I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Good movie but grossly overrated

A Major Disappointment

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

One of several films of the '50s and '60s that dramatized the difficult and usually disappointing quest to rescue long term captives of Great Plains Native Americans(NA) tribes. This was John Ford's second venture into this subject, the first being the much better known "The Searchers". He only reluctantly agreed to direct this film. Unlike "The Searchers" and the previous "Charge at Feather River", in which the long term captives were rescued/abducted by stealth, in this film, the much more common method of bartering was attempted, except for Mexican Elena. All 3 films dramatize the frequent disappointment in discovering that long term captives usually didn't want to be rescued, at least initially, usually having forgotten their natal language and considering themselves culturally a NA by preference.. Those children who were not killed in NA raids usually were treated well , as potential tribal members. Older teens and adults usually were killed or kept for ransom or barter, slaves in the meanwhile.. Thus, in the film, Jimmy Stewart, as sheriff McCabe, and Richard Widmark, as army lieutenant Gary form a reluctant buddy pair, commissioned by Ft. Grant commander Frazer(John McIntire) to try to barter for the return of several captives in a Comanche village headed by chief Quanah Parker(the name of a historic famous Comanche chief, the son of a European captive). Strangely, the relatives of these captives form a wagon train pressure group camped outside of Ft. Grant. Money-hungry McCabe has arranged several lucrative bargains with these relatives for specific captives returned. However, he discovers that few captives want to be liberated or are appetizing prospects. Thus, he returns with only one son who is now a ferocious warrior who hates all whites. He has to be kept caged or tied up to avoid injuring others. His presumed father refuses to acknowledge him as his son. However, his presumed mother eventually unties him. He promptly kills her with a knife, and is consequently hung by a vigilante group. This is rather similar to the captive Jennie, in "Charge at Feather River", who shot her brother member of the rescue party, then promptly died from a fall. The only positive thing that results from this mission is the stealthy release of captive Latino Elena(Linda Crystal), who has been a wife of war chief Stone Calf for 5 years, and the killing of Stone Calf by McCabe. Like Anne, in "Charge at Feather River", she's not sure if she wants to continue her arduous NA role or be repatriated . Like Anne, she's afraid she will be treated as an outcast by most Europeans. And, like Anne, her dilemma is made more tolerable by the offer by the leading man to marry her.As typical Ford, the developing romantic attachments of Stewart with Elena and Widmark with Shirley Jones' character are left probable, but unfinished at the end. Stone Calf, the Comanche war chief of a militant brotherhood, is actually named after a Cheyenne chief of a military brotherhood. Comanches didn't have such brotherhoods.Stewart's character was sheriff of Tascosa. this is a historical town in the Texas panhandle: prime Comanche territory. During this period, it was an important cattle drive center, but after the railroad bypassed it, it gradually dwindled to a ghost town....Stewart's character in the initial part of this film looks and acts exactly like his Wyatt Earp character in the controversial Dodge City segment of the subsequent Ford-directed "Cheyenne Autumn""The Searchers" was mostly shot in the spectacular Monument Valley, AZ. However, the actual Comanche domain looked nothing like this. The present film was shot in southern Texas, still within traditional Comanche territory, with a much more authentic Comanche look to the wilderness scenes.I agree with one reviewer that Stewart seemed miscast and often seemed awkward in his role. Dean Martin would have been a much better choice.Strangely, the evil backwoods Cleggs father and sons are resurrected from "Wagon Master" of a decade previously. They pick a fight with Widmark over Shirley. With Andy Devine's later entry into the fracas,it becomes even more of a half-serious-half slapstick affair, reminiscent of the brawl featuring Victor McLaglen in Ford's "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon"Yes, the fatal nocturnal attack by Stone Calf on MaCabe + Elena looked very clumsy, and why did he apparently come alone??Some reviewers interpret this film as illustrating an anti-NA prejudice by Ford. Well, Ford, being Irish, felt the anti-Irish, anti-Catholic prejudice of many Americans, thus identified with many other minority groups, including Mormons, Quakers, and, yes, NAs. Problem was, he knew most in his audiences expected NAs, or at least the warlike elements, to be the 'bad guys' in most films. Nonetheless, he tried to give the NAs a fair shake in many of his films, including "Fort Apache", "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon", Wagon Master", especially in "Cheyenne Autumn", and even in the present film. The prejudice felt by Elena emanating from many Europeans was not shared by Stewart's nor Widmark's characters. In fact, McCabe offered to marry her and got on the stagecoach for CA with her, to the amazement of all, especially his longtime saloon girlfriend, Belle.

