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17 out of 20 people found the following review useful: In shooting his character as a solitary figure against a field of white, Pollack turned Johnson into something bordering on a spiritual experience…, 30 November 2008 Author: ironside (robertfrangie@hotmail.com) from Mexico
Filmed in the snow-covered vastness of the Utah Rocky Mountains, Robert Redford plays well a deserter from the Mexican War who wages a bitter struggle against the elements and Indians in order to lead a life of solitude… He heads into the mountains, only to find that there is the wind that never seems to stop… Sometimes he swears he is going insane while the storms that he has never seen screech booming with their thunder… Around him, snow squalls that kill everything that is unprepared… Jeremiah's first winter proves almost fatal because of his inexperience in coping with the harsh Rockies… Fortunately, he meets a real mountain man seasoned to the ways of the wild… Bear Claw takes Johnson in and shares his knowledge with him… Travelling the untamed wilderness, Jeremiah finds out that it is a land fit only for the savages, and he has seen what they are like… But he has seen worse when he happens upon an Indian massacre of a settler's family or upon a bald man buried to his neck in sand by Blackfeet Indians… And much worse after violating the Crow sacred burial ground while helping cavalry men find some lost settlers…
29 out of 46 people found the following review useful: One of Redford's two or three best films, 19 January 2003 Author: Keith F. Hatcher from La Rioja, Spain
A film which is glibly categorized as a `western' but goes somewhat deeper than that. The Pollack/Redford combination works well, and the photography of those magnificent mountains of Utah is spectacular. With all that beautiful scenery in Montana, Nevada, Colorado, Utah, I am surprised that the US government never does very much for saving it and cleaning up all that contamination …….. Thirty years on and after several viewings, I find this story grows on you, like the aging of fine wine in oak casks, such that another recent viewing gave me as much – if not more – pleasure. Precisely because it is not the standard `western' formula. One gets a little tired of John Wayne getting saddle-sore, killing indians and wooing women; at times watching `Jeremiah Johnson' I cannot help comparing a little with `Dances with Wolves' (qv), not because of any story similarity but more from certain situations being played out. Robert Redford has given us numerous films in which his characterization is pretty good in general, but in this film I rather fancy he was inspired, even to the point of throwing off that silly category so beloved of those suffering Hollywooditis. Most notable in `The Sting' (qv), `All the President's Men', `Out of Africa', and `A River Runs Through it', without forgetting his excellent directing of `Ordinary People', one of the best true-life dramas I have seen. `Jeremiah Johnson' is now one of the classics of the genre and even of cinema as a whole: always worth another viewing.
31 out of 52 people found the following review useful: Great Father and Son Movie, 9 November 2004 Author: Nate Luken (NRLGriffey@aol.com) from Dayton, Ohio
This is one of my all time favorite movies and evokes so much emotion from my childhood. My father and I have watched this movie at least 10 times together and it never gets boring. It reminds me of my days when we used to go on hikes in the woods and we would sing the theme song with me in my little coonskin (it's fake for all you animal lovers) cap. I just cannot get enough of this movie. It grows on my every time I watch it. It is one of if not the best Robert Redford movie ever. He does a fantastic job in this movie. The scenery is beautiful and makes me wish I was there in that unspoiled area. The dialogue, though there is very little compared to other movies, is brilliant. The old adage quality not quantity fits this movie to a tee. There are numerous one liners that have been incorporated into my everday vocabulary. "You cook good rabbit pilgrim." "....the Rocky Mountains are the marrow of the world..." "Watch your top notch." "Watch Yur'n." I could go on and on. Each character is colorful in it's own distinct way, making even the most insignificant ones unforgettable. The theme music is both haunting and beautiful and I've been looking to buy or download the soundtrack so if anyone knows where I could send me an e-mail. Not only does this movie have great characters,acting, dialogue, music, and scenery, but it also is filled with action and has several interjections of humor. I feel as though this is one of the greatest movies of all time and the special moments you share with your family watching it, just make this movie even better. (A 9/10).
21 out of 33 people found the following review useful: What a movie should be, 21 November 2000 Author: msinabottle from Denver, Colorado
Jeremiah Johnson is a starkly simple story well told. It is the journey of a man who seeks to re-make himself. Johnson becomes disillusioned, like Thoreau and even Ulysses S. Grant, by the Mexican War and deserts to become a mountain man. There he finds the Rockies starkly beautiful and completely without mercy for him or anyone else. Will Geer plays the older trapper who teaches the 'Pilgrim,' a very solid performance by Redford, how to survive. The film's treatments of Whites and Native Americans is profoundly even handed, and Milious's fingerprints are noteworthy in the robust and calculated course of the narrative.
30 out of 52 people found the following review useful: Liver Eatin' Johnson, 19 August 2003 Author: Gene Marsh from United States
I have always considered this one of my favorite "rainy Saturdayafternoon" movies. The scenery is wonderful, Redford does one of hisbest performances, the characters are colorful, and it is a wonderfulstory of the pioneer spirit. Then, a few years ago, a good friend told me he had the book about thereal "Liver Eatin' Johnson", about whom this movie was made. He lentme the book to read - and I highly recommend it for anyone interestedin a first- and second-hand story of the old west. The real story of Johnson is greatly removed from the movie, thoughthere are many parts in common as well. Most notably absent is thefact that Johnson would remove and partially eat the liver (raw) of theCrow braves he would kill. This was done by Johnson to scare the Crow,who believed their soul would wander the earth forever if the body wasnot buried intact. Johnson was also known to have eaten meat from theleg of a Blackfoot indian, whose tribe had captured him to sell to theCrow. This incident, however, appears to have been more for survival,as Johnson had to travel for several days through snow on foot afterescaping the Blackfoot. Johnson was a well traveled man, friend to more than the moviesuggests, and finally died of old age in Los Angeles in 1899. Hisactual age is subject to dispute, but he was at least 75 yeard old. During his long life, he met up with many recognizable characters fromthe old west. I leave the names for you to discover in your reading -it is well worth the time!
