Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.

Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic

Ginger Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Alex da Silva In the C18th, during the Colonial Wars, Robert Taylor (Langdon) would, quite rightly, rather be a painter than a soldier. However, he is a rather foolish loudmouth of a drunk and just manages to avoid getting press-ganged before he goes on the run with Walter Brennan (Hunk). They come across Spencer Tracy (Rogers) in the wilderness and get drunk on rum. The next morning, they awake and they have been press-ganged into Rogers' Rangers. It's an army outfit that is embarking on a mission to wipe out an Indian village. We follow the troops across harsh terrain as they reach their destination and then make their escape.The film goes on for too long. Once it has finished and you ask yourself what happened, well…….. not very much. The landscapes and technicolour are the best thing about the film, and Tracy is very good as the self-styled leader who promotes a focus on the end result. Although, given his previous harsh decisions, decisions made for survival of the overall unit, it's a bit unrealistic how he helps the injured Taylor. No way, I'm afraid.It's a shame that more wasn't made of actually seeing the enemy. We get a tense moment at the beginning when enemy boats drift past the troops hiding on the shore, and there is a nice (all too short) sequence as the Rangers canoe past the enemy camp at night with a fire burning in the background. Another standout is the crossing of some rapids as the soldiers form a human chain. We needed more tension and a feeling that the enemy are there right behind them, and we needed this by actually seeing the enemy. As it is, we are just told that they are undoubtedly somewhere looking for them. At over two hours, the film needed more than just the one battle sequence.There are some unrealistic characters, eg, the soldier who keeps and feeds off something rather strange after the massacre and God knows why Ruth Hussey is given such high billing. She's not in the goddam film long enough to even justify a credit! The best line is dished out by Tracy to Brennan as he tells him that he looks better at the end than when he joined. And it's true. Overall, the nice locations and colour don't make up for lack of action.

ma-cortes Exciting picture with open-air spectacular scenes starts depicting in a foreword : ¨This is a story of our early America..of the century of conflict with French and Indians .. when necessity made simple men, unknown to history, into giants in daring and endurance . It begins on Potmouth New Hampshire in 1759...¨ This Technicolor MGM classical describing the troop of Rogers' Rangers battling the hostile Indians and wilderness. The historical novel Northwest Passage (1937), by American author Kenneth Roberts, portrayed the events of Rogers' Rangers' raid on the Abenaki town of St. Francis. The first half of the novel was adapted in this film by Talbot Jennings and Laurence Stallings , being lavishly produced and uncomprimisingly directed by King Vidor . It actually intents to be the first of a two-part epic but the second half was never realized and the Northwest passage itself is never seen. The picture is packed with spectacular battles, heroism , heartbreaking scenes and blood-letting deeds . The main cast ans secondary support give good performances with special mention to Spencer Tracy , Walter Brennan and Robert Young. It contains marvelously photographed in glimmer Technicolor by Henry Jaffa and adequate musical score by Herbert Stothart. This is a winner for Spencer Tracy fans.The story is based on real events , these are the following : During 1759, the Rangers were involved in one of their most famous operations: they were ordered to destroy the Abenaki settlement of Saint-Francis in Quebec. It has been the base for raids and attacks of British settlements. Rogers led a force of 200 rangers from Crown Point deep into French territory. Following the October 3, 1759 attack and successful destruction of Saint-Francis, Rogers' force ran out of food during their retreat through the wilderness of northern Vermont. Once the Rangers reached a safe location along the Connecticut River at the abandoned Fort Wentworth, Rogers left them encamped. He returned a few days later with food, and relief forces from Fort at Number 4 now Charlestown, New Hampshire, the nearest English town.In the raid on Saint-Francis, Rogers claimed 200 enemies were killed, leaving 20 women and children to be taken prisoner, of whom he took five children prisoner and let the rest go . The French recorded that only 30 were killed, including 20 women and children. According to Francis Parkman Ranger casualties in the attack were 1 killed and 6 wounded; however in the retreat, 5 were captured from one band of Rangers and nearly all in another party of about 20 Rangers were killed or captured. One source alleges that of about 204 Rangers, allies and observers, only about 100 returned.

