Simply A Masterpiece

Don't listen to the negative reviews

best movie i've ever seen.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

After reading, on Kindle, Jimmy Stewart's bio, I ran out & got a few movie titles on DVD, some of which I saw in their early release so many years ago. Shenandoah offers Jimmy as firm, but kind Patriarch, Charlie, to a large, grown family in 'neutral' Virginia. The story begins just before a historical Civil War battle in 1864. He resists pressure to see his boys conscripted by the Confederate side, and physically fights Rebel agents who attempt to 'acquire' his horses.Pressure begins to mount, however, and the youngest lad (gruffly called 'boy') is arrested by Union Soldiers, forcing Charlie & family to mount up & find the 16-year old amongst thousands of P.O.W.s being shipped North to internment camps. There are some great battle scenes, all with the same sobering theme: the war is lost. Young lives are being ruined for nothing other than the unwillingness of the South to quit. Tragedy befalls, and Charlie loses some family members. There is a positive turn at the end, however.I saw similarities between Shenandoah and Gone With the Wind. The Civil war brings unhappy consequences, esp. to the South, and there are villains on both sides. Is Shenandoah an anti-war film? No more so than Gone with the Wind. It is, perhaps, anti-Civil war, in that peaceful, productive folks like Jimmy's family would not be left alone to pursue their own livelihood, which, Charlie points out, his family cultivated with hard work and no handouts from the Authorities.I was surprised to note that this was released in 1965, same year as 'Flight of the Phoenix', making that a good year for Stewart. However, Shenandoah strikes me as more suited to the era of Westerns made 10 years earlier. I liked it, but rate it 8/10 (I rated Winchester 73 a 9).

This is a very lovely movie, quite unusual for the Civil War genre as it is of course about war, but mostly about the Virginina family, the Andersons, who try to sit out the war in their beautiful farm, but the war is here, and all its cruelty and atrocities bring up misery and losses, deaths, and tears, suffering and toil. This is very stellar role James Stewart who is a force here, and his character is great - old, cantankerous, wild, rough, proud, loud, cynical man of great dignity, whose life is torn by deaths of his nearest and dearest. All the parts in the movie are excellent choices - James Stewart as Charlie Anderson Doug McClure as Sam Glenn Corbett as Jacob Anderson Patrick Wayne as James Anderson Rosemary Forsyth as Jennie Anderson Phillip Alford as Boy Anderson Katharine Ross as Ann Anderson Charles Robinson as Nathan Anderson Jim McMullan as John Anderson Tim McIntire as Henry Anderson Eugene Jackson as Gabriel (as Eugene Jackson Jr.) Paul Fix as Dr. Tom Witherspoon Denver Pyle as Pastor Bjoerling George Kennedy as Col. Fairchild James Best as Carter, Rebel Soldier Tom Simcox as Lt. Johnson Berkeley Harris as Capt. Richards Harry Carey, Jr. as Jenkins (rebel soldier) Kevin Hagen as Mule (rebel deserter) Dabbs Greer as Abernathy Strother Martin as Train Engineer Kelly Thordsen as Federal Purchasing Agent Carroll and some real warm humor is a great plus, it softens the dry and somewhat deeply tragic pace of the story. Another big asset is a very positive outlook on Negro soldiers and slaves. They are shown as good, warm and strong people, who are valiant and heroic. Many smaller parts in the story are very nice, too, and whole 2 hours fly like one minute. This film is very good, but a bit dry at places. Still, it is highly recommended

Starts out grim and just spirals downward. Entails the best characteristics of ALL wars; insanity, stupidity, senseless waste and cruelty. All presented tastefully by an all-star cast. My favorite line; James Stewart and his sons stop a Union prisoner train in search of his son-in-law. The engineer begs for his train to be spared. Stewart says, "Seems to me you have a kind of a sad train here, mister. It takes people away when they don't want to go and doesn't bring them back. BURN IT." Then he says to George Kennedy, the commander of a company of Confederate soldiers, "Are you in charge of this band of fools." You will want to watch it again.

Shenandoah was released in movie theaters on June 3, 1965; it was a western that contained Drama and war. Shenandoah was a 1965 American Civil War film starring James Stewart, Doug McClure, Glenn Corbett, and Patrick Wayne. Andrew V. Mclaglen directed this film. Though set during the American Civil War, the film's strong antiwar and humanitarian themes resonated with audiences in later years as attitudes began to change toward the Vietnam War. Upon its release, the film was praised for its message, as well as its technical production. In 1966, the film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound. For her part in Shenandoah, Rosemary Forsyth was nominated for a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer - Female.Summary: Set in the state of Virginia during the American Civil War, James Stewart plays the role of family patriarch, Charlie Anderson. He and his six sons run the family farm, while his daughter, Jenny (Rosemary Forsyth), and daughter-in-law, Ann (Katherine Ross) take care of the housework. Charlie's oldest son, Jacob (Glenn Corbett) wants to join the war, but Charlie repeatedly tells his family that they won't join the war until it concerns them. Although a few of the boys want to join, they respect their father's wishes, and remain on the farm. Charlie's daughter, Jenny, is courting a young soldier, Sam (Doug McClure). He wants to marry Jenny, and when Charlie gives his permission, the wedding occurs a few days later. As soon as the vows are said, a young lieutenant rides up and announces that Sam is wanted beck immediately. Sam leaves, much to the sorrow of his new bride. While out hunting raccoon, Charlie's youngest son and his friend stumble onto a confederate ambush. They run away, and stop for a drink at a pond. The boy is wearing an old rebel soldier cap that he found at the river. When a union patrol comes on them, the boy is takes as a prisoner of war. His young friend, Gabriel (Eugene Jackson), runs to tell the Andersons what happened. When Charlie hears the news, he and his sons, and his daughter Jenny leave to look for the boy, leaving James (Patrick Wayne) and his wife, Ann at the farm with their young baby. Meanwhile, the boy is taken to a prisoner of war camp. He finds a man (James Best) who is going to escape, and decides to let the boy come along. They and a few other men successfully make it out of the camp, and start heading south. Not long after, they come onto a confederate camp, and are soon involved in a skirmish. The boy's friend is killed, and the boy himself is shot in the leg. When a union soldier comes along about to kill him, the boy looks up into the face of his friend, Gabriel. Gabriel helps him off into a bush to hide until after the battle.Questions: Who is looking for a boy? Who is this boy? Why did the boy leave on his horse? Who overjoyed when she sees what? Whom does Sam leave with? What does Sam tell the boys to do? What happens on the farm? Who takes shots at Jacob? What happen to James and Ann? Who starts there day with a prayer? Who hears church bells ringing in the distance? Who is the Pastor? My Thoughts: I don't like war pictures but this one was different. Usually in war pictures, the audience goes to war right from the beginning. However, in this picture the war comes to the Andersons. The Andersons did everything to stay away from the war but the war came to them. I thought Jimmy Stewart was excellent in his role as Mr. Anderson. I love the filming of the farm and how the Andersons work the farm. I thought Rosemary Forsyth was also excellent in her role as Jennie Mr. Anderson daughter. I also thought that Katherine Ross was great playing the role of Mr. Anderson daughter in law. I usually don't like war pictures but I make an exception in this case. Because of the great acting and the beautiful scenery of the Anderson farm, I give this movie 8 weasel stars. You can also get this movie at Amazon.com