Leofwine_draca
THE WAY WEST is a Hollywood western that might well be described as 'Oregon Trail, the movie'. Kirk Douglas leads a bunch of settlers from the Eastern seaboard to Oregon, and their wagon train must deal with numerous problems along the way. There are deep rivers to cross, valleys that need descending, arid salt pans to get through, as well as hostile Sioux tribes with murder in mind. Of course, the greatest conflict comes from within the group. I liked this character-based drama which moves along as nicely as the wagon train itself and has plenty of sub-plots to get involved with. The dream team of Douglas, Richard Widmark and Robert Mitchum were all seasoned western stars and do very well with the material they're given, while Sally Field has a memorable early role as a man-hungry teen. The ending is particularly strong here.
alexandre michel liberman (tmwest)
"The Way West" came from a Pulitzer Prize winning novel, with Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum , Richard Widmark and a fantastic young Sally Fields on the cast. That should make it a winner, right? But Andrew McLaglen, even being a good director ,with minor flaws, is no John Ford or Anthony Man or Budd Boetticher. Also McLaglen was ordered by David Picker, vice president of production of United Artists to cut the first 20 minutes of the film (from an interview, "The Westerners:Interviews with Actors,Directors
" C.Courtney Joyner). The result was that the movie was a disappointment to those who had great expectations, which were many. But the disappointment changes into a happy surprise when one see the film now. There are the great scenes with Sally Fields, the cinematography of William H. Clothier, the good screenplay, but still those twenty initial minutes are missing,
Jeff (actionrating.com)
See it – Don't expect too much action in this one. It's about a wagon train on the Oregon trail, but most of the conflict comes from within. So why see it? First of all, the cast is an all star lineup including Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum, Richard Widmark, and a young adorable Sally Fields. Unfortunately, there may be too many actors, because we don't really get to know any of them very well. A second reason to see it is because it is much darker than most films during this time. The ending is pretty dark and there is a love affair that occurs that is harmless by today's movie standards but no doubt pushed the envelope back in the 60's. I would compare it to a movie like "Major Dundee" because it has great veteran actors but only a few memorable moments. Rent don't buy. 2 action rating
shiloh_62
This film was, in parts, historically wanting. For instance, there is a conflict in the time-line concerning the year of travel and the discovery of gold in California. The movie ends short of some of the most dangerous travel on the Oregon Trail.The scenery is great and the landmarks added a sense of reality. I enjoyed seeing most wagons pulled by oxen, as emigrants preferred the sturdy animal over horses or mules.Characterizations left a bit to be desired. While the acting was adequate there was no depth to any individual. That aside, it was worth watching for the cast alone.The story had possibilities but came up short.
AD
