns into a savage psychopath after watching his loved ones cruelly killed by the bad guys he's now tracking down to kill.
I'll give the first four stars, the last, one.
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