American indian

Jeremiah Johnson Jeremiah Johnson is a film about a young soldier in the 1800s who was just discharged from military service and was fed up with civilization; thus, he decides to leave civilization and heads up to the mountains. The story is a not a typical cowboy-Indian movie. It is a simple story of a man’s struggle to survive. The movie is a collaboration of director Sydney Pollack and actor Robert Redford. Jeremiah Johnson is a fictional character but is based on an actual person John Johnston who was a known to be a killer and even a cannibal. He was also known as “ Liver-eating Johnston” because it was believed that he ate the livers of the Indians he killed as a sign of disrespect. In the movie however, Johnson was not really a violent man. He was only driven into vendetta when the Crow Indians murdered his family. Redford gave a great performance in this movie. Even with just Redford’s acting, the film could very well be a stand-out. Will Geer’s performance as Bear Claw Chris Lapp is also outstanding. The thing that I liked best in the movie is the fantastic cinematography. The film was shot in Utah Zion’s National Park. The setting is breath-taking and gives an excellent backdrop for the movie. The background music used in the movie is very appropriate and blends well with the scenery. I find the last scene of the movie very touching. Johnson is shown reaching his hand into the air as a sign of friendship in reaction to the Crow Chief’s raising of his hand too as a sign of peace between the tribe and Johnson. I find this scene also symbolic of the friendship that is to come between Johnson and the Crow Indians. There was so much meaning in this scene. In terms of accuracy, I think Pollack researched well about the language, culture and clothing at that time. The technology presented is authentic such as the use of the Hawken rifle. The movie’s presentation of how hard life was for the early settlers is very realistic. It is also accurate in portraying the Indians’ reverence for their dead ancestors. It is believable that they would kill to protect the sanctity of their burial grounds. Other issues and concerns of the Native Americans are depicted in the movie making the viewers understand their individualities. Somehow the movie is trying to drive a point about understanding and respecting the culture of the early American settlers. This is a movie that I would recommend to people who like movies in the Western genre setting. It is a combination of action and drama. It is also very entertaining but I would not recommend it for kids because of the violent confrontations between Johnson and the Crows. Over-all, I think “ Jeremiah Johnson” is an excellent and unforgettable movie because its theme is timeless and there is a great drama which unfolded through its characters and superb cinematography.