I wasn't sure this morning if I had TCM or Encore Westerns. The first has outdone the second. ALL of JW's best in a row with no channel change needed and They Were Expendable coming right afterwards. To those of you who don't like SUTS-sit down and quit yapping; they're off to one great start. YAHOO!

I get he feels no obligation to the state. As he says they never really did anything for him. He's fine living his life apart from what is going on. The dinner discussions are interesting as they debate the reasons for the boys going vs. staying. They feel an obligation plus, I'd bet, a little adventure.

I guess I can understand the carelessness about the security of the farm, but I'd bet he never figured on murder. He'd already run off one group, those that came for the horses, but that's a different world than what happened. They're two separate things but that's almost unimagineable.

When they become involved it's a different world. He's fighting his war. It just happens to involve everyone else. He doesn't care who he has to go through or what needs to be done. He has his mission and he's not going to let a thing like The Civil War stand in his way.

The emotion of tempering his goal with the cost is almost too much to think about. He must feel he has failed his family. Even at the very end it's all bittersweet. It will be a tough thing with which to live.

The war has brought nothing but heartbreak and sorrow. He really couldn't care about the outcome except for what it has done to him.

It's Ford-like and maybe that is why it may be McLaglen's best work.

It's sad to see how the peace becomes destroyed in that little valley

It really was but it was inevitable. And I think he was fooling himself in his determination to keep the war away. But who could blame him? All he'd worked for was for his family's future.. and now it was being threatened so why WOULD he want to let things slip away by either sending OR allowing his boys to become involved. But the war was coming and no matter how he tried.. it was NOT going to leave them alone. In fact it more or less parked itself right on his front door. And at least SOME of his sons were prepared to fight.. but he was so steadfast in wanting to keep them OUT of it.. he forgot that they were already in it whether they wanted to be or not.

Was he wrong to try and stay "seperate for so long?" I don't know. I think maybe he was in a way.. because it MIGHT have been easier to bear if he had faced the war WITH his family on their terms.. instead of letting the war force itself upon them all the way it did. If he had been prepared for what was coming.. and made some preparations to get ready and defend his home and family... and let the family be prepared too.. they might have been better able to withstand all that came their way. But he tried so hard to ignore the war, that when it DID show up for him and his kids.. it hit them all in such a way could NOT be ignored any longer.. more or less was like a great big two by four upside the head.

+And I find that one scene with Katharine Ross and the baby just plain horrific. It really scared me as a kid and still does. You see the cost of war to the innocents in this movie, not just men and soldiers looking for a fight+

That has to be the most disturbing part of the whole film for sure.. but man.. I just kept thinking how ILL-prepared they were. After all that had happened (especially to the boy) they had to know there were soldiers all around.. of BOTH persuasions.. and that some of those soldiers MIGHT wander into their area. (I felt sorry for the wife.. but poor James too.. he was completely caught off guard.. but he SHOULD'NT have been.) Even what happened to the boy could have been prevented (with a little consideration for what it REALLY meant for him to pick up that hat and put in on.. meanwhile he has a gun in his hand. The DAD should have told him not to wear it.. ever. You don't wear any part of the uniform unless you mean it, when there are hostile troops from both sides fighting it out.

I just kept thinking DUH!! Get a clue guys.. there's a WAR on.. but I guess that goes back to what I was saying before.. I think the father tried TOO hard to ignore it.. that maybe they ALL were not as wary of it's danger as they should be.

But then, ha.. I guess if he HAD been better prepared.. and the boy had NOT had the hat on.. and James HAD been packing his rifle by his side at all times out there.. well.. it would have been a whole different MOVIE wouldn't it?? ha.

Oh goodness me.. I sound awfully critical telling them all what I think they should do.. ha. And I don't MEAN to sound negative at all.. because despite all I am saying.. I really DO like this film a LOT. But I just take my movies too personally.. ha. It's like watching a scary movie and you KNOW the bad guy is in the closet.. and you keep yelling "NO.. don't look in the closet.. ha. But pf course they DO and then I just want to hit them for being so dumb for opening the closet.. ha. Dadgum these movie folks.. they JUST never listen do they. ha.) I guess I am just getting bossy in my old age.. (Oh who am I kidding.. I have always been bossy. Alas, too there is likely way too much evidence against me.. to deny it, ha)

Edited by: rohanaka on Aug 1, 2012 2:14 AM

Howdy, Ro!

Stewart's determination to keep his family in one piece is wonderful to watch, especially as the story progresses and they are hit with one calamity after another. It's sad to see how the peace becomes destroyed in that little valley. And I find that one scene with Katharine Ross and the baby just plain horrific. It really scared me as a kid and still does. You see the cost of war to the innocents in this movie, not just men and soldiers looking for a fight.

Hello there Grey Dude..

thought I would drop you a note out here on the western side of town to mention how much I enjoyed getting to see Shenandoah the other day. I found it at the library and was happy to watch as it had been MANY years since I last got to see this one.

I have always liked this story.. but wow, I have to say I NEVER fully appreciated how DEEPLY FELT the dad's family ties were.. I mean, yeah.. I KNEW it was about that.. but I guess I just did not remember how he did EVERYTHING because of his family. It was the motivating force behind almost anything he does or says throughout the entire film. I remembered him being a family guy.. and that his kids were important to him.. but I just did not really remember (or notice before) how DEEP that ran in his veins.. even when his kids disagreed with him.. even if he MIGHT have risked losing them, he stood firm because in his mind, he was doing what he thought was best for them, both out of respect for his wife, AND out of love for his children. And as a result, his kids DID respect him, and stand with him (even if they sometimes stood up to him too)

Really.. the main theme in this film is you take care of your family no matter what..

Makes me like this story even MORE, just getting that sort of spin on it after all these years.

I was happy to hear this film ended up high on your list of lately watched movies.. Glad you got to watch it.. and glad I got to see it again too!

I see what you mean. Actually, I think Laughlin is a good actor, I just don't like his starring roles.

I do like Barbara Carrera, she's so beautiful but a good actress as well. It's a shame they muddled up the plot and the setting so badly.

Oh dear, it sounds awful! But then, all you had to say was 'Tom Laughlin' to send me running for the hills....