there isn't a single greatly-directed shot nor scene in this very-deserving story... except the expected return to monument valley, which also is not great.
the writers were spot-on, and the director couldn't have cared less.
a hack job at most.
Wouldn't say it's a hack job but apart from the scene at the deserted train station at the beginning and the battle scenes at the river, it's pretty standard stuff. I sure get tired of Monument Valley too, hahaha. At least he didn't have effin' Andy Devine in it to provide alleged "comic" relief!
By this point in his career, Ford's drinking and poor health were a problem, plus the Hollywood studio system that he had flourished in was on its last legs.
Until I saw your post, I was beginning to think there was something wrong with me. I am looking at the 7.5 rating, and I was having trouble believing that this was the work of John Ford, who directed several of my favourite classics such as "Donovan's Reef" and "The Quiet Man"
This was a relatively serious subject (black soldier murders white officer and murder/rapes white girl in 1880's American west) and the court-martial scene is being played for laughs. Regarding your "phoned it in" comment, I think to aggravate matters, he called "collect".
I am not one for superlatives when talking about films.To be honest, I find those people who say, "This is the worst film ever" on these forums to be extremely tedious, but I will say that this is definitely the worst John Ford I have seen so far, and I've probably seen about 25 so far.
I don't know that I'd consider the writers all that spot on either. All in all I've always looked on the film as sort of a very noble failure. It definitely does a lot right, but the ending feels rushed, and I think the kind of weird injections of humour are generally misplaced as well.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-21AtiWV3TE