Evengyny Thanks for the memories!

Ceticultsot Beautiful, moving film.

Maleeha Vincent It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Fleur Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

grizzledgeezer "The Way West" could have been a classic. Kirk Douglas plays a driven wagon master determined, like Burger King, to have it his way -- the goal being to herd pioneers to Oregon, to fulfill his dream of establishing an ideal city, with a crystal-covered playground for the kiddies.Unfortunately, Douglas quite fails to engage with the character or his situation. He is so distant and (generally) uninvolved that he might just as well delivered his lines from a Barcalounger. The rest of the actors rarely show much interest, either.The potential for intense drama and powerful emotion is present, but unrealized. The flabby script doesn't help, and first-time director Andrew McLaglen (son of Victor) has no idea what to do about it. * Only Jack Elam (arguably one of the all-time great actors) survives this snooze-fest, delivering a pitch-perfect turn as a minister.The fun moments come during an attempt to lower the pioneers over the edge of a high, steep cliff to the river bank below, one at a time. The first to go down dies when the wagon bumps against the cliff wall, and he -- or rather, an obvious dummy -- is thrown out.After Douglas unconvincingly convinces the pioneers to keep truckin' on down with him, he, too, (or rather a re-dressed dummy) also falls to his death when Psycho Sally cuts the rope to spare the pioneers having to put up with this monster of a man."The Way West" is inexcusably bad. Unless you like being bored to death by annoying films, the funny stuff takes too long to arrive.* His poor direction is particularly noticeable when the wagon train reaches a fort near the end of their journey. The commander has an Indian sidekick who insists on shaking Douglas's hand, and won't let go. A smart director would have built up the part a bit, to add some badly needed humor.

alexandre michel liberman (tmwest) "The Way West" came from a Pulitzer Prize winning novel, with Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum , Richard Widmark and a fantastic young Sally Fields on the cast. That should make it a winner, right? But Andrew McLaglen, even being a good director ,with minor flaws, is no John Ford or Anthony Man or Budd Boetticher. Also McLaglen was ordered by David Picker, vice president of production of United Artists to cut the first 20 minutes of the film (from an interview, "The Westerners:Interviews with Actors,Directors…" C.Courtney Joyner). The result was that the movie was a disappointment to those who had great expectations, which were many. But the disappointment changes into a happy surprise when one see the film now. There are the great scenes with Sally Fields, the cinematography of William H. Clothier, the good screenplay, but still those twenty initial minutes are missing,

ragosaal This film had all to come out as a fine western: big budget, top stars, impressive outdoor locations, great color photography, acceptable stories around the main plot, interesting characters, action scenes and so on. But its a fact it didn't make it and turned out as just an average product and in my opinion director Andrew MacLaglen has to do with it.MacLaglen never was a very imaginative director. He just sort of pushed his films ahead following the scripts and taking no risks at all by including some personal touches or feelings; that's why it is hard to find really bad pictures in his filmography but you also won't find higher than average films either (other examples are "The Undefeated" with John Wayne and Rock Hudson; "The Last Hard Men" with Charton Heston, James Coburn and Barbara Hershey; "The Sea Wolves" with Gregory Peck, David Niven and Roger Moore). "The Way West" is a classical MacLaglen movie, just standard, average and light with no big flaws and no major highlights either.Kirk Douglas, Richard Widmark and Robert Mitchum are good but wasted in the leading parts. Sally Field's early role as a young girl too avid for man's favors showed she had talent and a promising career she certainly fulfilled.All in all, "The Way West" is just for western fans to spend a couple of hours without much expectations.

drystyx This is what you call a sprawling western with a vast array of big name stars, scenery, action, and characterization. There is never a dull moment. Its got tons of adventure and action mixed with important character points along the way. Widmark was best when he got away from his sadistic bad guy roles. Here, he plays a reluctant hero, and to be honest, the parts were well written and directed. The actors added their talent, and the results are a larger than life spectacular show. Douglas is very believable as the man who begins good and descends into a horrible human being. The way different characters handle revenge is stunningly poignant. The chief who lost his son could easily wipe out the whole band, but his love of justice makes his unseen presence totally visible. A monumental bit of writing to do this, to make such a character who practically never appears for all intents and purposes. The scenery is vivid and spell binding. Mitchum's role is one that any actor would covet, and he handles it with aplomb. Sally Field plays maybe her best role ever. he movie is never mentioned by critics, but is the unsung hero of westerns, and a great example of how superior they were before 1970.