While sitting on his porch one day in the small town of Tascosa, Texas, "Marshal Guthrie McCabe" (James Stewart) watches as a small troop of cavalry led by "Lieutenant Jim Gary" (Richard Widmark) rides into town. The lieutenant has orders to bring Marshal McCabe back with them to Fort Grant. When they finally arrive there the commander of the fort, "Major Frazier" (John McIntire) persuades both of them to ride into a Comanche camp and try to convince "Chief Quanah Parker" (Henry Brandon) to release some white hostages who had been captured as children and held there for some 7 to 15 years. What follows is essentially a standard western film for its day with a not-so-subtle message concerning bigotry. Now, both James Stewart and Richard Widmark are very talented actors and I suppose they performed in an adequate manner. The same thing goes for both Shirley Jones (as "Marty Purcell") and Linda Cristal ("Elena de la Madriaga"). They're both attractive and quite capable. But their roles were pretty standard and stereotypical. That said, perhaps if any of them had been given roles with more substance then this could have been a really great movie. But that simply wasn't the case due in part to the political message the director (John Ford) felt somewhat compelled to present. In short, this wasn't a bad western. But it's nothing to get excited about either.

Marshal Guthrie McCabe had a cushy life in western town; getting a hundred dollars a month plus ten percent of the town's business; that is until his old friend 1st Lt. Jim Gary of the United States Army rides into town 'requesting' that he accompany him to a Fort forty miles away to undertake an unspecified task. When he gets there he learns that they want him to go into Comanche territory to bargain for the return of white prisoners, who were captured many years before; many of whom were young children at the time. Guthrie says that it is a fool's errand; any child will have grown up to live as a Comanche a will have forgotten their old life. The people are desperate though and eventually he agrees; if the price is right. Once in the Comanche camp he and Jim talk to the chief and he agrees to take one unwilling boy and a woman, Elena, back. He does not take an old woman who asked to be left and another young girl who had had children there; knowing their families will not welcome them back when they see how they have changed. Elena is a Mexican who had only been with then for five years and was married to a hot-headed brave. Once back at the camp things do not go well; the people treat Elena with contempt and things go even worse for the boy. There is also a romantic subplot involving Jim and Marty, a girl who is hoping to find her lost brother.I hadn't heard of this film until I saw it advertised but seeing as it stared the usually reliable James Stewart I thought I'd give it a go. I am glad that I did as it was pretty good; not as good as 'The Searcher', which covers similar themes, but still worth watching. James Stewart was good and surprisingly amusing as Marshal McCabe and Richard Widmark put in a solid performance as Jim Gary. The story was pretty decent and it was a relief that the Comanches weren't depicted as being any worse than the 'civilised' white people back at camp; although it was unfortunate that native actors weren't used; I know that is how things were done back then but it still seems a bit off. Coming from director John Ford I'd expected stunning vistas but the settings weren't that spectacular; the film still looked good enough in the countryside where it was set. Overall I'd say this wasn't a must see film but if you like westerns or the films of Jim Stewart it is certainly worth watching.

The cynical and corrupt Marshal Guthrie McCabe (James Stewart) has a comfortable life in Tascosa, receiving percentages of deals. His lover Belle Aragon (Annelle Hayes) owns a saloon with a brothel and has just proposed to marry him. However, Guthrie is summoned by the US Army Major Frazer (John McIntire) that sends a troop commanded by his friend First Lt. Jim Gary (Richard Widmark) to bring him to the Fort Grant.When Guthrie meets Major Frazer, he explains that the relatives of prisoners of the Comanche tribe are pressing the army to bring them back home, but the soldiers can not trespass the Indian lands due to a treat with the Comanche. The mercenary Guthrie demands a large amount to negotiate with Chief Quanah Parker (Henry Brandon) the freedom of the white captives. Guthrie travels with Lt. Jim Gary and they rescue the two last captives, a teenager that has been raised by the Comanche and a young woman, Elena de la Madriaga (Linda Cristal), who has been the woman of the leader of the Buffalo Shields Stone Calf (Woody Strode) for five years. Once in the white society, they are outcast by the "civilized" white society and their reintegration is almost impossible. "Two Rode Together" is another great western by John Ford, with a different story about the difficulty of reintegration of captives of Indians into the civilized society of the white man. The plot entwines comical and dramatic situations with powerful dialogs. James Stewart is fantastic, as usual, performing an unethical greedy man that changes his behavior after meeting Elena, performed by the gorgeous Linda Cristal. Both characters find redemption in the end. Richard Widmark shows a magnificent chemistry with James Stewart and Shirley Jones. In the end, it is hard to point out the civilized and uncivilized societies. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "Terra Bruta" ("Raw Land")