Teddie Blake The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Janae Milner Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Vermunster Harking back to Kenneth Roberts' Roberts' "Northwest Passage," Rogers' life after the legendary mission to destroy the nest of Abenaki vipers equally unbelievable.Did you know that Rogers undertook with just two companies of Rangers an equally legendary 1763 expedition into what was called the Northwest (the Ohio territory) to accept the surrender of the French posts to the British, who had in that year won the French and Indian War?This trip afoot took Rogers nearly halfway across the continent. In fact, Rogers proposed to the British Crown an expedition to the Pacific, an exploration which one of his captains later partly accomplished while Rogers was stuck commanding Fort Michilmackinac in what would later become Michigan.Thus Rogers almost achieved in 1763 what Lewis and Clark wouldn't actually fully achieve till some 40 years later -- an expedition of exploration to the Pacific Ocean.Rogers was indeed turned down by George Washington at the start of the American Revolution as a volunteer Ranger in the colonial forces. Instead, Washington had Rogers arrested and tossed into prison.Understandably rankled by this, Rogers broke out of jail and went over to the British.Rogers is the guy of whom George Washington said: "He is the only man I ever feared."We have our unfathomably brave predecessors in the Rangers to thank for the British colonists' ultimate victory in the 150-year-long war against the French and Indians -- America's longest war, and one that NO elementary or high school ANYWHERE in America teaches ANYTHING about.Robert Rogers was larger than life. He is often called the Father of U.S. Special Forces, for his work pioneering the colonial rangers in early America. His Rules for Ranging are still required reading by the U.S. Rangers and Green Berets.But Rogers wasn't the first colonial ranger. It is uncertain who could claim that title, because the tradition of "ranging" goes back to early England and Scotland. The colonists took that tradition with them when they settled America. Rangers were deployed in Jamestown.Ranger Benjamin Church, who was instrumental in winning King Philip's war (1675-1678) in New England, is also called the Father of the Rangers. It was his team that hunted down and killed King Philip (aka Metacomet) in Rhode Island.King Philip's War is another one of those gigantic historical struggles not taught in our schools.This was the war in which the Indians pushed the American colonists all the way back to the shoreline towns all across New England (except in Connecticut, where there were just a few battles), and almost into the ocean.Did you know that New England's colonists almost starved during that war, and would have had it not been for ships full of emergency provisions sent from England? The Indians banded together -- most of them, but not all -- to exterminate the white man.But the colonists won that war.They won all of the other Indian wars in New England too.Rogers is the guy who turned the tide in the last such war.If you read anything about Rogers and the men he fought with, you will not believe the hardships they endured to bequeath us our free and easy lives of today. Those who sling arrows at Rogers and his Rangers from their easy chair in a warm home on land won by their forebears from the Indians have no conception - absolutely none - of just how feral the so-called native Americans were.FACT: Like most Stone Age peoples, most Indian tribes engaged in constant warfare. Tribal death rates, as a percentage, were far higher than any of the white man's wars. The Comanches would become the apex tribe in North America when it comes to aggression, outstripping even the Abenakis and Pequots. In fact, the Comanches were so powerful that they hunted the terrifying Apaches for fun, and chased all of the Apache tribes off the plains. Read "Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History" by S.C. Gwynne if you want to understand Stone Age pathologies.The "noble savage" is a myth. Most tribes, given half a chance, would exterminate enemy tribes in a New York minute. They extracted positive orgasmic delight in the most heinous and protracted tortures. These cultures refined torture for century upon century. This had nothing whatsoever to do with the New Age apologetics about "absorbing a victim's spirit." Balderdash. They just liked torture.Rogers' bushwhacking victory over the Abenaki Indians -- the Northeast's Islamofacist terrorists of one-quarter of a millennium ago -- helped finally end the last of the five consecutive French and Indian wars in New England. Ironically, these wars had been going on pretty much continuously almost from the year of discovery -- 1609 -- i.e., the year that Samuel de Champlain (the "Father of New France") discovered the lake named for him, the same year that Henry Hudson sailed up the river named for him.Yes, the year of discovery was 400 years ago in 2009 and the year of British victory in the 150-year war against New France was 1759, 250 years ago in 2009.Tempus fugit.

bob-bird-554-866681 Many people who speculate that a sequel to this movie was never made because of the animosity between the director and Spencer Tracy ought to also read author Kenneth Roberts' comments about it. He was horrified at the movie. He probably refused to release the rights to Book II because of his disgust. I have come to like the movie, but when I first saw it, I crashed in disappointment.Perhaps the greatest character in historical fiction, Cap Huff, is reduced to a nondescript tavern keeper. I dragged a friend to see this movie, because I had read the book 10 times, and told him what to expect. Within minutes, I was apologizing to him.The romance between Langdon Towne and Elizebeth Browne in the book was tortuous. She was a manipulative shrew, and, in real life, married Rogers! Towne was grateful that Rogers has saved him from her.It is Sgt. Ogden who gets shot through the abdomen in the book (and in real life --- Roberts' novels were always amazing in their detailed research), but it is Towne who gets shot in the movie. Hunk Marriner was mortally wounded in the gunpowder explosion (accurately portrayed in the movie), but Brennan's terrific portrayal has a different destiny for Hunk.Go easy on "old men" being with the Rangers. They WERE in the Rangers. They were tough as Brazil nuts in those days, wiry and durable. Jesse Beacham is well done in the movie.At times, the movie is "spot-on" with the book, but as noted above, sometimes not. It was all too much for Kenneth Roberts. In the end, his disdain for Hollywood may be the real reason a sequel was never made.

mlaniga The location was a poor choice, and this ruins the movie right off the bat. I live near the area where Roger's Rangers once roamed. Fidor should have done a little research. Most of the trees are deciduous...maple, birch, oak, beech, alder...with some evergreens mixed in. Nice views in the movie, but there are no snow-capped peaks in Vermont during the summer(the retreat depicted in the movie took place in Vermont). For that matter, the historical retreat did not take place in summer, but in fall (October). The part that made me laugh the hardest was the pile of lizards for the wilderness stew. There aren't any lizards in the Vermont woods...lots of snakes, but no lizards. Major Rogers would not have let an unbalanced comrade in arms run off into the woods to die. He was fiercely protective of his men, and this nonsensical scene is not historical and does Major Rogers a disservice. Perhaps Fidor meant to convey the harshness of the life, but this scene reveals his complete misunderstanding of who Rogers was and of the brotherhood that characterized the Rangers.

