It is the late 1840s when Jeremiah Johnson (Robert Redford) arrives on the frontier. After purchasing a horse, a mule, a Hawken rifle, and some traps, he sets out for the Rocky Mountains. He makes a variety of greehorn mistakes but is lucky enough to survive anyway. He eventually stumbles upon an old mountain man (Will Geer) who deigns to train him. Armed with new skills, Johnson treks deeper into the mountains and has some success. He acquires a mute son, a Flathead squaw, and a reputation. He has achieved something like a happy life before tragedy changes him. The Crow tribe wronged him and now they are at war.
The movie has an unusual structure: Johnson meets people on his journey and meets them again in the reverse order toward the end of the movie. In the first meeting, he is a novice on the mountains while in the second meeting he is a living legend.
Based on the true story of Liver-Eating Johnson, the movie gets the gist right if not the details. Johnson had been in the Navy during the Mexican-American War, but left before the peace. His Flathead wife was killed in 1847, while the war was still in progress. His vendetta against the Crow is painted as if he was satisfied after killing a handful of them. In fact, the vendetta lasted for 25 years and saw Johnson recruiting others to assist him. He earned his moniker by eating the livers of the Crow that he killed, a facet of the man that the film does not explore.
Overall, a terrific movie and great popcorn fun. Highly recommended.
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