Graham Watson Northwest passage is one of those films that your parents probably watched when they were growing up. Despite having seen it or parts of it many times over the years its still very entertaining. Like other classics of it's times, DODGE CITY, ROBIN HOOD etc that has been given the Technicolor Hollywood treatment of the late 1930's, for what ever reason Northwest passage stands out as being the best. Watching it in 2006 almost 60 years after it was made on a digital plasma wide-screen one can really appreciate the efforts that went into filming this back in the 1930's as well as the work gone into keeping it restored.As for the movie, some of the rangers looked to be a bit long in the tooth to be credible rangers, a bit old, scrawny and tired looking but perhaps it only enhanced the disheveled appearance that you might expect after such a long treks. Ironically, it's the tension throughout the movie keeps you on your toes because it's really not that violent. There is one major battle and that's it, for a move that is well over two hours long it's not really that much, but it's worth watching it for the cinema photography, the atmosphere as well as the scenery alone. However, if that's not going to keep your attention you'll find Spencer Tracy at his finest. Although Robert Young and Walter Brennan are fine in support, Tracy just steals the show as the enthusiastic tough as nails ranger ready to conquer North America.I say conquer, he's not a raving maniac that is just out to kill, he'll fight if he has too, but its' discovering routs and new territory that's important to him. He commands respect not through fear but through admiration. There is nothing he asks his men to do that he is not prepared to do himself. If it's not going without food, or hauling a boat over a mountain he's the first link in a human chain trying to cross a swollen river riddled with rapids. He shows no fear but he's not reckless and is not looking to kill the enemy just for the sake of it. Discipline is important but the safety of the expedition as a whole is paramount, he wont slow down his troop and endanger it by carrying a wounded man.(Interesting thought, no medivac helicopter ready to swoop in and take out a casualty).He has courage demands loyalty but is prepared to listen to his junior officers when they want to split up despite his reservations(which apparently they are entitled to do)he acquiesces. He rallied his command to go on at every opportunity and encourages them when in doubt with resolve as well as humor. He certainly understands his responsibility as leader. At the end of the movie when he is addressing the new expedition he delivers it with humor that clearly motivates the men into relishing the challenge, I was almost sorry I couldn't go along as well! (Note:one of these days I'll have to try drinking rum and hot water with brown sugar and butter added!)

bkoganbing Kenneth Roberts was a distinguished novelist who wrote many fine fictional works about colonial and revolutionary America. Probably his biggest seller was Northwest Passage a fictionalization of the exploits of Roger's Rangers during the French and Indian War.His books sold well at the time and we have to remember that in viewing Northwest Passage we are seeing a fictional story rather than the real story of Roger's Rangers. At that we are only seeing part of that book, nothing at all about a search for a land route across North America.The historical significance of the Rangers is that Robert Rogers had an idea that one should be living and thinking like the American Indian in order to fight him. His ideas about specialized units who could meet the enemy on his own terms in colonial America have been followed right down to the Green Berets in Vietnam. His is a distinguished contribution in military history.To do that and lead such a group you have to be one charismatic leader. And in Spencer Tracy, Rogers has the best kind of interpreter.This was Tracy's first color feature for MGM and Louis B. Mayer spared no expense for this film. No back lot backwoods here, the company went on location to the Payette River in Idaho for the outdoor scenes depicting colonial era New York State. No stunt doubles here either, that's Tracy, Walter Brennan, Robert Young and the rest of the company waist deep in those rapids forming that human chain. Some of the stars nearly drowned making this film.One aspect of this film is rarely discussed and that was the politics surrounding the Indians. Please note that while Tracy is burning the Abinagi village, he has some friendly Mohawks with him. When the British and French went to war in this theater of the Seven Years War, the various Indian tribes chose up sides, trying to figure which group of whites would give them the better deal. The Mohawks are part of the Iroquois Confederation and they aligned themselves with Great Britain. Various other tribes allied with with French. Both were supplied with the white man's weapons of war and both fought on each side. And neither got a really great deal in the end.Northwest Passage is definitely not for the politically correct of the day. Tracy is leading a savage reprisal against the Abinagi, he burns the town, kills all the males of fighting age, steals their meager food supplies to feed his men who are hungry themselves. Tracy makes it clear this is reprisal for raids against the British colonists. Prominently displayed for the camera just before the shooting start is that large exhibit of settler's scalps in the village.Of course the real story is the retreat back, fleeing a much larger force of French in the area. The men are starving as they reach the rendezvous point which is an abandoned fort. Tracy races ahead of the men who've been promised a feast when they get there and as he makes it there he realizes the supplies haven't come. He starts to break down, but as he hears his men behind him, he regains control of himself and starts issuing the orders necessary for their survival. It's all done in a few minutes without dialog and its own of Spencer Tracy's greatest film moments.Northwest Passage will not find too much favor with a lot of today's audience. But taken for what it is worth, it is a story about brave men and their struggle for survival in the colonial wilderness.