John T. Ryan A buddy of ours stopped by not long ago. Knowing that the little Lady,Deanna (nee Jones)and myself are film buffs, his conversation began, "I saw that Spencer Tracy, NORTHWEST PASSAGE, the other day. It was colorized this time!", he stated. "No, Randy," we both said, "it was filmed in color, Technicolor." Well, old Randy may have had his facts wrong about color film.But he sure picked the right movie to discuss. NORTHWEST PASSAGE (MGM, 1940)has to be on anyone's top film list. It's based on Kenneth Roberts' novel of pre-Revolutionary American Colonies, of what History calls The French & Indian Wars.Now, the reference does refer to an armed conflict between The French and some Indian Nation(s); but rather a series of Conflicts of The French and Allied Indian Tribes against the British-American settlers, particularly those who were pushing westward from the Eastern Seaboard to places like Western Pennsylvania and New York, and Ohio.WARNING!!!! POLITICAL INCORRECTNESS AHEAD!!! LIBERALS and other POLLY ANNA TYPES BEWARE!!!! (Well, we warned you!) The attacks on settlers was horrifying with the hatchet chopping of prisoners, the rape, torture & killing of the women. Please, we've heard all of the stories about the "Noble Savage". They are mainly a pile of pure Sophomoric B.S., and no more true now than they were in the settlers' times.The 'Political Correct'types take offense at our being honest about the culture and behaviour of the Tribes toward the European settlers. But stop and consider this. What about the Tribes' treatment of their neighboring tribes? They were as brutal to enemy tribes as to the settlers. The French & Indian Wars were not examples of racially pure combatants, or a "us versus them" conflict. There were different tribes of Red Men align allied with either side.Now, as to the film, NORTHWEST PASSAGE, we need only look at the cast and see what talent old Louis B. Mayer and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer invested so much of their best talents in it.The duties of directing this Historical Celluloid Novel would go to a man of experience and style. Director King Vidor was that guy of style and substance, but also he was a man of great experience and versatility. His films ranged from Westerns, Comedies, Romances, Crime Drama and even Social Commentary. He worked for the 'big boys'(as in this film's Studio, MGM) and done his own Independents.The Players list features Stars Spencer Tracy (Major Rogers), Robert Young (tenderfoot, Langdon Towne), Walter Brennan ('Hunk' Marriner), Ruth Hussey(Elizabeth)all as the main characters. The supporting cast is equally stellar in its own way and does its job in making the film an all time great. Names like Nat Pendleton, Donald MacBride, Addison Richards, Regis Toomey, Montagu Love, Verna Felton, Edward Gargan, Truman Bradley, Eddie Parker and a cast of thousands (litterally) just blended in forming a great and multi faceted canvas for Mr. Vidor's visual, celluloid masterpiece of a "painting".The historically based story involves the activities of Major Robert Rogers(Spence), a Major and Commanding Officer of a Colonial Milita group known as "Rogers' Rangers"*. The Major has been charged with the task of raiding a full compliment of men to bring his Rangers to a status of being well beyond full strength. They are to proceed west across Lake Champlain in Up State New York via whaling boat, then by foot up north to French Territory in present day Quebec. There his force has a mission with a twofold purpose. They are to deliver a strike against the Abanoki Indians to kill as many of their warriors as possible. This is in retribution to raids by the French supported Indfian Tribe which massacred so many women and children the previous year. The raid is also a preemptive one, which will keep the 18th Century Terrorists busy in their own land and less enthusiastic about the scalping of women and the braining of babies.The story moves along from Newe England to the wilderness. The portrayals of Rogers by Spencer Tracy is powerful, poignant, funny, tough and tender. Robert Young(as fugitive recruit, Langdon Towne) is cultured, educated and tough, even tougher than he had thought, because of this expedition.The decision to take the Movie on location to the Pacific Northwest where deep woods and beautiful waterways were found to be abundant. The use of the wooded land that did a fine job as a setting for the wilderness, which is now parts of New York State, Pennsylvania, Ohio and the Province of Quebec.And the tension that was conveyed as it would be for a clandestinely moving, night traveling force. here is one scene involving French Soldiers and their Indian allies moving along the water way, with the Rangers perched high on a hill overlooking their passage. It'll give you goosebumps, honest Injun! From beginning to end, the film is a work of true beauty and a fine example of just how great of an Art the Cinema truly can be.Give it as many Stars as is permitted! If you have seen it, get it and keep a copy in your collection. As 'Hunk' Marriner would say, "If ya ain't seen it yet,shame on ya! Now, go 'n' do it right away, now!" * We feel sort of short changed as the opening read "NORTHWEST PASSAGE: BOOK I, ROGERS' RANGERS". And indeed, there are reports that a sequel was planned, but never materialized. There was a TV Series of NORTHWEST PASSAGE (1958-59)on NBC, which was a production of MGM Television.It starred Keith Larsen (Major Robert Rogers), Buddy Ebsen('Hunk' Marriner) and Don Burnett (Langdon Towne).