13 out of 22 people found the following review useful: Being of sound mind and broke legs, 23 February 2007 Author: kainatav from United States
Jeremiah Johnson is made in the mold of what movies should be. In an era of blockbusters and CGI graphics it's nice to see a movie that gets back to basics. Jeremiah is an ex army man who moves to the Rockies to start over. He starts out as a novice in the ways of the woods. With the help of Will Geer (Grandpa Walton) Jeremiah forges himself a place in the wild. The ending is kind of sad but I won't go into any details. This movie doesn't go into great detail about his subsequent rampage on the local Indian population. But if I wanted a documentary then I would watch the history channel. Anyway Jeremiah Johnson is a great movie to watch on a cold night when the wind is blowing and it's good to be inside. For a good adventure Jeremiah Johnson is one to watch again and again.
15 out of 26 people found the following review useful: Enjoyable conflict between nature and man, 9 October 1998 Author: Joon H. Bae (jbae@usa.capgemini.com) from Pennsylvania, USA
My first thought: Robert Redford the mountain man? The hillbilly music did nothing to disperse this twisted image of good ol' Bob wrestling naked with a bear... Surprisingly enough, the movie was a rather enjoyable experience for someone who enjoys his westerns hardboiled with flying bullets (i.e. Wild Bunch). The action was fun, dialogue well written (for the most part) and it had no ending. Robert Redford did a smashing job of doing the stunts and fights throughout the movie. The supporting cast was, well, very supportive. I recommend this film to all Western junkies. Also, it should be noted that the DVD of this film is superb in transfer and with additional materials.
5 out of 7 people found the following review useful: " You've done well to Keep your hair, when so many's after it ", 21 August 2007 Author: thinker1691 from USA
There are many films which personify the era of the Mountain Man. This is perhaps one of the best. The reason why it is at the top of the list, is due in part to director Sydney Pollack's selection of natural wonders, majestic scenery and simplistic storyline. The movie tells the story of Jeremiah Johnson (Robert Redford) a veteran of the Mexican American war who decides to journey into the High Alpine Rockies to become a Mountain Man. Based very loosely on the novel by Vardis Fisher, the hero seeks the life of a trapper which offers Solace, wild adventure, aboriginal encounters and a chance for legendary exploits. During the first years of his experience, Johnson is befriended and threatened by both Native Americans and crazed mountain veterans who teach him and endanger him as well. Among the best is 'Bear Claw, Chris Lapp' (Will Geer), 'Paints His Shirt Red' (Joaquin Martinez) and Del Gue (Stefan Gierasch). (Delle Bolton) plays Swan and Josh Albee) is Caleb who become part of an instant family. The film is quite picturesque in its beautiful seasonal settings and entertaining to anyone seeking a chapter in the bygone era of a vanished breed. ****
9 out of 15 people found the following review useful: FANTASTIC, 29 March 2001 Author: random_ax from chicago
This has been reported to be Redford's personal favorite of his films. Treat yourself and watch it. I'm a sucker for a film that has Indians like this (Black Robe, Little Big Man, Last of the Mohicans).Will Geer is great and so are the rest of the cast. Redford says little but conveys much.I read that Pauline Kael says that the final shot is Jeremiah "giving the finger" to the crow. I thought it was defiant but also a show of respect and not an insult. ...and some folks say...he's up there still
12 out of 23 people found the following review useful: A truly beautiful film, well worth viewing, 18 August 2000 Author: A-Ron-2 from Storrs, CT
Jeremiah Johnson is NOT a great narrative, instead it is a beautiful foray into the mind of the frontier. Rather than simply tell a story about men who live precarious existences on the far-flung frontiers of human habitation, it tries to show us what those men were like. This is not a perfect film, it has flaws... but it is a beautiful film and one that should be seen.Perhaps Robert Redford was not the perfect choice to play Jeremiah, perhaps his soft good-looks do not complement what we would like to see in this semi-mythic character, perhaps he undermines just a tad of our credibility... but irregardless, he comes to embody Johnson. I find his gradual transformation from inexperienced explorer into savage force of nature to be entirely beleivable, if perhaps a bit strained.Ultimately, the real problem lies in the film's narrative structure... it tends to meander too much and to never resolve itself in a meaningful manner. The story turns violent, but we don't really get a sense of why this violence is significant, or germaine to the plot. There are too many false endings, and the movie seems to end abruptly and without real closure.However, even with all of these problems in mind, Jeremiah Johnson is an experience. It may not be a film that you want to rent with a bunch of friends, but rather a film to watch by yourself, when you are in sort of a contemplative mood. This is a film to relax to, to allow to happen rather than to actively engage it. There are a lot of things to think about and to reflect on, and the film is truly beautiful to watch. This may not be a film that you will watch often, but it is a film that you will value having watched.
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