THE WAY WEST
US, 1967, 122 minutes, Colour.
Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum, Richard Widmark, Lola Albright, Michael Witney.
Directed by Andrew V. Mc Laglen.
The Way West is a big Western in scope, plot, stars and its ballad tribute to the pioneering heritage. However, it is not a great success in its execution. Nevertheless, the veteran and reliable cast (who have done this kind of thing many times) ensure that there are many worthwhile aspects in the film. Andrew V. Mc Laglen usually directs Westerns - e.g. Shenandoah, Bandolero, Cahill, The Last Hard Men.
1. The impact and enjoyment of this Western? The characteristics and conventions of the Western genre?
2. The use of wide screen and colour, music and songs, atmosphere of heritage, the number of stars?
3. The interest in this Western because of the history of America, the pioneering effort, the heritage of the pioneers, a tribute to the pioneers? Was the film successful in this?
4. The value of the structure of the journey, Tadlock and his vision, the building of a city, quest?
5. The details of the organisation of the wagon trains? The gathering of the people to go on the journey, the importance of their hopes, their nature and purposing this quest?
6. The character of Tadlock and his pushing the people to their goal? His powers of - persuasion for them to go, his capacity for leadership? The way that he handled the crises? The physical crises of the terrain, the psychological crises? The deaths? The death of his son? People liking and disliking him? His own capacity for love and hatred? His attitude towards the Indians and moving through their land? His reliance on Summers as guide? His awareness of the truth about his quest? His exasperation with the people, tricking them to go further? The impact and significance of his own death? Was he a great man on a great enterprise?
7. The character of Summers - his qualities as a tracker, his memory of his wife, his relationship with the Indians, the strength of his character, his wisdom in guiding, his eyes?
8. Evans and his role in the wagon train? His wanting to settle and yet moving on? Relationship with his wife, son? The family hopes as a result of the quest? Clashing with Tadlock? His rash judgment about the man who drowned? The threat to his son's life? His leadership on the cliff? The qualities of character as a pioneer of the West? His wife? How strongly developed was her character? His son? His son and the marriage to the pregnant girl?
9. The jealous wife and her husband? The melodrama of this story in the pioneering? The girl and her love for the rejected husband? Her pregnancy? The murder and the hanging of the husband? The girl's marriage and love for young Evans? How did these add to the significance of the film?
10. The clashes with the Indians? Death? Their vengeance and justice? Tadlock's threat to the Evans' son? Hanging of the man who shot the Indian?
11. The importance of the sequences in the town, the settlers, the trick about the smallpox?
12. The film's portrayal of Western hardships - the river, desert, canyons? The significance of their arrival in Oregon? The success of their mission? The success of the film?
