 "Hondo (Full Screen)" | 2008-07-14 |
| - Reviewed By User: A276M3NSIY9B82 |
For 1953 Hondo was a brutal portrayal of the West. Hondo was based on a Louis L'Amour novel, in fact, it was the first novel that L'Amour had published & was also his first property to be transformed to the silver screen. The film was directed by John Farrow (father of Mia) & shot in Mexico. The screenplay was written by James Edward Grant, Wayne's favorite screenwriter.
Hondo is a Western much in the classic vein but with an added realism that was unusual for 1953. In the opening scene we see Hondo (John Wayne) walking toward the camera, rifle in one hand, scabbard & saddlebags in the other hand. Near him is the dog, Sam, basically a wild dog who is in the company of Hondo. He happens on a ranch that has only Angie Lowe (Geraldine Page) & her son Johnny (Lee Aker). Hondo is a scout for the cavalry & is returning to to report on the state of the Apaches who are preparing for war. Hondo stays around the ranch for a short period fixing up things for her. It's obvious to Hondo that Mrs. Lowe's husband hasn't been around for a long time. She continually lies about her husband but Hondo, straigt forward & honest, tells her she's lying. Later, Hondo meets Ed Lowe (Leo Gordon) & they take an immediate disliking to one another. Later Hondo kills Lowe in self-defense. This complicates things because Hondo & Mrs. Lowe end up falling in love.
All of this is set against the backdrop of an Apache uprising & the Lowe ranch is in the middle of it. She has been on peaceful terms with them but Hondo warns her it's time for her & her son to leave. She chooses to stay. The Apache chief Vittorio (Michael Pate) is a significant role in the movie. He befriends Johnny renaming him Small Warrior. Vittorio wants Mrs. Lowe to pick one of the Apache warriors for a husband so that Johnny can be taught the Apache way. The movie features Ward Bond as Buffalo Baker, a scout like Hondo. James Arness has a small role as Lennie, another scout whom Hondo doesn't like. It all leads to the inevitable cowboy & Indian showdown.
Some of this was shot in 3D but it's a very minuscule part. The movie has an introduction by Leonard Maltin who also appears in the rest of the special features. There's a feature entitled The Making of Hondo that features interviews with Michael Pate, Lee Aaker & western historian Frank Thompson. This feature reveals that the final parts filmed of Hondo were actually directed by John Ford. There's a feature on the writer James Edward Grant. There is an interview with Michael Wayne that reveals material from the vaults of Batjac, Wayne's production company. There are a couple of other features that makes this a great value. |
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 "Louie L'Amour and John Wayne - two icons make a fine film" | 2008-05-14 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1YS3I3BIO5M7B |
This was one of Louie L'Amour's best stories and one of John Wayne's best films, probably his best in the decade following WWII. The screenplay closely parallels the novel, with much of the movie dialogue identical. Great Westerns like Hondo, Shane, and Lonesome Dove seem to trust the novelist. Because the medias are different, a movie may delete great swaths of narrative, but the good ones seem to stick to the plotline and characterization.
Because the screenplay creatively follows the novel, Hondo is more complex and subtle than many Westerns. As in the book, the movie portrays the Apache culture with an understanding that was rare in the middle of the last century. The Special Features and commentary are informative and entertaining.
This is a great story, with a great cast at the top of their form. You should definitely have Hondo in your film library.
The Shopkeeper
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| "The best written Wayne Western" | 2008-03-23 |
| - Reviewed By drfood |
This gorgeous little movie is one of the few Wayne ever did where the
story stays true to the Western genre and doesn't insult your intelligence
at the same time. (seeBig Jake for an example of the opposite.)
What makes this better is the complexity of the character and the sympathy
with which the Apache are portrayed-that was a rarity back then. There is also a wholly enjoyable relationship between Hondo and 'his' dog that culminates in one of the most shocking scenes ever in a western.
Lynn Hoffman, author ofbang BANG: A Novel
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| "You can now enjoy one of the least known of Wayne's best films" | 2008-01-23 |
| - Reviewed By craig_matteson |
This had been among one of the least seen of Wayne's best films because it had been locked away for a decade and a half. I remember the "Married With Children" episode when Al wanted to catch a rare showing of this movie and, of course, his desires were thwarted. Now you can see it any time you wish on this really good DVD. The extras provide a good commentary on the film, some shorts on the making of the film and on Ward Bond.
The film has a couple of really different aspects to it. The most famous is that it was made in 3D, which was a big fad the year it was made. This version of 3D was more sophisticated than the red-green glasses we get every now and again today, but I have never experienced this technology and have no idea what it is like. For this film, very few people have seen it in 3D because it was only shown that way for the first week or two it was in very limited release. The rest of the world saw it as it is presented on this DVD, in beautifully presented 2D. One of the reasons this 3D film still works so well in 2D is that despite all the problems of filming in 3D (and they are explained in the extras), Farrow and Wayne only have a couple of concessions to the usually 3D gimmickry (the titles, the knife fight coming right at the camera, an arrow being shot, and maybe a couple of others). Most of the time the extras explain that they used 3D to add depth to the shots which still work well when flattened.
