She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
- A masterpiece of mood and heroics, this second film in director John Ford’s renowned cavalry trilogy (Fort Apache and Rio Grande are the others) features one of John Wayne’s most moving performances as a cavalry officer in his final week of service on the frontier. Under makeup aging him some 20 years, he inhabits the role of a wily veteran who knows the sting of war and vows to make his last miss
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A masterpiece of mood and heroics this second film in director John Ford’s renowned cavalry trilogy (Fort Apache and Rio Grande are the others) features one of John Wayne’s most moving performances as a cavalry officer in his final week of service on the frontier. Under makeup aging him some 20 years he inhabits the role of a wily veteran who knows the sting of war and vows to make his last mission one of peace. The ritual of outpost life the sweep of battle the advance of the patrol beneath ominous skies: She Wore a Yellow Ribbon an Academy Award winner* for its color cinematography paints a memorable portrait of the honor duty and courage in the finest tradition of the cavalry. And of Ford filmmaking.Running Time: 103 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: WESTERN/MISC. Rating: NR UPC: 053939791525 Manufacturer No: T7915Amazon.com essential video
The second installment of John Ford’s famous cavalry trilogy (which also includes Fort Apache and Rio Grande), this meditative Western continues the director’s fascination with history’s obliteration of the past. It features one of John Wayne’s more sensitive performances as Capt. Nathan Brittles, a stern yet sentimental war horse who has difficulty preparing for his impending military retirement. All things considered, he refuses to leave before fulfilling his obligation to the local Indian tribe. It’s a film about honor and duty as well as loneliness and mortality. And Oscar-winner Winton C. Hoch beautifully photographs it in Remington-like Technicolor tones (you’ve never seen such stunning cloud-covered skies). The combination of melancholy and farce (Victor McLaglen makes a perfect court jester) evokes comparisons to Shakespeare. Best of all, the scene in which Wayne fights back tears when receiving a gold watch from his troops is unforgettably bittersweet. If you view the whole trilogy, it actually makes sense to save this for last. –Bill Desowitz
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Watchable, but certainly not one of Ford or Wayne’s best — although very typical of their work together.
I would of course push you first toward “The Searchers,” but presumably you’re aware of that immortal film. Well, if you’ve gotta have one of Ford’s “cavalry” movies, I would recommend instead “Fort Apache,” which can at least boast a memorable performance by Henry Fonda.
This particular movie is more of a straightforward Hollywood cowboys and Indians movie, without anything special to recommend it.
It’s not awful, however.
Rating: 2 / 5
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
I’d never seen this 1949 film. And there it was, beckoning me from the shelf of the New York Public Library. There are some urban myths about John Wayne but I don’t remember any of his films.
So, hey, a long weekend was coming up. I thought I might give it a try.
This story is about the U.S. Cavalry shortly after the Civil War. General Custer and his men have just been slaughtered. The Indians are uprising. John Wayne, a gray-haired widower who visits his wife’s grave regularly, is in command of a fort in the territory. In less than a week he will be forced into retirement. A romantic triangle exists between Joanne Dru and two of the enlisted men. She’s visiting the fort but because danger is imminent, she and her aunt have to be escorted to where she can get a stagecoach. So she goes out on patrol with the men.
I kept waiting for something to happen. There was no real high drama. Very little conflict. John Wayne becomes the hero because he stops an Indian war by chasing away their horses. Everything seems very unlikely. And silly. It was hard to keep watching because I was totally bored. I guess John Wayne’s performance was all right. But I judge good performances on the subtlety of emotions displayed by the actors. And John Wayne’s performance was completely one-dimensional.
I’ve see old movies where the essentials of a good story are well told. But, aside from the song, “She Wore A Yellow Ribbon”, which has a catchy melody, this film just doesn’t even make the playing field in my list of recommendations.
Don’t waste your time with this one. Just forgetaboutit!
Rating: 2 / 5
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon is great for the scenery, for some sense of the cavalry and for anyone who likes to see galloping horses and an old-fashioned bar-brawl in a film. It is not exactly what you would call a psychological film however. I found it surprisingly boring, considering its high acclaim and description as John Wayne’s greatest acting feat. The film has no depth: the characters are very simplistic, hardly going beyond a two or three line description: the handsome rival, the rich rival, the hard-drinking Irishman. If you don’t have a longing for the cavalry, you aren’t going to enjoy this film.
Rating: 2 / 5
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
What is a western movie? You need actions and fast pace. You do not get any from this movie. There is not much plot. The pace is very slow. The old man is near retiring and it is very boring. The girl theme (Olivia Dandridge) is not entertaining. There is not much to say, just not a fan of it at all. Really boring.
It is no comparison to High Noon, Hombre, Man of the West. For Indian Western, Broken Arrow is much better. Even the Searchers is better than this.
John Wayne is really old in this movie.
Rating: 1 / 5
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
It is regretable that the producers of this DVD put in out in Full Screen (TV) format instead of Wide Screen format. John Ford’s series of three pictures were shot in some of the most breathtaking scenery in America and chopping off the sides ruins much of the quality of this great film. IF you have to own a copy now then this might be worth it, but my recommendation is to wait for the Wide Screen edition to come out.
Rating: 2 / 5
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon