Western Wednesdays: The Mountain Men

     The Mountain Men was released in 1980. It is directed by Richard Lang and written by Fraser C. Heston. It tells the story of Bill Tyler (Charlton Heston) and Henry Frapp (Brian Keith), two Montana fur trappers who get into trouble when they meet Running Moon (Victoria Racimo), a Blackfoot squaw who has fled from her abusive husband, Heavy Eagle (Stephen Macht).

     Like many westerns The Mountain Men is often preoccupied with the erosion of the wilderness and the coming of civilization symbolized, in this case, chiefly through the character of Nathan Wyeth (John Glover). Wyeth is a tenderfoot who hopes to lead a wagon train over the mountains and for Frapp and Taylor, this would mean an end to their way of life. Already, their time seems to be running out. The beaver they trap are becoming scarce and the pelts they sell are no longer bringing a reasonable profit. Their buyer, Fontenelle (Ken Ruta) tells them, "Take it while you can, boys. Next year you may not be able to sell beaver at all." The wilderness, for the characters in this film represents freedom. Running Moon takes up with Tyler initially, to escape her marriage to Heavy Eagle, a marriage she had no say in. She pursues a relationship with Tyler not so much out of any physical attraction but because she desires a relationship on her own terms.

     This film was met with incredibly negative reviews on its initial reviews. Critics complained that the film seemed behind the times, displaying attitudes toward Native Americans for instance, that seemed out-of-fashion in the 1980's. I don't think this is totally unfounded. As much as Fraser Heston tries to flesh out Heavy Eagle by having him reflect on the end of life for his tribe, he can't help but come off as a one dimensional mustache twirling villain by the end. The film is also filled with insipid dialogue, choppy editing and generally over-the-top performances.

     Despite this I don't hate the movie. There are a lot of things to like about it. I do appreciate the little dimension they allow Heavy Eagle. Like Tyler and Frapp his time is running out but, unlike them, he fully realizes this. I also like the fact that Running Moon has some agency. It's she and not Taylor who ultimately defeats Heavy Eagle. In addition to this Micheal Legrand's score is really beautiful as is Michel Hugo's cinematography. Both add to the film's old school feel. In many ways I think that Charlton Heston was intentionally trying to make an older kind of western, albeit one with more swearing and violence, and the film's central theme, of the wilderness fading away, probably reflects the aging actor's self image at that time.

     I have to admit that, having grown up with Walt Disney's Davy Crockett, and NBC's Daniel Boone (both starring Fess Parker), I'm a bit of a sucker for stories set in this particular time period. I wouldn't recommend The Mountain Men to anybody but, if your anything like me, you'll probably enjoy it.

Score: 6/10