The other odd part of Hondo is casting Geraldine Page as the female lead. She isn't particularly beautiful and in some way this makes her more believable. We learn some things about her from the other cast members that add to the strangeness. Apparently, she went to great lengths to stay in character including not bathing or brushing her teeth. She was also very liberal and appalled by the conservative views of John Wayne and Ward Bond. All this aside, what gets on the screen is very good and quite convincing. That she was nominated for an Oscar(tm) for this role does seem a bit odd today, but not completely crazy.
The story is set in Apache lands when the whites have yet again broken a treaty and the Indians are pushing back. Hondo (Wayne) walks into Angie Lowe's (Page) ranch where she lives alone with her son, Johnny (Lee Aaker). She won't leave her ranch even though the Army is evacuating all whites living in the Apache lands because too many are being killed. She claims her husband will return soon, but Hondo is suspicious. In return for a horse, Hondo does many domestic chores that need doing around the ranch. One of the more famous scenes is his teaching Johnny how to swim and then finds out Angie can't swim either. He and Angie quickly develop a strong affection, but she is married after all so he leaves and heads into town to report to the military. He meets Angie's husband in the local saloon and learns that he is not what Angie portrayed him to be. In fact, he has betrayed and abandoned her and is an all around bad individual. Wayne's friend, Ward Bond, also has a very good role in the film as Buffalo Baker.
I won't bother explaining how the plot develops, but there is a lot of interesting action with surprisingly sensitive plot developments. The Indians are presented very sensitively for 1953 and we sympathize with them (except when they are after Hondo). Their chief, Vittorio, is played quite convincingly by the Australian actor, Michael Pate. The key action sequences at the end were, we learn from the extras, directed by John Ford and they are quite good. This is a very good Waynestern and you should see it. And if you have seen it recently, well, find an excuse to enjoy it again!
Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI
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| "A very complete DVD" | 2008-01-15 |
| - Reviewed By barrie7 |
| Not only is this a great movie, but the DVD has loads of extras including a making of feature, a commentary, photo gallery, trailers, and more. This is the first time I have ever seen this movie and being able to watch it on full screen, in the comfort of my own home, without loud kids or loud adults, is great. Geraldine Page is a good actor and lovely to boot. John Wayne is, of course, perfect in this movie as Hondo Lane who is the lone cavalry rider who becomes the hero of the film. |
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| "Alternative Revisionist Wayne Western" | 2007-10-20 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2ALW333PLHDHR |
I have a theory about this film. I am guessing that Wayne so wanted to play Shane that, when he didn't get the role, he went and made this film. The story of an outsider hero redeeming himself should certainly appeal to Shane fans for the parallels.
This is a great Western and I would even go so far as to say that it is in some ways better than Wayne's Ford-directed films (which one could also say about Alamo, which he made later and became notorious for because he campaigned so hard for the film to get an Oscar).
It would certainly be an awesome experience to see it in 3D on a big screen. |
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| "Hondo" | 2007-06-26 |
| - Reviewed By jfarr02 |
| The best John Wayne western not directed by John Ford or Howard Hawks, "Hondo" shows the Duke at the peak of his powers. Helmed by John Farrow (Mia's dad), the film is stunningly photographed, with a tight, trim story brought to life by a luminous Page (in her film debut), the ever-reliable Ward Bond as Hondo's friend Buffalo Baker, and Michael Pate as Vittorio, the Apache chief. Also look for James Arness in a pivotal role- he'd go on to make his career in Westerns on TV's long-running "Gunsmoke". |
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| "The Duke" | 2007-05-06 |
| - Reviewed By jkaplan29 |
| I love John Wayne, so anything thing he does is fine with me. Typical Wayne western. Wonderful, colorful, authentic Wayne fare. Amazon had the best price. |
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| "A superb western" | 2007-04-12 |
| - Reviewed By starvingzombie |
Hondo is a mighty impressive film. It is that rare western that greatly succeeds on on a technical level, as well as an emotional level.
John Wayne and co-star Geraldine Page have amazing chemistry, and child actor Lee Aaker is wonderful and believable as the little boy. (unlike the many phony child actors that were common in the 50s)
The story closely follows the Louis L'Amour novel it was based on, and that is a big plus. It's a very mature and complex tale that is handled with confidence and grace by a great cast, crew and director.
This wonderful film is yet more proof that John Wayne wasn't just an iconic "movie star," but this man was a superb actor in all regards.
Highly recommended. |
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| "The Man" | 2007-02-15 |
| - Reviewed By stormyburke |
| Another good one from the " Classic Western Star" a must have for your collection. |
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