A roller coaster of brilliant and terrible sequences

I watched this movie expecting the worst and I actually enjoyed most of it. Right of the bat this film is boasting with cinematography of a Kubrick or Scorsese film. The film is gorgeous to behold and really is impressively shot.

The acting and melodrama however is awful. Puzzling and awkward interactions, unnatural line delivery, and a very forced love triangle. I don't dislike any of the main characters but Kris is not a great leading man and has little acting talent. Jeff Bridges and Brad Dourif are excellent, John Hurt was forced, Walken is entertaining and Isabella is a little weird but not too bad. I actually like that they cast someone from another country to play an immigrant, even if she isn't the best. But overall the dialogue is not good and there is no chemistry between any of these people in the flick.

But the plot is great! A very honest and respectful tale of past (and present) prejudices. The only other believable actors are the immigrants as well. I really like that there were no subtitles, it didn't matter what the words were their emotion told us all we need to know.

I completely see why it failed though. 1980 was not the time for a 3 and a half hour western that doesn't glorify or ignore violent atrocities of the past. That combined with the deserved negative press is a recipe for disaster.